Harris responds to Michigan rally protesters: ‘I’m speaking’ as Gaza policy surfaces

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ROMULUS, Mich. – Several protesters sought to interrupt Vice President Kamala Harris’s rally in Michigan on Wednesday, shouting pro-Palestinian slogans. They were drowned out by shouts of “Kamala!” but continued to chant about “genocide.”

“We believe in democracy. Everyone’s voice matters, but I am speaking now,” Harris said in response.

After the chants continued, she directly addressed the protesters: “You know what, if you want Donald Trump to win, then say that. Otherwise, I’m speaking.”

The lines were reminiscent of Harris’s viral moment during a 2020 vice-presidential debate, in which she told Vice President Mike Pence, “Mr. Vice President, I’m speaking.”

The protesters were determined, interrupting Harris’s remarks multiple times during the rally, which was attended by thousands of people. Harris and her freshly picked running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, were in the Midwest on Wednesday, seeking to energize voters in some of the country’s key battleground states.

Earlier this year, President Joe Biden’s aides kept news about his movements in Michigan tightly under wraps and limited the size of his events in this state over concerns that pro-Palestinian protesters would disrupt his visits.

Protesters often chanted “Biden, Biden, you can’t hide. We charge you with genocide!” during Biden events.

Biden has faced criticism from members of his own party amid the war in Gaza and has grown isolated from allies as he’s remained steadfast in his commitment to Israel and continued to provide military support – even as the Palestinian death toll has mounted and the humanitarian crisis has worsened.

Harris, in the relatively less visible role of vice president, has until now largely been sheltered from the criticism directed at Biden.

While the vice president has not laid out a policy on Israel that is distinct from Biden’s – such as by calling for conditioning aid or cutting off offensive weapons – she has spoken more explicitly about Palestinian suffering and shown more willingness to hold Israel directly responsible.

Last month, after a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during which she urged him to accept the cease-fire deal, Harris said she had “serious concern about the scale of human suffering in Gaza, including the death of far too many innocent civilians.”

“We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering, and I will not be silent,” she said.

Harris, who has been cheered for forcefully calling for a cease-fire, has said there are “no excuses” for Israel not allowing more desperately needed aid into Gaza, and has spoken in detail about the dire conditions there, including widespread starvation that has forced some Palestinians to subsist off leaves and animal feed.

Biden has repeatedly called for a cease-fire and made references to such conditions but has often avoided criticism of the Israeli government. Some Democratic voters who vowed not to support Biden have said they are open to Harris – but are waiting to see if she distinguishes herself from her boss with a different foreign policy.

As a presidential candidate, Harris faces a delicate balancing act when it comes to Gaza. As vice president, she will have to continue carrying out the Biden administration’s foreign policy, but on the campaign trail, she will seek to appeal both to younger voters – many of whom have called for an immediate cease-fire and halting offensive weapons to Israel – as well as staunchly pro-Israel members of the Democratic coalition.

At an earlier rally in Wisconsin on Wednesday, a protester in the crowd shouted at Harris to speak up about the people in the Gaza Strip, but the vice president did not appear to hear, and supporters in the crowd cheered over the person and shushed her.