
Kamala Harris says she’s not running for office again because the system is ‘broken’
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The former vice president's admission elicited gasps from The Late Show audience.
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business news
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August 5, 2025
05:06 PM
Fortune
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·Kamala HarrisKamala Harris says she’s not running for office again because the system is ‘broken’By Dave SmithBy Dave SmithEditor, U.S
NewsDave SmithEditor, U.S
NewsDave Smith is a writer and editor who previously has been published in Insider, Newsweek, ABC News, and USA TODAY.SEE FULL BIO The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and guest Vice President Kamala Harris during Thursday's July 31, 2025 show.Scott Kowalchyk / CBS—Getty ImagesKamala Harris did something unprecedented last year: She had just 107 days to whip up a winning presidential campaign, the most compressed timeline ever for a major-party bid
But while she fell short in November, ceding victory to President Donald Trump, many believed she would run for governor of California; in early polling, she was beating every other candidate by double digits
But in an interview with Stephen Colbert, the former vice president explained why she’s sitting this one out. “Recently, I made the decision that for now I don’t want to go back in the system
I think it’s broken,” she said, eliciting gasps from The Late Show‘s audience in attendance. “Listen, I am a devout public servant,” Harris said. “I have spent my entire career in service of the people and I thought a lot running for governor
I love my state, I love California, I’ve served as elected district attorney, attorney general, and senator
But to be very candid with you, when I was young in my career, I had to defend my decision to become a secutor with my family
And one of the points that I made is, why is it when we think we want to imve a system, or change it, that we’re always on the outside on b knee, or trying to break down the door? Shouldn’t we also be inside the system?” While Harris made it to Colbert she is “always going to be part of the fight, that is not going to change,” the 60-year-old politician said she would rather spend time traveling the country and listening to people without it being “transactional, where I’m asking for their vote.” “There are so many good people who are public servants who do such good work,” Harris continued. “Teachers, and firefighters, and police officers, and nurses, and scientists
It’s not them, but I believe that as fragile as our democracy is, our systems would be strong enough to defend our most fundamental principles
And I think right now, they’re not as strong as they need to be
And I just don’t want to go back in the system.” Harris agreed with Colbert, that a former vice president and one-time presidential candidate calling the system “broken” is “harrowing,” but acknowledged that “the power is with the people.” “You can never let anybody take your power from you,” Harris said. “And that’s what I’d to remind folks of.” You can watch Colbert’s full ext interview with Harris below
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