As Donald Trump’s second term in the White House is on the horizon, Kamala Harris and her staff were seen gathered in her ceremonious office, engaging in a tradition carried out by vice presidents for years – the signing of her desk. Her spouse, Doug Emhoff, positioned himself behind her, capturing the moment as she used her distinctive Sharpie marker. Harris conveyed her unwillingness to fade away discreetly, however, she chose to remain vague about her future. While she insisted she would keep everyone in the loop, no plans were discernible at this point beyond a return to her home state of California. This marks the first time since becoming the District Attorney of San Francisco in 2004 that Harris will not be occupying a seat in public office. The whispers about her future allege she might pen a book or even contest for the governor seat, or potentially the presidency itself. Her age, though, may not be a decisive factor, with recent presidents shattering the ‘age-barrier’ in the political world.
Despite her outgoing post, Donna Brazile, a long-standing luminary in the Democratic Party, humorously reminded Harris to experience what it feels like to have a laid-back life for some time. She insinuated that after tasting the unordinary life of a vice president, Harris would find it challenging to embrace normal life again. Brazile, who handled Al Gore’s presidential campaign, acknowledged receiving more inquiries about what comes next for Harris than she did for Gore. However, an examination of her tenure would indicate that, like many before her, Harris faced both mundane and extraordinary scenarios. She confronted ordinary challenges, including dealing with a conglomerate of issues like migration, abortion rights, maternal health, and representing the nation overseas.
Harris, sometimes, found ways of standing out to be elusive, a common hindrance in a role that lacks substantial constitutional power. Yet, she simultaneously smashed the glass ceiling by becoming the first woman, first Black, and first person of South Asian descent to serve as Vice President. A turn of events saw President Joe Biden withdraw his ambition for re-election, thus endorsing Harris as the next potential president. This saw her plunged into an erratic run for the presidency with only 107 days remaining in the campaign. Perhaps she held her own against Trump, who is nearly two decades her senior, although she did not emerge victorious.
The Democrats laid the blame squarely upon Biden for his early run, a move they believed cornered Harris and left her at a disadvantage. There has been no shortage of criticism towards Harris herself either. Some critics suggested Harris failed by evidently siding with Liz Cheney, a former Republican congresswoman, instead of offering a more populist voice and effectively tackling Trump’s alleged antidemocratic threats. Some even believe she failed to dissociate herself from the unpopular Biden adequately, which further detracted voters.
Minyon Moore, who chaired the last Democratic National Convention, offered an dismissive response to these critiques by simply stating that what could, should, would have been done had no benefits considering Harris’ peculiar campaign. According to Moore, there was a lack of a clear path for Harris. Harris, thus far, has been tight-lipped on her defeat or insight into the election. Keeping the spirits alive of her supporters and students disappointed by Trump’s triumph, Harris has called them to action claiming they must not withdraw from the fight. A sentiment borne especially after Democrats portrayed Trump as a quintessential threat to the nation.
Ahead of the end of her term, Harris had intended to embark on a global tour to Singapore, Bahrain, and Germany, exhibiting herself as a linchpin in foreign policy. However, deadly wildfires in Los Angeles created a shift in plans. Her residence in the Brentwood area was under threat, leading her to cancel her official trip considering the strain it would put on local resources. Despite this, Harris has expressed a desire to remain active on the international circuit. She has been engrossed in conversations with foreign leaders like King Abdullah II of Jordan, Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo during her last week in office.
Interestingly, she appeared in the Oval Office to see Biden bid his adieu, where he labeled her as a ‘great partner’. The two shared a friendly embrace after the speech. Biden had picked Harris as his running mate following her unsuccessful presidential campaign. However, after their election into office, her duties were limited due to the pandemic and her other obligations on Capitol Hill. In this evenly divided U.S. Senate, she frequently had to break tie votes, setting a record in this process as she backed judicial nominees and significant legislation.
In the beginning, Harris found it tricky to establish her identity within the administration. With the Senate split, she often had to cast the deciding votes on numerous issues, thus eventually setting a record on this front. One of the main challenges entrusted upon Harris was to mitigate migrations from Central America, a task which quickly turned into political liability. The Republicans, nevertheless, chose to scapegoat her, branding her as the ‘border czar’ and holding her responsible for illegal border crossings. Reality, though, revealed a decrease in migrants from the countries where Harris had devoted her endeavors.
Prior to the Russian invasion three years ago, Harris met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Munich. Subsequently, she spent a week in Africa establishing groundwork for renewed U.S. initiatives. She also made three trips to Southeast Asia as the administration strived to pivot foreign policy to address China’s growing influence. Her travels suggest an overt emphasis on this part of the world that’s often neglected. Coincidentally, when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, defending abortion rights became a prominent point of Harris’ agenda. She commenced leading the White House’s efforts on this field.
Though making a mark in history by breaking racial and gender barriers as vice president, the final chapter of her political career remains elusive, leaving everyone in suspense about her next step. Hinting at an unfinished journey, Harris left her followers in suspense regarding her future. Indeed, ‘it’s not over’ could be an effective summation of her sentiments.