On April 30, 2025, former Vice President Kamala Harris delivered a fiery speech at the Emerge Gala in San Francisco. She called Trump’s leadership a “wholesale abandonment” of American ideals and blamed him for “the greatest man-made economic crisis in modern presidential history,” citing soaring costs and damage to retirement accounts.

The next day, Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended President Trump. “It was a great reminder… how blessed we are that the leader today is President Donald Trump,” Miller said. He claimed Harris’s presidency would’ve meant “the end of America,” blaming her for border issues and “radical regulations.”

Leavitt also mocked Biden’s recent speech, saying, “I’m shocked that he is speaking at nighttime. I thought his bedtime was earlier.” The remark sparked backlash, with one person saying, “That is just so wrong to say.”

Biden reentered the public eye to defend Social Security amid Trump-era staffing cuts. “I still believe in the idea for which this nation stands,” Biden said, urging Americans to uphold democratic values.