Kamala Harris may not be running for office, but she’s still fighting. In her first Late Show appearance since the 2024 election, Harris sat down with Stephen Colbert to reflect on her brief but historic presidential campaign, and the state of American democracy.
Her visit was part book tour, part battle cry. Harris’s forthcoming memoir, 107 Days, offers a behind-the-scenes look at her whirlwind 2024 campaign, which began the moment President Biden withdrew and ended less than four months later. But as Colbert noted, the conversation went far beyond the book’s pages.
Harris opened with levity—describing a post-White House detox filled with baking shows and family time. But when Colbert pressed her on why she had opted out of California’s 2026 gubernatorial race, Harris turned candid. She admitted that the American system of government feels broken. She said, “I don’t want to go back in the system.”
Instead, she’s choosing to travel the country, not as a candidate, but as an advocate. “I want to listen to people” Harris said. “I don’t want it to be transactional.”
The conversation turned serious as Colbert asked about January 6, 2025, when Harris—still serving as vice president—oversaw the certification of the election. “I was fully aware of what that moment required, not just of me, but of the country.” she said. Though she didn’t speak directly to her predecessor Mike Pence, Harris said she’s always made a point to publicly commend his constitutional resolve.
Her memories of that day—and the democratic fragility it exposed—frame much of 107 Days. The book, Harris explained, isn’t a policy manifesto or campaign diary. It’s a personal account of what it means to run for president with history and urgency bearing down. She spoke warmly of her campaign team, the diversity of her supporters, and the hope that animated those chaotic few months.
Still, Harris didn’t shy away from hard truths, saying that she didn’t predict the capitulation, how people who should have stood up for our democracy just rolled over for the current president.
As Colbert pointed out, Harris warned about many of the dangers now materializing under President Trump’s second term—attacks on the rule of law, targeting political opponents, and Supreme Court rulings that have enabled sweeping executive power. But Harris didn’t linger on vindication. Instead, she emphasized resilience.
Asked whether she sees herself as a leader of the Democratic Party, Harris declined to name names. “It’s really on all of our shoulders,” she said. “It really is.”
107 Days hits shelves September 23, and based on this interview, it’s more than a campaign memoir. It’s a call to action, a reminder of what’s still possible—and what’s still worth fighting for.
