Kamala Harris reflects on her historic vice presidency as she plans her next steps after leaving office
Washington: So, Kamala Harris is wrapping up her time as vice president, and it’s been quite a ride. She made history as the first woman and the first person of Black and South Asian descent to hold the office. Pretty cool, right?
As she signed her desk in her office, her husband Doug snapped a photo. She joked about not going quietly, saying, “Don’t worry about that.” But what’s next for her? She hasn’t laid out any solid plans yet, except for heading back to California.
It’s a big change for her since she’s been in elected office since 2004. There’s buzz about her possibly writing a book or even running for governor or president again. At 60, she’s still got plenty of time in the political game.
Donna Brazile, a veteran in the Democratic Party, told Harris to take a break and enjoy some downtime. They both laughed about it, but it’s true—once you’re in the spotlight, it’s hard to go back to normal life.
Harris’s term had its ups and downs. She tackled issues like migration and abortion rights while also representing the U.S. abroad. Sometimes, it was tough for her to stand out, which is a common struggle for vice presidents.
Last year, she found herself in a unique position when Biden endorsed her as his successor just before the election. With only 107 days left, she had to jump into the race against Trump, who’s almost two decades older than her. Unfortunately, she couldn’t pull off a win.
Some Democrats felt Biden shouldn’t have run, putting Harris in a tough spot. She faced her share of criticism too, with some saying she should have taken a different approach in her campaign.
Despite the challenges, Harris has kept her head up. She’s been rallying people to stay engaged and fight for what they believe in. “No one can walk away,” she said, urging everyone to stay in the fight.
She had plans for a big farewell trip to Singapore, Bahrain, and Germany, but wildfires in Los Angeles changed her mind. Her home was in an evacuation zone, so she decided to stay put and not take resources away from local efforts.
Even though she canceled her trip, she’s still been active, reaching out to foreign leaders in her last week in office. She’s been making calls to leaders from Jordan, Israel, the Philippines, and Guatemala.
On her last day, she watched Biden give his farewell speech, and they shared a warm embrace afterward. Biden picked her as his running mate after her first presidential campaign didn’t go as planned. Her time in office was also shaped by the pandemic and her role in the Senate.
Harris had to carve out her role, and it took some time. She was involved in significant decisions, like nominating Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, which was a big deal for representation.
One of her main tasks was to address migration from Central America, but it became a political hot potato. Republicans labeled her the “border czar,” but there were fewer migrants from the targeted countries.
She also met with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy just before the Russian invasion and made several trips to Africa and Southeast Asia to strengthen U.S. ties.
Abortion rights became a key issue for her after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Harris took the lead on this, especially when Biden was more cautious about the topic.
Her chief of staff noted that the court’s decision was a turning point for Harris, opening up new opportunities for her to take charge on issues that matter.
Experts believe Harris will be remembered for breaking barriers in politics. She’s changed perceptions about what leadership looks like, especially for women and people of color.
Now, the big question is what she’ll do next. “It’s not over,” one professor said, but the future is still a bit of a mystery.
