A deep-dive report has pulled back the curtain on former Vice President Kamala Harris’s behind-the-scenes deliberations regarding a potential 2028 White House bid, revealing a massive gulf between her camp’s ambitions and the panic it is inducing among Democratic insiders. Vanity Fair Washington correspondent Aidan McLaughlin spoke to over two dozen campaign staffers, former White House aides, elected officials, and big-money donors to map out the current state of play following her 2024 loss to President Donald Trump.
“Aside from her own close advisers, none spoke enthusiastically about a Harris 2028 campaign. Many with careers in Democratic politics asked to remain anonymous. Some, after praising Harris on the record, asked to speak on background to give more candid opinions about her political future,” McLaughlin wrote.
Harris is keeping the door open to a 2028 run. In April at the National Action Network Convention in New York City, she told Rev. Al Sharpton she’s “thinking” about running.
As McLaughlin noted, Harris has enjoyed a well-attended speaking tour since her 2024 loss, as well as a book that’s sold more than half a million copies. Her schedule looks identical to anyone laying the groundwork for a presidential run, holding quiet strategy sessions at the Malibu Country Mart near her new $8 million home to discuss global flashpoints like Iran and China with liberal thinkers and her national security team.
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Some closer to Harris are more encouraging about a 2028 run, citing her name recognition, White House experience, and the fact that she pulled 75 million votes in the 2024 election, which is more than any runner-up ever. “She got more votes than anyone else who’s thinking about running. She has national experience,” a current Harris advisor said. A former White House official also noted, “She almost beat Trump last time, even in terrible circumstances of a short campaign, Biden’s unpopularity, inflation. And there should be no reason that she wouldn’t be well-placed to beat Trump’s successor under better circumstances.”
But outside of her immediate circle, the internal feedback gathered from those who worked alongside or funded her was remarkably blunt. After being asked about another Harris run, one former Harris campaign advisor said, “It’s obviously a bad idea.” Another former Harris advisor told Vanity Fair, “I have spoken to maybe one person out of a hundred who thinks she should run. Whether it’s former campaign colleagues, people around DC, or just people around the country who are like, ‘Oh God, she’s not going to run again?’”
A former White House aide predicted Harris would “likely” run, but that doesn’t mean she should. “Absolutely not,” the former aide said about a round two campaign, adding that there is simply no appetite for her return to the trail.
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Billionaire Mark Cuban bluntly said “no” to another Harris run despite his past support for her 2024 campaign, noting that certain figures have been so thoroughly demonized that it hurts the party’s ultimate chances. Financial backers are mirroring that sentiment.
“I don’t think she should run for president,” a “top” Harris donor said, while another Harris donor called a repeat campaign the “exact wrong thing to do.” The sentiment extends well beyond Washington, with one veteran Democratic operative stating, “I have been all over the country for these midterms and I’ve not encountered anybody— anybody—who said, ‘Boy, I really hope Kamala runs.’”
Beyond the lack of institutional enthusiasm, party strategists see several massive hurdles blocking her path, starting with California Governor Gavin Newsom. Because Harris passed on running for California governor immediately after her 2024 defeat, Newsom has stepped into the vacuum and is currently running an aggressive, de facto 2028 campaign that threatens to hoover up the same pool of California donor cash she relies on. Furthermore, analysts point out a frustrating trend line from her past bids, where her popularity numbers peaked at the launch and steadily eroded the more the public was exposed to her.
Ultimately, critics argue that Harris has struggled to lay out a cohesive vision for what she represents or answer for her record, a problem highlighted by her past media appearances. As another White House aide summarized, “The biggest problem I have with Kamala Harris is not ‘will she run or will she not run. It’s, ‘What do you want to do if you win?’ She just has not articulated that.”
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