Former Vice President Kamala Harris is insisting she remains a leader in the Democratic Party, even as longtime supporters and insiders make it clear they’re ready to move on.
“I was the Democratic nominee for president,” Harris told the Wall Street Journal on Friday. “I came close to winning. Of course I do.”
Harris, who lost the 2024 race to President Donald Trump, is promoting her new book, 107 Days, which details her campaign and the challenges of running against Trump.
She declined to say whether the book tour signals a political comeback or a potential 2028 presidential bid.
Sources familiar with the party told the Journal that Harris’ efforts are drawing criticism and that her influence is waning, as the New York Post reported.
“Some longtime supporters are ready to move on from Harris,” the report noted, “while more vocal Democrats are openly airing their frustrations with her re-emergence.”
The book itself has become a point of contention. Harris criticizes former President Joe Biden’s choices for running mates, calling Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro “overly ambitious” and describing Pete Buttigieg, a gay former Transportation Secretary, as “politically risky” to run alongside a Black woman.
Ashley Etienne, Harris’ former communications director, told the Journal the book was a missed opportunity. “I would have advised her to write a different book, one that cements her legacy,” Etienne said.
Former Bernie Sanders campaign manager Faiz Shakir agreed, saying the book highlights ongoing leadership concerns.
“Her campaign struggled with being a campaign of conviction, of clarity, of deep, principled positions,” he said. “It’s a sign of weak leadership to just start blaming these kind of outside actors for your own shortcomings. It hurts the Democratic Party.”
Harris, however, insists the book is not a tell-all. “It’s about just presenting people with a journal of my experience running for president of the United States,” she said.
Her handling of Biden’s health during the campaign is another sticking point. The book notes that Biden “got tired” but stresses that she did not believe he was incapacitated. “As loyal as I am to President Biden, I am more loyal to my country,” Harris said.
The former vice president has also sparked frustration among far-left Democrats. She recently failed to mention socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani by name during an MSNBC interview, instead calling him “the Democrat” in the NYC mayoral race. When pressed, she confirmed she had endorsed Mamdani.
Harris is pushing back against the perception that she is politically sidelined. “There is a lot of consensus around the priorities of this moment, and that’s where I’m focused,” she said.
Meanwhile, Harris continues to capitalize on her public profile. She signed with Creative Artists Agency in February for speaking and publishing engagements, reportedly commanding $250,000 per speech, according to sources.
Even as Harris maintains her own relevance, her party appears ready to chart a new course. Insiders say her campaign missteps and the polarizing nature of her book highlight a clear disconnect between Harris and the Democratic base, signaling that the party’s focus may be moving elsewhere.
