Sen. Chuck Schumer hailed Kamala Harris on Tuesday and said he had never seen his party more unified as he prepared to take his turn addressing the Democratic National Convention.
The Senate majority leader said the presumptive Democratic nominee is “proven, primed and prepared” to defeat former President Trump and said the party was ready to put all differences aside to drive her to victory in November.
“Kamala has been great at getting things done, especially for working families,” Schumer told the News from Chicago. “She’s proven herself, she’s primed for success and she’s prepared to defeat Trump.”
Schumer said he is a veteran of Democratic conventions since 1980. But in four-plus decades, the Brooklyn lawmaker said he’s never seen an atmosphere of single-minded purpose like this gathering.
“I’ve not found a convention more focused, excited and more unified,” Schumer said. “Everyone is coming together from the most liberal to the most moderate.”
“We are showing America what it means to be a big tent party,” he added.
Schumer is expected to speak to the DNC at 9:15 p.m. Eastern time, although Monday’s schedule ran significantly later.
He is the third major New York political figure to speak after Gov. Hochul and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez spoke Monday. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is also expected to address the convention later.
Schumer knows he can’t compete with Ocasio-Cortez when it comes to lighting a fire under younger and progressive viewers.
But he does plan to convey to Democrats that they chose the right course when the party quickly united behind Harris after President Biden decided to step aside and endorse her to be his successor.
He’s hoping the reset campaign can catapult Democrats not only back to the White House but to win control of the House and Senate as well.
Schumer said he would deliver two main messages in his speech: one backing Harris and one attacking Trump.
“Kamala Harris will do so much for the middle class. You can see it in what she’s proposed to help new homebuyers and to ease prescription drug prices,” he said. “That’s been her focus.”
“But the second part is that Trump would be an absolute disaster,” Schumer said. “You can see the unity here among Democrats from across the party. But he is the complete opposite: he exists to divide people. That’s what he does.”
Like millions of Democrats, Schumer said he watched rapt as Biden belted out a rousing farewell speech in which he reminded Americans about the achievement of his administration and handed the baton to Harris and a new generation of leaders.
“Joe Biden will go down in history as a true patriot and one of the greatest leaders of our time,” Schumer tweeted early Tuesday. “Thank you, @JoeBiden.”
