‘We have to be ruthless’: Kamala Harris calls Trump admin ‘corrupt, incompetent, callous’ at awards

Kamala Harris links Supreme Court ruling to GOP strategy, alleging long-term push to limit voting access ahead of midterms
Kamala Harris spoke in Beverly Hills and criticized the administration while urging Democrats to fight harder for voting rights (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Kamala Harris spoke in Beverly Hills and criticized the administration while urging Democrats to fight harder for voting rights (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Former Vice President, Kamala Harris attacked the Trump administration, labeling it “corrupt, incompetent, callous” during an awards dinner in Beverly Hills.

While being honored with Public Counsel's William O. Douglas Award, Harris used the event to criticize the current White House leadership and a recent Supreme Court voting rights ruling.



Kamala Harris calls Trump administration ‘corrupt, incompetent, callous’

During the ceremony, Harris engaged in a conversation with actress Uzo Aduba where she focused heavily on partisan rhetoric.

She used the platform to blast the administration, specifically targeting its handling of the Voting Rights Act following a Supreme Court decision that occurred just hours earlier.

Harris framed the legal ruling as a calculated political move by her opponents.

She claimed that the administration is intentionally trying to make the voting process difficult because it fears losing in upcoming midterm elections.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the 38th Annual Michigan Democratic Women's Caucus Legacy Luncheon on April 18, 2026, in Detroit, Michigan (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)
Former Vice President Kamala Harris spoke at the Michigan Democratic Women's Caucus Legacy Luncheon in Detroit on April 18, 2026 (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

Kamala Harris claims Trump administration is restricting voting access

Harris dismissed rumors of canceled elections but replaced them with her own accusations of a decades-long effort to restrict voter access.

“Before this decision this morning, people would ask me, ‘Well, do you think they’re going to try and cancel the elections?’ I don’t think so. Because if you thought no kings rallies were a thing, people would take to the streets if they tried to cancel elections,” Harris said.

She suggested that the administration’s strategy relies on making it too difficult for people to participate in democracy.

She continued her sharp critique by claiming the White House is acting out of fear of the American public.

“No, they have had an agenda that has been in place for decades, to get to this very moment and beyond which is to make it so difficult for the people to vote that they won’t, because they know the people are not stupid and see the corrupt, incompetent, callous administration that is in the White House right now, and they’re so damn scared. They’re so damn scared of losing the midterms,” she added.

Former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks onstage during her '107 Days' book tour at Tabernacle on October 8, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
Former Vice President Kamala Harris spoke during her '107 Days' book tour event in Atlanta on October 8, 2025 (Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

Kamala Harris urges Democrats to ‘be ruthless’

The former Vice President concluded her speech by calling on Democrats. She urged her party to match the intensity of their political rivals.

“We have to be ruthless, too,” she said, telling the crowd that Democrats must be prepared to fight fire with fire to reclaim power and push their agenda forward.

GET BREAKING U.S. NEWS & POLITICAL UPDATES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

Darline Graham, who championed the legislation, expressed pride in the law but stopped short of directly criticizing Donald Trump's decision
2026-10-18T06:30:42.000Z
JD Vance added that he would need to give the matter more thought, particularly after the 2026 midterm elections
2026-10-18T05:42:51.000Z
Joey Amor confronted JD Vance over military failures before an Iranian drone attack in Kuwait killed his wife, Nicole Amor, and five others
2026-10-18T05:03:42.000Z
Speaking at a rally on October 17, Donald Trump said the Department of War would invest the money in the California-based pharmaceutical company Antheia
2026-10-18T04:29:11.000Z
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents searched Democratic Rep Ilhan Omar’s Washington, DC, home on Monday, October 12
2026-10-18T03:53:57.000Z
Trump cited his decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico the 'Gulf of America' as an example of his increased power during his second term
2026-10-18T03:19:47.000Z
US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff traveled to Russia and Ukraine last month to begin talks aimed at ending the years-long conflict
2026-10-17T20:47:47.000Z
Vice President JD Vance acknowledged that reviving the economy would take time as the Trump administration worked to turn things around
2026-10-17T19:58:00.000Z
Judge Ana C Reyes reprimanded Trump's lawyers for removing park trees without notifying the court as previously ordered
2026-10-17T18:58:06.000Z
Trump reportedly reconsidered his candidates for key seats as Republicans fought to protect their slim majorities in the Senate and House
2026-10-17T17:31:48.000Z