Former Vice President Kamala Harris criticized a set of new plaques President Donald Trump recently added to the Presidential Walk of Fame at the White House, calling them unworthy of the office.
“I spent so much time in the White House,” Harris told Jimmy Kimmel Live on Wednesday night. “The idea that those plaques would have been placed by a president of the United States to talk about former presidents of the United States, the American people deserve better.”
The plaques, unveiled during a media preview on Wednesday, have been installed beneath portraits of U.S. presidents. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said “many were written directly by the President himself.” The text includes pointed critiques of Democratic presidents, including language describing Joe Biden as “sleepy” and the “worst President in American History,” and calling Barack Obama “one of the most divisive political figures in American history.”
Why It Matters
The changes are the latest example of Trump reshaping parts of the White House to reflect his personal style and political message.
The gallery sits in the colonnade connecting the White House residence to the West Wing, a high-traffic corridor that can be shown to guests and visiting dignitaries.
What To Know
Harris became the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee after then-President Biden exited the race, but she ultimately lost to Trump.
She has conducted several interviews since the September release of her book about the campaign, 107 Days.
In her conversation with Kimmel, Harris said some voters supported Trump because they believed his pledge to lower prices. “Look where we are,” she said. “As of today, the price of food is up, unemployment is up, inflation is up. And so what does he do? He keeps dropping bombs, almost literally.”
She argued that Trump benefits from controversy because it shifts attention away from economic concerns. According to Harris, the president wants the public to focus on “the crazy” rather than challenges like affording rent, buying food, and paying for holiday gifts.
“And he doesn’t want us talking about the fact that he has destroyed the economy in so many ways except for his cronies, his friends who are making millions if not billions of dollars based on abject and overt grift,” she said.
Harris also criticized Trump over recent remarks he made about the deaths of director Rob Reiner and Reiner’s wife, Michele Singer Reiner—comments that drew backlash, including from some of Trump’s supporters. Trump said the pair died “reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME.” The couple’s son, Nick Reiner, was charged with murder on Tuesday. Prosecutors have not suggested a motive.
“The people deserve better of their president than someone who has no interest in caring about the condition or the well-being or the suffering of the people of their country,” Harris said.
Trump, meanwhile, addressed the nation Wednesday night in a prime-time speech aired live on network television, blaming Democrats for economic headwinds. Trump has promised an economic boom, but inflation has remained elevated and the job market has weakened sharply following his import taxes.
A series of national polls have indicated sustained disapproval of Trump’s handling of the economy.
What People Are Saying
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement: “The plaques are eloquently written descriptions of each President and the legacy they left behind. As a student of history, many were written directly by the President himself.”
Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut wrote on X in response to the plaques: “He is such a sad, damaged person.”
Democratic Representative Mike Levin of California wrote on X: “It will be a great day for this country when the next President clears away these ridiculous plaques, removes the tacky gold cluttering the Oval Office, and restores dignity and honesty after an era marked by pettiness and vindictiveness at the highest level of government.”
What Happens Next
The plaques are expected to remain in place throughout Trump’s second term, though what becomes of the display after his presidency is unclear.
Harris has said she will not run for California governor next year, but has not ruled out another bid for the White House in 2028.
