KB News Desk
Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has said she will not “cozy up to” dictators like North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, whom she cast as “rooting for” her Republican rival Donald Trump.
In her nomination acceptance speech in Chicago on Thursday, Vice President Harris took aim at Trump, who has long boasted about his personal ties with Kim, stressing she knows “where I stand” in the “struggle between democracy and tyranny.”
“I will not cozy up to tyrants and dictators like Kim Jong-un who are rooting for Trump,” she told a cheering crowd of Democrats on the fourth and final day of the Democratic National Convention.
“They know he is easy to manipulate with flattery and favors. They know Trump won’t hold autocrats accountable because he wants to be an autocrat himself,” she added.
The remarks reinforced expectations that Harris, if elected, could focus on working together with allies to bolster deterrence against North Korean threats while leaving the door open for dialogue with Pyongyang — largely in line with President Joe Biden’s approach.
Offering clarity on what had been her sketchy foreign policy vision, she affirmed her commitment to reinforcing America’s global leadership and standing “strong” with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) while decrying Trump’s controversial stump speech in February that drew the ire of NATO allies.
“I will make sure that we lead the world into the future, that America, not China, wins the competition for the 21st century, and that we strengthen, not abdicate, our global leadership,” she said in an emphatic voice.
“Trump, on the other hand, threatened to abandon NATO. He encouraged Putin to invade our allies, said Russia ‘do whatever the hell they want,'” she added.
She was referring to Trump’s remarks during a campaign rally, where he said that if reelected, he would “encourage” Russia to do whatever it wants to do to “delinquent” NATO members that fail to meet their defense spending commitments.
The Democratic flag bearer laid out her vision to realize if she becomes the nation’s commander-in-chief.
“I will ensure America always has the strongest, most lethal fighting force in the world,” she said.
She also highlighted her determination to safeguard America’s ideals.
“As president, I will never waver in defense of America’s security and ideals because, in the enduring struggle between democracy and tyranny, I know where I stand, and I know where the United States belongs,” she said.
During the pomp-filled convention, Harris was formally crowned as the Democratic presidential nominee for the Nov. 5 general election.
Her nomination followed a tumultuous period marked by an assassination attempt against Trump last month and Biden’s unprecedented exit from the presidential race days later. (Yonhap)
