Former Vice President Kamala Harris faced sharp criticism on a CNN panel Friday following her interview with Stephen Colbert the previous night, where she was faulted for offering vague answers and avoiding specifics.
During her Late Show appearance, Harris explained her decision not to pursue the California governorship by broadly stating, “Just for now, I don’t want to go back in the system. I think it’s broken.”
On CNN, White House Correspondent Jasmine Wright, who covered Harris’ campaign, took issue with the “amorphous phrasing” Harris used, like referring to “the system,” questioning whether the average American understands what she meant.
Kamala Harris rules out 2026 run in her home state of California
Wright said, “I think what people want are solutions, and she has not said a single one. People want her to clearly describe what she sees as broken. Unfortunately, that interview didn’t deliver that clarity. It’s disappointing because she’s had six months to figure it out.”
Panel host Manu Raju agreed, adding, “She hasn’t really said anything substantive in six months.”
Senior CNN reporter Aaron Blake observed that other prominent Democrats, including former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, have spoken about threats to America’s institutions and the dark state of democracy. Yet, he noted a key problem.
“We don’t see a consistent message from Democrats on this,” Blake said. “Maybe that’s because they lack someone with the stature and constant presence to push that message daily. Instead, they pop up occasionally, make a statement, and then disappear. Democrats haven’t been able to maintain a strong, steady narrative.”
Kamala Harris on The Late Show
Raju commented, “She was very guarded last night. Given that she’s out of office and not currently running, I expected her to be more open about the campaign’s struggles. But she wasn’t. Mark Cuban has said Harris is much more charismatic behind closed doors, which makes this even more notable.”
AP White House reporter Michelle Price pointed out that Harris appeared “robotic” throughout the interview, a persistent issue in her public appearances. Price remarked, “She looked physically uncomfortable — her shoulders were raised, almost tense. It was striking because she has nothing to lose at this point. She could have shown more energy or candor.”
Price added that the interview felt like “a reflection on last year’s disappointments and the current state of the party, but lacked any clear message of leadership or a path forward. There was no clarity on what ‘the system’ even means here — is she referring to the California governorship, the electoral process, or something else?”
Kamala Harris
Wright argued Harris is uniquely falling short in her obligation to candidly address what went wrong with her election bid.
“After how damaging 2024 was, not just personally but for the Democratic Party, she needs to honestly confront what went wrong with her campaign and the party, and outline her intentions going forward,” Wright said. “Maybe that will come during her listening tour in December, but people want those answers now, and she’s had plenty of time to develop them.”
