Former Vice President Kamala Harris criticized President Donald Trump over his actions in Iran during a visit to Wisconsin.
Harris was in Madison Sunday for a book tour event the day after the U.S. and Israel started launching strikes with the goal of overthrowing the Iranian regime.
“In the last 48 hours Donald Trump has dragged America into a war that we don’t want,” Harris told the crowd at the ticketed event at the Orpheum Theater.
News with a little more humanity
WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” newsletter keeps you connected to the state you love without feeling overwhelmed. No paywall. No agenda. No corporate filter.
The former vice president added that, according to media reports, three American soldiers have died as a result of what she referred to as an “unauthorized war.”
The strikes from the U.S. came without Congressional approval.
President Donald Trump announced the death of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Truth Social Saturday. The Republican president also warned Iran that retaliatory strikes would result in further attacks from the U.S.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at an event alongside moderator V Spehar, left, on Sunday, March 1, 2026, at the Orpheum Theater in Madison, Wis. Angela Major/WPR
Harris was in Wisconsin’s solidly liberal capital city to plug “107 Days.” The book details Harris’ sprint-like campaign for president after then-President Joe Biden dropped out midway through the race.
Harris gave her remarks to a nearly-full theater. At one point, Harris elicited excited shouts from the crowd, when she asked for recommendations on what brand of cheese curds she should bring back from Wisconsin for her great-nieces.
The start of Harris’ remarks were interrupted by the sound of someone calling out “And then you funded a genocide!”
Harris’ position on Israel’s actions in Gaza caused splinters among the left during her unsuccessful campaign for president.
Shortly after the first heckler interrupted Harris, a second person started shouting about funding ICE, also known as Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.
Audience members booed at the disruptions, and security escorted at least two people out of the theater.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at an event alongside moderator V Spehar, left, on Sunday, March 1, 2026, at the Orpheum Theater in Madison, Wis. Angela Major/WPR
The event’s moderator, podcaster and TikTok host V Spehar, started drowning out the sounds of shouting by singing the lyrics to Sesame’s Street’s “Sing.”
Spehar then pivoted to a question about how activists can best fight for their goals. Harris responded by addressing the protestors.
“There is a moment for quiet reflection, and there is — we had a person here just shouting out for reasons that I think we can all connect with, in terms of what we have seen, in terms of the atrocities,” Harris added. “I write about it in my book.”
“Our administration should have done more,” Harris added. “I feel strongly about the fact that we have to be candid and honest about that.”
Harris also referred to ICE’s actions in Minneapolis, and seemed to reference the killings of Minnesotans Renée Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents.
“We should talk about (the) feelings that we have right now, which include the fear when we have a president of the United States who has deployed federal agents against the will of the people to murder innocent civilians who are standing up for their neighbor,” Harris said. “It is right to feel a sense of outrage.”
The interruptions came as Harris reminisced about her preschool years in south central Wisconsin. Harris lived in Madison during 1968 and 1969, while her parents worked at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Harris told the audience about her 2024 visit to her childhood home, which overlooks Lake Mendota on Madison’s far-west side.
“I love coming back,” Harris told the crowd. “I was very young child, but the memories that I have from my childhood of Madison and Wisconsin were of the lake and walking down the trail to the lake.”
People walk up to the Orpheum Theater to hear Former Vice President Kamala Harris speak at an event Sunday, March 1, 2026, in Madison, Wis. Angela Major/WPR
Among the people in the crowd at the Orpheum was Stephanie Rahman.
The Menominee resident said hearing from Harris felt reinvigorating.
Rahman said she’s concerned about issues including food insecurity, the economy and war resulting from the U.S. intervening in other countries.
“There’s just so much going on.” Rahman said. “We just needed a little bit of hope.”
Another attendee, Betsy Wood of Fitchburg, said hearing Harris speak brought forward feelings of grief over “what could have been.”
Wood said she sees a political future for Harris, but perhaps just in California rather than on the national stage.
“If it were me, I would be too bruised to try and put myself forward at that level,” Wood said.
Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2026, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.