- Former Vice President Kamala Harris addressed challenges and optimism at Salt Lake City's Abravanel Hall on Wednesday
- Her message resonated across political lines, emphasizing civic restitution and trust rebuilding.
- Harris' visit fueled 2028 presidential run rumors, though she appears set to continue her book tour.
SALT LAKE CITY — Former Vice President Kamala Harris addressed a sold-out Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City on Wednesday night.
She was the final guest of the ninth annual Wasatch Speaker Series, an Intermountain Health-sponsored program that has previously hosted figures ranging from former President Barack Obama and Jay Leno to Malala Yousafzai and Jane Goodall.
While the program doesn't allow recording, attendees described a night where Harris expressed optimism alongside an assessment of the country's current challenges.
Harris opened the evening by recounting her first steps after conceding the 2024 election and leaving the White House in January 2025, according to Scott Howell, a former state Democratic lawmaker. Rather than returning home and going on a post-term vacation, Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, found themselves in Altadena, California, a community that was a victim of the Eaton Canyon Fire.
Harris told the audience that she witnessed neighbors helping neighbors, an experience that reinforced her belief in the strength of the American people, he said. She said that the nation is facing a lack of trust with one another, and she called on a "civic restitution" to rebuild trust in the nation's communities.
Harris did not shy away from addressing the country's challenges, Howell said, acknowledging that repairing relationships, both domestic and international, will take time, but said that it could be done.
Bipartisan reception
In a state known for being Republican, Harris' message of optimism appeared to resonate across the aisle.
Howell, a political consultant and Biden-Harris campaign insider, attended with his wife, Linda, a Republican.
Despite political differences, both left feeling inspired, he said.
"It was excellent," Linda Howell said. "I felt like her message was the direction she needed to go. She didn't lean into a negative message, but (addressed challenges) in a respectful way."
When asked what those who weren't able to attend the speech last night should know or take away, Scott Howell shared the sentiment Harris gave when asked by the moderator why Americans should stay optimistic. Howell said that Harris advised the audience to believe in America and to believe in the system.
When asked how Harris was received by the Salt Lake crowd, Scott Howell said the applause "rocked the whole auditorium" and it was "a thundering round of appreciation."
Both Scott and Linda Howell said they walked away feeling inspired by Harris' words.
The approximately 90-minute event, consisting of a 30-minute speech and an hourlong Q&A, touched on Harris' upbringing, her experiences in the White House and issues currently straining the nation. According to attendees like the Howells and Holly Richardson of Utah Policy and KSL Newsradio, Harris addressed high grocery prices, unemployment and global conflict.
However, rather than being combative in her criticisms, Howell said, Harris presented a critique of the current administration, arguing that many promises made to the American people have not been fulfilled.
She discussed the role of the Department of Justice, emphasizing that the department exists to protect the citizens, not to serve as a personal lawyer for the president, Scott Howell recounted.
Harris' American tour
Harris' stop in Salt Lake City was a standalone event, separate from the national tour for her memoir, "107 Days."
The book, published by Simon & Schuster in September 2025, details her whirlwind campaign trail following former President Joe Biden's late withdrawal from the 2024 race.
Before arriving at Abravanel Hall, Harris visited Templin Family Brewing in downtown Salt Lake City to meet with locals and Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall.
Harris is scheduled to resume her book tour with an appearance in Denver on Thursday night before visiting several Southern states later this month.
Harris' plans for 2028
Harris' Salt Lake City remarks did little to quiet rumors of a potential 2028 presidential run. Harris has largely remained a private citizen since 2024, but her recent schedule mirrors a candidate testing the waters, Scott Howell said.
According to CNN, the former vice president has plans to visit four Southern states this month. While these stops are speculated to be in an effort to support local Democratic parties and candidates in their own races, it isn't stopping rumors from spreading, Howell noted.
Another run for Harris remains unknown.
"I would counsel her to stay in a leadership position; she is needed there," Howell said. However, he added a note of caution regarding the next election cycle, saying he would not advise her to run for president in 2028.
