Kamala Harris is set to relive her failed White House bid with the release of a new memoir, but Democrats fear her September book tour will reopen old wounds and drain energy from a party still staggering under $20 million in campaign debt she left behind.
Her book, 107 Days, which debuts on Tuesday, kicks off a 15-city tour that some allies worry will become a ‘told you so’ exercise against Donald Trump rather than a forward-looking moment for the party. And even those close to her doubt it’ll help her buttress her chances for a repeat candidacy.
‘It doesn’t mean anything when it comes to 2028, because that’s going to be a huge wide open field,’ said one former aide.
Early excerpts show Harris painting herself as a tragic heroine in the brief period after Biden was forced from the race, reflecting on how and why Democrats collapsed spectacularly against Trump.
For critics inside the party, her reappearance threatens to repeat the Hillary Clinton playbook after her 2016 defeat — a book, a tour, bitterness, and more division. Democrats are also frustrated that Harris admits to failing to act sooner as Biden stumbled, and even reveals she avoided picking Pete Buttigieg as her running mate because he was gay.
‘The truth is that, like Joe Biden before her, she prioritized making sure that her running mate would not overshadow her, and she got what she wanted,’ wrote journalist Josh Barro on X.
Harris will face a wary audience. Some activists hope her tour will offer therapy for a grieving party, but others say it risks keeping Democrats stuck in the past while governors like Gavin Newsom and JB Pritzker step up as future leaders for 2028.
Harris’ public reappearance could help the party grieve, some Democrats say, despite the awkward timing.
US Vice President Kamala Harris addresses the media
US Vice President Kamala Harris addresses the media regarding the certification of President-elect Trump’s election victory
‘Stare into the abyss and sit in the way you feel right now and see what comes of it,’ one Democratic strategist told the Daily Mail about the party’s path forward after Harris’ failure.
Other Democrats believe while her book tour could be therapeutic, there is a risk of spending too much time looking back rather than turning the page.
Ryan Long, a progressive influencer who helped make “brat summer” go viral, said he would be watching for how Harris positioned herself after the tour.
‘She’ll get to see some of her biggest supporters and fans on this tour,’ Long said ‘But I hope that once it’s over, she begins reaching out to those who didn’t vote for her if she has any ambitions for 2028.’
Some Democrats are dismissing the tour as part of a normal cash grab from a failed candidate.
‘She is on a book tour, which is about selling books,’ said Democratic strategist Joe Trippi, a former campaign manager for Howard Dean. ‘I don’t think it impacts the party one way or another.’
The party remains bitter too and a little bit confused.
Why is Harris focusing on her leadership failures? Not only did Harris fail to speak up when Biden should have dropped out of the race but she also revealed she was too afraid to select Pete Buttigieg as her running mate because he was gay.
Former US President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris
Former Vice President Kamala Harris attends a ceremony
Harris has also left them with an enormous hangover as they try to rebuild, with the $20+ million debt from her failed campaign.
This leaves the Democratic National Committee crippled with just $15 million cash on hand after picking up the tab.
It’s one more reason Democrats are not interested in Harris trying to claim the mantle of leadership for 2028.
Anyone seeking the presidency in 2028, one Democratic strategist said, would face a ‘full vibrant Democratic primary.’
The failure to hold a primary was what fractured the Democratic Party in 2024, the advisor reflected, which is ultimately why she lost.
Harris has enjoyed her time out of the spotlight, telling Stephen Colbert she ignored the news and watched a lot of cooking shows, but she may be surprised to find that many of her supporters have moved on in her absence.
Since exiting the leadership stage, the former vice president has not stepped up to tackle any serious issues.
People will be watching the book tour, however, for any sign of a political future.
If Harris tries to rally anti-Trump sentiment, advisors say, it will indicate she has future political goals.
‘The book tour may tell us more about her level of interest in running as Governors Newsom, Pritzker, and others are garnering more attention by standing up to Trump,’ Trippi said.
