In her first interview since shedding the election to President Trump and leaving workplace, former Vice President Kamala Harris instructed Stephen Colbert on “The Late Present” that her choice to not run for California governor was extra “fundamental” than saving herself for a “completely different workplace” — which is to say, one other run for president in 2028.
After years of being a “religious public servant,” Harris stated within the interview, set to air Thursday night time, she simply doesn’t wish to be “within the system” proper now.
“Just lately I made the choice that I simply — for now — I don’t wish to return within the system,” she stated. “I believe it’s damaged.”
She stated that was not to remove from the essential work being finished day by day by “so many good people who find themselves public servants,” akin to lecturers, firefighters, cops and scientists.
“It’s not about them,” she stated. “However , I consider, and I at all times believed, that as fragile as our democracy is, our techniques can be robust sufficient to defend our most elementary rules. And I believe proper now that they’re not as robust as they must be.”
She stated she as an alternative needs to journey the nation and speak to Individuals in a setting that isn’t “transactional, the place I’m asking for his or her vote.”
Colbert stated to listen to Harris — whom he known as “very certified for the presidency” — say that the American system is damaged was “harrowing.”
“Effectively, but it surely’s additionally evident, isn’t it?” Harris replied, to applause from the studio viewers.
The interview got here on the heels of Harris’ bulletins this week that she shouldn’t be operating for California governor and is releasing a memoir about her quick, whirlwind presidential marketing campaign following President Biden’s choice to drop from the race, and it was an enormous get for Colbert in what seems to be his last chapter on late-night TV.
CBS, blaming monetary considerations throughout late night time, introduced July 17 that the 2025-2026 season of “The Late Present” can be its final.
The announcement adopted Colbert sharply criticizing Paramount World’s $16-million settlement with Trump over a CBS Information “60 Minutes” interview with Harris in the course of the presidential marketing campaign, which Trump accused the venerable information present of manipulating to make her look higher.
Paramount World was on the time looking for a serious merger with Skydance Media and wanted the Trump administration’s approval, which it finally obtained. Simply days earlier than the announcement that his present can be ending, Colbert described the “60 Minutes” settlement as a bribe to get the merger deal finished.
All that triggered many observers and allies of Colbert to invest that the cancellation of the present was political in nature. The Writers Guild of America, for instance, stated the corporate gave the impression to be “sacrificing free speech to curry favor with the Trump Administration.”
Trump stated it was “not true” that he was “solely accountable for the firing of Stephen Colbert,” and that the “cause he was fired was a pure lack of TALENT” and that Colbert’s present was shedding Paramount tens of millions of {dollars} a 12 months.
“And it was solely going to get WORSE!” Trump wrote on his Reality Social platform.
Paramount has stated the choice was “not associated in any approach to the present’s efficiency, content material or different issues occurring at Paramount,” although some polling has prompt many Individuals don’t consider the corporate.
It’s unclear whether or not Harris thought of any of that in granting Colbert her first interview since leaving workplace. Nonetheless, it will nearly actually not have been her solely cause.
Colbert is liberal and seen as a pleasant interviewer by Democrats.
Throughout Thursday’s interview, the late-night host heaped reward on Harris. After saying it was “harrowing” to listen to she feels the system is damaged, he requested whether or not she was giving up combating.
Harris stated she was not.
“I’m at all times going to be a part of the struggle,” Harris stated. “That’s not going to alter.”
