In her first interview since losing her election to President Trump and leaving, former Vice President Kamala Harris told Stephen Colbert on The Late Show that her decision not to run for California’s governor was “basic” than saving herself for “another office.”
Harris said in an interview that airs Thursday night that she doesn’t want to be “in the system” now, as she has been a “respectful civil servant” for years.
“Recently, I have just decided for now that I don’t want to go back to the system,” she said. “I think it’s broken.”
She said she would not take away the important work done daily by “so many good people who are civil servants,” including teachers, firefighters, police officers and scientists.
“That’s not about them,” she said. “But you know, and I believe, and I always believed, we believed, as vulnerable as our democracy, our system will be strong enough to adhere to our most basic principles, and now I don’t think they are strong enough to do so.”
Instead, she said she wanted to travel around the country and talk to Americans, not “where I want their votes.”
Colbert said he would hear Harris, whom he called “very qualified for the presidency” — says the American system is broken.
“Well, but that’s obvious,” Harris replied to applause from the studio audience.
The interview comes shortly after Harris’ announcement this week that she has not run for California governor and is releasing her memoirs about her brief whirlwind presidential election following President Biden’s decision to stop by from the race.
CBS, which denies economic concerns over the night, announced on July 17 that the 2025-2026 season of “Late Show” will be its last.
The announcement sharply criticized Colbert for criticizing Trump’s $16 million settlement over a CBS News “60 Minutes” interview with Harris during his presidential campaign.
Paramount Global was then sought a major merger with SkyDance Media, and ultimately needed approval from the Trump administration. A few days before his announcement that his show was over, Colbert described the “60-minute” settlement as a bribe to complete the merger transaction.
It all sparked many observers and Colbert allies, speculating that the cancellation of the show was inherently political. For example, the writers’ guild America said the company “sacrificed freedom of speech to curry favor with the Trump administration.”
Trump said he was “responsible for the firing of Stephen Colbert,” and that “the reason he was fired is a pure lack of talent,” and that Colbert’s show lost millions of dollars a year.
“And that only got worse!” Trump wrote on his true social platform.
Paramount says the decision “has nothing to do with the performance of the show, the content, or any other issues happening with Paramount,” but it suggests that many Americans don’t believe in the company.
It is unclear whether Harris has considered any of the first interviews when acknowledging her since leaving Colbert. But that was almost certainly not her only reason.
Colbert is considered a liberal and a friendly Democrat interviewer.
In an interview Thursday, the late-night host praised Harris. After saying it was “sharrowing” to hear her feel the system is broken, he asks if she is giving up on the fight.
Harris said that wasn’t the case.
“I’m always going to be part of the fight,” Harris said. “That won’t change.”
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