Former Vice President Kamala Harris criticized President Donald Trump over U.S. military action in Iran, accusing him of dragging the country into war without congressional approval. Harris condemned what she described as an “unauthorized war” and warned of its human cost.
Kamala Harris calls out Donald Trump over Iran war
Speaking to a nearly full crowd at Madison’s Orpheum Theater, Kamala Harris didn’t hold back her criticism of Donald Trump‘s decision to launch strikes against Iran, which began the previous day in coordination with Israel. The military action aims to overthrow the Iranian regime and has already resulted in American casualties.
“In the last 48 hours Donald Trump has dragged America into a war that we don’t want,” Harris told attendees at the event, which was part of her book tour for 107 Days. The former vice president pointed to media reports indicating that three American soldiers have died in what she termed an “unauthorized war.”
The strikes proceeded without the approval of Congress, a fact that Harris emphasized during her remarks. President Trump announced the death of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Truth Social Saturday and warned Iran that any retaliatory strikes would trigger further U.S. attacks.
The event, held in Wisconsin’s solidly liberal capital, was briefly disrupted by hecklers. One person shouted, “And then you funded a genocide!” referring to Harris’s position on Israel’s actions in Gaza. An issue that caused divisions among progressives during her 2024 presidential campaign. A second protester shouted about Immigration and Customs Enforcement before security escorted at least two people from the theater.
Event moderator V Spehar, a podcast and TikTok host, defused the tension by singing lyrics to Sesame Street’s “Sing” as audience members booed the disruptors. Despite the tense moments, Harris closed on a personal note, recalling her childhood in Madison in the late 1960s and a recent visit to her former home overlooking Lake Mendota. “I love coming back,” she said (via Wisconsin Public Radio).
