Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a memorial ceremony for former President Jimmy Carter in the Rotunda at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 7, 2025 in Washington, DC. Carter's body will lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda until a funeral service at the National Cathedral in Washington on January 9.
Sacramento, California – Former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris attacked tech leaders, authoritarian politics, and the dangers of forgetting history during a wide-ranging address to 4,500 real estate professionals at the Australian Real Estate Conference (AREC) on the Gold Coast on Sunday.
Harris, visiting Australia for the first time, was the keynote speaker at the industry event and was interviewed on stage by veteran real estate figure John McGrath. While she didn’t mention names directly, Harris’s remarks clearly criticized figures like Elon Musk and former U.S. President Donald Trump.
“There was someone that is very popular these days, at least in the press, who suggested that it is a sign of the weakness of Western civilisation to have empathy,” Harris said, referencing Musk’s recent comments on the Joe Rogan podcast. “Imagine. No, it’s a sign of strength to have some level of curiosity and concern and care about the wellbeing of others.”
Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, claimed in March that empathy is “a bug in Western civilisation” that is being exploited, particularly in discussions around immigration.
Harris rejected that view, warning that an erosion of empathy and global cooperation mirrors dangerous historical trends.
“I do worry that it is important we remember the 1930s,” Harris said. “History has taught us that isolation does not equal insulation. Relationships of trust, integrity, and honesty between nations matter.”
While delivered to a business-focused audience, Harris’s remarks veered into political and philosophical territory. She alluded to the rise of authoritarian leaders and made a thinly veiled reference to the new U.S. administration, which defeated her Democratic ticket in the 2024 election.
Despite the heavy topics, Harris also shared personal anecdotes from her career, including her time as California Attorney General and her experiences breaking barriers as a woman of color in politics. “I don’t hear no. I eat no for breakfast,” she said. “I can’t begin to tell you the number of times I was told, ‘It’s not your time.’ Don’t you listen.”
The conversation also turned to artificial intelligence, which Harris said posed significant challenges for democratic societies.
“Americans are wary of AI because it threatens jobs and spreads misinformation,” she said. “We must ask: are there vulnerable people, and are we doing what we can to ensure they’re safe?”
Other speakers at the conference included British entrepreneur and podcaster Steven Bartlett and Sydney-based real estate agent David Walker. The event runs through Monday at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre. Organizers declined to disclose speaker fees.
