In her first public interview since the 2024 election, former Vice President Kamala Harris said she has no plans to seek elected office, declaring that the political system is currently “broken.” Reflecting on her decision to forgo a run for California governor, Harris also sharply criticized what she called widespread “capitulation” among those responsible for defending democratic institutions during President Donald Trump’s second term.
Speaking on CBS’ “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”, Harris recounted her early motivations for entering public service. “When I was young, I believed that if you want to make change, you don’t just push from the outside — you get in and fix it from within,” she said. “That has been my career. But recently, I decided that, for now, I don’t want to go back into the system. I think it’s broken.”
“I always believed that, even though our democracy is fragile, the institutions were strong enough to protect its core values,” she continued. “But right now, I don’t think they’re as strong as they need to be.”
Rather than returning to elected politics, Harris said she plans to travel the country and engage directly with the public — without the pressures of a campaign. “I want to listen. I want to talk. And I don’t want it to be transactional, where I’m asking for a vote,” she explained.
Harris’ appearance comes just days after she publicly confirmed she would not be running for California governor, a race in which she had long been seen as a frontrunner. “I gave it a lot of thought,” she told Colbert. “But ultimately, I decided against it. My leadership won’t be from elected office.”
Asked whether she foresaw Trump’s recent moves — such as proposed cuts to Medicaid or crackdowns on political opponents — Harris said what caught her most off guard wasn’t the policies, but the response to them.
“What I didn’t predict was the capitulation,” she said. “Maybe it’s naive of me, even with all I’ve seen, but I truly believed there were more people who would step up to defend our institutions. And instead, many just gave in. I didn’t see that coming.”
She didn’t hold back in criticizing members of Congress either, particularly over President Trump’s push to dramatically reduce the Department of Education. “They’re just sitting on their hands,” she said.
Harris, who is set to release a book in September titled 107 Days, which chronicles her short but intense 2024 campaign after then-President Joe Biden withdrew from the race, spoke candidly about the challenges she faced. “I was incredibly aware of how little time we had,” she noted.
Looking ahead, Harris said her focus now is on inspiring others rather than seeking office herself. “People are disheartened. They’re afraid. And right now, I’m in a position — not being a candidate — where I can be out there, talking to folks, reminding them of their power,” she said.
When asked who she sees as the leader of the Democratic Party, Harris declined to name a single figure. “There are many,” she said. “But it’s a mistake to place the burden of fixing this on any one person. It’s on all of us. It really is.”
