Kamala Harris compared President Donald Trump to a communist dictator on MSNBC, drawing a sharp rebuke from the White House.
The former vice president sat down with Rachel Maddow on Monday night.
Harris, 60, accused Trump of being a “tyrant” and warned that business leaders were failing to stand up to him.
She said, “I worked closely with the private sector over many years, and I always believed that if push came to shove, those titans of industry would be guardrails for our democracy, for the importance of sustaining democratic institutions,” according to Fox News.
“And one by one by one, they have been silent. They have been, you know, yes, I use the word feckless,” she added.
???? BREAKING: Kamala Harris declares to the nation that President Donald Trump is a “COMMUNIST DICTATOR,” as she promotes her book.
WHAT?
Thank GOD this incompetent woman is not our president right now! We dodged a MAJOR bullet. Her career is done.
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) September 23, 2025
Harris also told Maddow, “Democracy sustains capitalism. Capitalism thrives in a democracy.”
She continued, “And right now, we are dealing with — as I called him at my speech on the ellipse — a tyrant.”
“We used to compare the strength of our democracy to communist dictators,” Harris said. “That’s what we’re dealing with right now under Donald Trump. And these titans of industry are not speaking up.”
The White House immediately pushed back on the rhetoric, which was used less than two weeks after the political assassination of Charlie Kirk.
On Monday night, the official Trump administration Rapid Response 47 account posted a clip of Harris’ remarks.
SICK: Failed presidential candidate Kamala Harris is inciting violence on MSDNC, calling the duly elected President of the United States—who escaped two assassination attempts—a "tyrant."
"…Communist dictators—that's what we're dealing with right now in Donald Trump." pic.twitter.com/ETLYFycE71
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 23, 2025
The Trump administration accused Harris of fanning the flames of more political violence.
“SICK: Failed presidential candidate Kamala Harris is inciting violence on MSDNC, calling the duly elected President of the United States — who escaped two assassination attempts — a ‘tyrant,’” the account wrote.
The statement highlighted Harris’ own words: “‘…Communist dictators — that’s what we’re dealing with right now in Donald Trump.’”
The post accused Harris of reckless rhetoric that could inspire more violence.
Harris also spoke about her own failed 2024 campaign decisions during her MSNBC interview.
She revealed that Pete Buttigieg had been her first choice for vice president.
Maddow presses Harris on Buttigieg: to say that he couldn't be on the ticket effectively because he was gay. It's hard to hear.
Harris: No, no, no, that's not what I said…it wasn't about any prejudice on my part, but we had such a short period of time. pic.twitter.com/ZrM5TYm8rL
— Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) September 23, 2025
But Harris admitted she ultimately passed on him because of his homosexuality, instead selecting Democratic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
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