--- title: Why Democrats Want a Prosecutor-in-Chief Now description: A theme emerged at the DNC that’s different from Kamala Harris’ last run: that her past as a prosecutor will be an asset in the race. canonical: https://time.com/7014492/kamala-harris-prosecutor-trump-dnc/ author: Nik Popli article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2024-08-23T20:11:24.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-19T07:46:15.482Z article:section: Politics og:title: Why Democrats Want a Prosecutor-in-Chief Now og:description: A theme emerged at the DNC that’s different from Kamala Harris’ last run: that her past as a prosecutor will be an asset in the race. og:url: https://time.com/7014492/kamala-harris-prosecutor-trump-dnc/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf897139a16a4e5a9/698a5a3918689272896c86ae/GettyImages-2167179802.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: Day Four Of The 2024 Democratic National Convention og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Why Democrats Want a Prosecutor-in-Chief Now twitter:description: A theme emerged at the DNC that’s different from Kamala Harris’ last run: that her past as a prosecutor will be an asset in the race. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf897139a16a4e5a9/698a5a3918689272896c86ae/GettyImages-2167179802.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Why Democrats Want a Prosecutor-in-Chief Now > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=05a05c6f-c169-48cc-abc0-f786f3491152&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Kamala Harris’ DNC Speech Showed a Prosecutor Ready For Her Rival [Watch (HLS stream): Kamala Harris’ DNC Speech Showed a Prosecutor Ready For Her Rival](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/8hza0hKe.m3u8) (4:07)  _Published 2024-08-23. At once a biography and a promise, Harris’ speech on Thursday accepting her Democratic Party’s nomination was a measured blend of aspiration and assurance, a guide for the next 10 weeks of what is certainly going to be a grueling grind toward Election Day._  by [Nik Popli / Chicago](https://time.com/author/nik-popli/)  ## Nik Popli / Chicago Staff Writer Aug 23, 2024 8:11 PM UTC At once a biography and a promise, Harris’ speech on Thursday accepting her Democratic Party’s nomination was a measured blend of aspiration and assurance, a guide for the next 10 weeks of what is certainly going to be a grueling grind toward Election Day.  by [Nik Popli / Chicago](https://time.com/author/nik-popli/)  ## Nik Popli / Chicago Staff Writer Aug 23, 2024 8:11 PM UTC A theme emerged this week at the Democratic National Convention that’s very different from Kamala Harris’ last run for President: the notion that her past as a prosecutor will be an asset in the race. Largely seen as a liability on the left during her 2020 run, Harris’ prosecutorial record is now being reframed as a stark contrast to former President Donald Trump, who has been [found guilty on 34 felony charges](https://time.com/6983196/donald-trump-convicted-hush-money-trial-new-york/). “As a prosecutor, when I had a case, I charged it not in the name of the victim. But in the name of ‘The People,’” Harris said in her speech accepting the party’s nomination. “For a simple reason: in our system of justice, a harm against any one of us is a harm against all of us.” Throughout the convention, speakers echoed a similar message: “Donald Trump rants about law and order as if he wasn’t a convicted criminal running against a prosecutor,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Wednesday. Angela Alsobrooks, a former prosecutor who is running for Maryland’s open Senate seat, said during her primetime speaking slot at the DNC on Tuesday that Harris is the right candidate to [prosecute the case](https://time.com/7014214/kamala-harris-dnc-review/) against Trump: “Getting justice for others isn’t a power trip for her—it’s a sacred calling,” she said. “And hear me—Kamala Harris knows how to keep criminals off the streets. And come November, with your help, she’ll keep one out of the Oval Office.” **Read More:** [_The Reintroduction of Kamala Harris_](https://time.com/7009317/reintroduction-of-kamala-harris/) In an interview with TIME after her speech, Alsobrooks elaborated on why she thinks Harris’ pitch to voters about being a prosecutor will work better now than it did in the 2020 Democratic primary. “I think people are sick of Donald Trump,” Alsobrooks says, sitting in the lobby of her hotel in Chicago hours before Harris, an ally and friend of hers, would accept the nomination. “They can see the real contrast between a person who's obsessed with himself—he spent time fighting for himself, and she's been fighting for other people.” The transformation in Harris' political narrative is striking, particularly when viewed against the backdrop of the 2020 Democratic primary, where her record as a California prosecutor was a point of contention among progressive voters. At that time, the murder of George Floyd had sparked major protests against police brutality and a [national reckoning with racism](https://time.com/5847967/george-floyd-protests-trump/), and activists and critics on the left lambasted Harris for what they perceived as a tough-on-crime approach during her tenure as San Francisco District Attorney and California Attorney General. [_Buy_ _your copy of TIME's 'Kamala Harris: Her Moment' issue here in the Magazine Shop_](https://magazineshop.us/products/time-magazine-08-26-24-edition-kamala-harris/?utm%5Fsource=TIME&utm%5Fmedium=TIME-Marketing&utm%5Fcampaign=240813%5FTIME-Marketing&utm%5Fcontent=TIME-Marketing%5FLanding-TIME-08-13-24-Kamala-Harris-Product-Page&handle=kamala&handle=qphcz) The pivot from Harris’ earlier efforts to downplay her prosecutorial record highlights a broader shift within the Democratic Party. The left’s growing apprehension over crime and public safety issues has altered the political landscape, making Harris' background in law enforcement more palatable to a broader electorate. Recent [polling](https://www.vera.org/news/polling-shows-voters-prefer-crime-prevention-over-punishment) shows that a significant portion of voters are concerned about crime and support a more robust approach to public safety. The shift in public perception can be attributed to several factors: For one, crime rates have fluctuated, and despite a [general decline in recent years](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/new-fbi-stats-show-historic-declines-violent-crime-rate-murder-showing-rcna156573#:~:text=The%20murder%20rate%20fell%20by,15.2%25%2C%20the%20statistics%20show.), fears about crime have persisted, fueled in part by Republican advertising focusing heavily on crime and immigration issues. Democrats have been compelled to present a counter-narrative that addresses public anxieties about safety while highlighting their own solutions. **Read More:** [_‘A Chance to Chart a New Way Forward’: Key Moments From Kamala Harris’ DNC Speech_](https://time.com/7014252/kamala-harris-dnc-speech-2024/) There’s also Harris’ opponent. With Trump facing a multitude of legal battles, including criminal cases related to his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election and a conviction for falsifying business records to cover up hush-money payments to a porn star, Harris’ campaign has emphasized her experience in upholding the rule of law. “I took on perpetrators of all kinds,” Harris said at a recent rally, adding, “I know Donald Trump’s type.” Alsobrooks thinks there will be a larger takeaway for voters as they learn more about Harris’ background, too. She describes Harris as a prosecutor who sought to address the root causes of crime rather than merely pursuing punitive measures, noting that her career was not just about locking people up but also about addressing broader systemic issues. “She has a whole record of fighting for other people,” Alsobrooks says, “and I think people now can see that prosecutors are tough, but they're also compassionate—that their only interest is in justice… fairness and justice for other people is the priority of a prosecutor. And I think they see that in Kamala.” ## Transcript [00:00] Please welcome the Democratic nominee for President, [00:04] Vice President of the United States of America, Kamala Harris. [00:12] Ake is Lao it. [00:19] On behalf of everyone whose story could only be written in the greatest nation on Earth. [00:30] I accept your nomination to be President of the United States of America. [00:41] And let me say, I know there are people of various political views watching tonight. [00:47] And I want you to know. [00:48] I promise to be a president for all Americans. [00:54] You can always trust me to put country above party and self to hold [01:02] sacred America's fundamental principles from the rule of [01:07] law to free and fair elections to the peaceful transfer of power. [01:15] Donald Trump is an unserious man. [01:20] But the consequences but the consequences [01:25] of putting Donald Trump back in the White House are extremely serious. [01:32] Consider not only the chaos and calamity when he was in office, [01:39] but also the gravity of what has happened since he lost the last election. [01:47] Donald Trump tried to throw away your votes. [01:51] When he failed, he sent an armed mob to the United States Capitol, [01:58] where they assaulted law enforcement officers. [02:01] When politicians in his own party begged him to call off the mob. [02:10] And send help. [02:12] He did the opposite. [02:14] He fanned the flames. [02:16] As Vice President, I have confronted threats to our security, [02:22] negotiated with foreign leaders, [02:25] strengthened our alliances, and engaged with our brave troops overseas. [02:31] As commander in chief, [02:33] I will ensure America always has the strongest most lethal fighting force in the world. [02:41] They know he is easy to manipulate with flattery and favors. [02:47] They know Trump won't hold autocrats [02:51] accountable because he wants to be an autocrat himself. [02:57] And as president, I will never waver in defense of America's security and ideals, [03:05] because in the enduring struggle between democracy and tyrany, [03:11] I know where I stand, [03:13] and I know where the United States belongs. [03:17] So let's get. Let's fight for it. [03:22] Let's get out. Let's vote for it. [03:26] And together, let us write [03:30] the next great chapter in the most extraordinary story ever told. [03:37] Thank you. God bless you and may God bless the United States of America. 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