Kamala Harris Mentee, Lateefah Simon, to Deliver Response to Donald Trump’s Address to Congress

by Xara Aziz
Office of Rep. Lateefah Simon

A left-wing political party selected Democratic California Rep. Lateefah Simon, a close ally and protégé of former Vice President Kamala Harris, to deliver its response to President Donald Trump’s address to Congress on Tuesday.

“I’m honored to speak on behalf of the Working Families Party,” Simon said in a statement last week. “We need a government that is run by and for working people, not billionaires—and that’s what the WFP is fighting for. When I see what’s happening in our country right now, it’s essential that we—as Members of Congress—are showing up for our communities and reminding people that it doesn’t have to be this way.”

The Working Families Party, a small left-wing political group, has previously chosen figures like Rep. Ayanna Pressley, former Rep. Jamaal Bowman, and Rep. Rashida Tlaib to deliver responses to a president’s joint address to Congress.

Rep. Lateefah Simon, a freshman congresswoman from California, has maintained a long-standing friendship with former 2024 Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. In an interview with NPR ahead of last year’s November election, Simon recalled first meeting Harris in the early 2000s when Harris was working in the San Francisco City Attorney’s office.

“I really believed in her. The young women that I worked with believed in her. But never in a million years did I think that I would work for her,” Simon told NPR

Simon recalled that Harris played a pivotal role in her life, encouraging her to pursue a college degree, inviting her to join her team as San Francisco district attorney, offering career guidance, and even officiating her wedding.

Reflecting on Harris’ job offer at the DA’s office, Simon remembered her saying: “You can either carry this bullhorn on your back for the rest of your life, demanding that elected officials work for you and the young people you care about, or you can become a part of my team, and we can actually deconstruct some of these inequities.”

Over the years, Simon established herself as a social justice advocate in California, particularly during the 2020 defund the police movement. While serving as board president of the Bay Area Rapid Transit system, she pushed for “defunding and abolishing” traditional policing on public transit in favor of unarmed ambassadors.

Fox News Digital previously reported that Simon has maintained a more than decade-long friendship with a top executive of a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) front group, even publicly praising the executive on X.

In November, Simon won the election to represent California’s 12th congressional district, succeeding former Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee. Liberal media outlets have since labeled her a “rising star” in the Democratic Party.

Harris officiated Simon’s congressional swearing-in ceremony in January, with Simon expressing gratitude to her longtime “mentor” for shaping her career.

“I am so honored to have my mentor and former boss, Vice President Kamala Harris,” Simon said on January 7. “Since our time together in the district attorney’s office in San Francisco, the vice president has played an integral role in shaping my public service career, and I have learned so much from her.

“She has also paved the way for women across the nation like me who aspire to serve their country at the highest levels. It was a special moment to stand with her today, look her in the eye and begin my journey as the Congresswoman for California’s 12th District.”

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