STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
The sounds of the Democratic Convention.
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VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: I accept your nomination to be president of the United States of America.
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LEILA FADEL, HOST:
Vice President Harris made her case with a supporting cast last night. Victims of gun violence told their stories. So did swing state governors and comedian D.L. Hughley.
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DL HUGHLEY: Now, of course, Trump is saying that Kamala isn't Black. I guarantee you this - Kamala has been Black a lot longer than Trump's been a Republican.
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FADEL: Harris offered a phrase for her economic program.
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HARRIS: An opportunity economy, where everyone has the chance to compete and a chance to succeed...
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HARRIS: ...Whether you live in a rural area, small town or big city.
INSKEEP: She was not specific about what an opportunity economy would be, but promised to put country over party or self.
FADEL: NPR White House correspondent Deepa Shivaram was with Harris last night, and joins us now. Good morning, Deepa.
DEEPA SHIVARAM, BYLINE: Good morning.
FADEL: So this was an opportunity for Harris to really define herself for the country and share what her presidency would look like. What stood out to you?
SHIVARAM: Yeah. I mean, this was definitely her moment to introduce herself to the country. This has been such an unexpected and truncated run for the presidency.
FADEL: Right.
SHIVARAM: And it's all happening right as a lot of voters still don't really know who Kamala Harris is. And she tried to fix that last night, primarily by telling her story through the lens of her parents - who both immigrated to the U.S. - and how their dreams led to Harris' own, she says, unlikely journey of running for president.
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HARRIS: At the park, my mother would say, stay close, but my father would say as he smiled, run, Kamala, run. Don't be afraid. Don't let anything stop you.
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SHIVARAM: This was such a different speech than I've heard from Harris before, in a lot of different ways, Leila, but primarily because, to be honest, she doesn't really often share these personal details about her life.
FADEL: Now, Deepa, you point out this is a truncated campaign, unusual, but one of the criticisms she's faced is that she hasn't been clear on what she would do as president - what her policies would be. What did we learn from her speech?
SHIVARAM: You know, Harris talked a lot about her beliefs on what she called building the opportunity economy. She talked about the border, and Israel and Gaza, and Ukraine. It wasn't really about nitty-gritty policy, though. It was more of a declaration of values, about protecting American security and democracy abroad, and how her opponent, former President Donald Trump, stands in contrast to many of her beliefs. And she was also trying to show, you know, that she has the toughness and the experience that it takes to be the commander in chief, which is important because of the unprecedented nature of her candidacy.
FADEL: Now, you had a front-row seat in her press pool. What was it like in the room?
SHIVARAM: Yeah. I mean, I've seen Kamala Harris give a lot of speeches over the last five years, and this was a really strong performance from her. I was sitting just by the stage, behind the delegation from Nebraska, and the whole crowd was just so loud and so amped.
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SHIVARAM: One thing that really stood out to me was how much Harris' message in her speech was about her love of country, and the possibilities of America, and how that translated in the arena. I mean, there were American flags being waved and more being handed out, people chanting USA.
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UNIDENTIFIED PEOPLE: (Chanting) USA. USA.
SHIVARAM: It was really a rallying moment for the brand of patriotism Harris is trying to build.
FADEL: So I think the big question is, can she carry that momentum and that excitement into November? How does she do that?
SHIVARAM: I mean, Harris herself, when she rallied with supporters after her speech last night, like, literally said, you can party tonight, but then we get to work. And, you know, the reality is Harris can't keep up the exact hold that she's had on the narrative the last few weeks. She's going to have to adapt and change. The debate, of course, is coming up on September 10, and she has agreed to a sit-down interview before the end of the month.
FADEL: NPR's Deepa Shivaram. Thank you, Deepa.
SHIVARAM: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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