Kamala Harris's went to Australia for the first time and gave a speech that's going viral; here's what she said

Kamala Harris came to Australia for the first time to speak at a big real estate event – the 2025 Australian Real Estate Conference. The event was held on the Gold Coast at the Convention and Exhibition Centre and had 4,500 real estate agents attending, according to the reports.

Harris was interviewed on stage for about an hour by John McGrath, a well-known real estate industry expert. She walked on stage to Beyoncé’s “Halo”, joked about being “unemployed right now,” and got a standing ovation, as per the report by Guardian.

Harris didn’t name names, but clearly took a shot at Elon Musk, criticizing someone “popular in the press” who said empathy is a weakness in Western civilization. She said real leaders shouldn’t be judged by “who you beat down” but by showing care and curiosity about others.


Elon Musk had said in a podcast with Joe Rogan that empathy is a “bug” in Western culture that’s being exploited. Musk also runs the controversial Department of Efficiency under Trump’s administration and has criticized Harris’s party’s immigration policies, according to the report by Daily Beast.

Harris warned that these views are dangerous and said people need to remember the 1930s, when fascism was rising in the world. She stressed that “isolation does not equal insulation”, as mentioned in the report by Guardian.

Harris said that trust, friendship, honesty, and doing the right thing matter a lot in today’s world. She gave some life lessons from her career, saying she was often the first woman in her role and was told many times, “you’re not ready.” Her motto is “I eat no for breakfast”, as per Guardian report.

Harris warned about the risks of AI, saying Americans are worried it could take away jobs or spread lies.She said innovation is great, but we must also make sure vulnerable people are protected. Some stories she told came from her 2019 book, showing how her personal experiences shaped her views, as per reports.

She didn’t mention Donald Trump, JD Vance, or her loss in the last US election, but her comments hinted at concerns about the new US government’s direction.Other speakers at the event were Steven Bartlett, a British businessman and podcaster, and David Walker, a real estate agent from Sydney. The event runs until Monday, but organisers didn’t say how much money they paid speakers.

Lastly, Musk was seen giving a “Roman salute” at a Trump event and made online jokes about Nazi names, which caused more controversy, as reported by Daily Beast. Musk got embroiled in even more controversies, according to the Daily Beast, after his Roman Salute during a speech at an event, inviting 'Nazi' comparisons from his detractors.

FAQs

Q1. Why was 1930s a reference in Harris's speech?
Harris referred to the 30s as a reference to the great depression and other international issues of that time.

Q2. Which statement of Musk's did Kamla Harris didn't agree with?
Musk had said before that empathy tends to weaken people, which Harris said she doesn't endorse.