Former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, who survived a life-threatening shooting in 2011, spoke passionately at the Democratic National Convention’s concluding night, expressing confidence that Vice President Kamala Harris “can beat the gun lobby.”
Giffords, who began her congressional career in 2006, was seen as a promising figure in the Democratic Party before her nearly fatal encounter during a community event in Tucson, Arizona, where a mass shooting resulted in six fatalities and many injuries.
Reflecting on her journey, Giffords stated, “For five years, I served in Congress from a swing district. Everybody called me a rising star.” She described the day of the shooting as “a terrible, terrible day.”
After the tragedy, Giffords stepped down from Congress a year later to prioritize her recovery. Over the years, she has emerged as a passionate advocate for gun reform. Despite her ongoing challenges with speech, her recent appearance showcased remarkable improvement. “I almost died. But I fought for my life and I survived. I learned to walk again, one step at a time. I learned to talk again, one word at a time,” she shared.
Giffords expressed gratitude to President Biden for his continued support and described him as a “decent man.” She also commended Harris for her toughness, declaring, “Kamala can beat the gun lobby.”
The event featured other gun violence survivors, including a Sandy Hook massacre survivor and the mother of a Uvalde shooting victim. Accompanied by her husband, Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, who humorously remarked about the challenge of following Giffords and singer Pink, he praised her resilience. “She was able to walk out and address you tonight because she’s a fighter,” he said.
Transitioning to national security issues, Kelly addressed global threats from nations like Russia and China, criticizing former President Trump for his relationship with dictators and deeming the threats the U.S. faces too significant to consider him for election again. He lauded Harris for her support of U.S. troops, NATO, Ukraine, and the integrity of elections, contrasting her stances with Trump’s history of disparaging service members.
Mark Kelly entered politics in 2020 to fill the late John McCain’s Senate seat and successfully won reelection in 2022. He was considered as a possible running mate for Kamala Harris and even discussed as a potential alternative to President Biden as pressure mounted regarding his candidacy.