Former Vice President Kamala Harris, in a candid preview of her BBC interview aired Saturday, signaled that she may seek the White House again, stating she is “not done” with public service and could “possibly” mount a bid for the Democratic nomination in 2028. The 61-year-old California Democrat, who stepped into the 2024 presidential race after President Joe Biden’s abrupt withdrawal but ultimately fell short against incumbent President Donald Trump, emphasized her enduring commitment to politics during a conversation with BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg. The full interview, set to broadcast Sunday, comes as Harris promotes her memoir 107 Days, which offers a pointed critique of the Biden administration’s inner workings and her own whirlwind campaign.
Harris, speaking from her post-vice presidential perch, reflected on her future without committing definitively. “I’ve not decided yet what I will do in the future, beyond what I am doing right now,” she told Kuenssberg, underscoring a career rooted in service—from her time as San Francisco District Attorney and California Attorney General to the U.S. Senate and the vice presidency. She expressed optimism about breaking the glass ceiling in American leadership, telling the interviewer that her young grandnieces would witness a female president “in their lifetime, for sure”—a nod to her historic role as the first woman, first Black American, and first person of South Asian descent to serve as vice president. While declining to rule out a return to the campaign trail, Harris framed her path forward as multifaceted: “There are many ways to serve,” she noted, hinting at potential roles in advocacy, policy influence, or party leadership.
This marks Harris’s most explicit indication yet of presidential ambitions since her November 2024 concession to Trump, who secured 312 electoral votes to her 226 and a popular vote margin of about 2.5 million. Entering the race on July 21, 2024—mere hours after Biden suspended his reelection bid following a disastrous June debate performance that exposed concerns over his age and acuity—Harris inherited a fractured Democratic coalition. Her 107-day sprint focused on themes of reproductive rights, economic equity, and democracy’s defense, drawing massive crowds in battleground states like Pennsylvania and Michigan. Yet, exit polls revealed vulnerabilities: she underperformed among key demographics, including Latino and Black voters compared to Biden in 2020, amid frustrations over inflation and border security. Trump’s campaign capitalized on these, portraying Harris as an extension of Biden’s policies, a narrative she struggled to shake despite efforts to pivot on issues like fracking and tariffs.
The BBC remarks align with revelations in 107 Days, released last month, where Harris dissects the dynamics of her vice presidency and the 2024 cycle. She describes Biden’s insistence on running again as “recklessness,” arguing that his inner circle shielded him from scrutiny over his fitness, allowing polls to erode unchecked. Harris recounts feeling sidelined by White House aides who, she claims, sometimes undermined her initiatives—such as voting rights pushes and Central American migration strategies—while prioritizing Biden’s image. “It was grace or recklessness that stopped me from speaking up sooner,” she reflected in the interview, questioning her own reluctance to confront Biden privately about stepping aside. These disclosures have stirred intraparty debate, with some Democrats praising her candor as a blueprint for renewal, while others view it as settling scores amid a post-election reckoning.
Harris’s potential reentry into the fray arrives as the Democratic Party grapples with soul-searching after Trump’s return to the Oval Office. With no incumbent and a crowded field speculated—including governors like Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, or senators like Cory Booker—Harris’s experience as the recent nominee gives her a head start in fundraising and name recognition. Polls from early 2025 show her leading hypothetical primaries, buoyed by her fundraising prowess (over $1 billion raised in 2024) and appeal to suburban women and progressives. However, challenges loom: perceptions of her as a flawed messenger persist, with critics citing gaffes like her “word salad” moments and a prosecutorial record scrutinized by the left. Trump, now in his second term, has dismissed her prospects, tweeting that Democrats would fare no better with a “rematch.”
Beyond electoral calculus, Harris’s comments underscore broader themes of resilience and representation. Raised in Oakland by an Indian-American mother, Shyamala Gopalan, a breast cancer researcher, and a Jamaican-American father, Donald Harris, an economist, she has long invoked her trailblazing path—from Howard University to the courtroom—as emblematic of American opportunity. Her vice presidency, though marred by low approval ratings dipping below 40% at times, included milestones like casting tie-breaking Senate votes on infrastructure and climate legislation. Post-election, she has engaged in global diplomacy, including trips to Asia and Europe, positioning herself as a voice on international affairs.
As the Democratic National Committee eyes its 2028 convention in Chicago, Harris’s trajectory remains fluid. Whether through a formal campaign or influential backing of successors, her insistence on unfinished business signals a refusal to fade quietly. “I am not done,” she affirmed—a mantra that could redefine her legacy or test the party’s appetite for continuity.
