{"id":13476,"date":"2025-09-19T19:46:49","date_gmt":"2025-09-19T19:46:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/from-biden-to-buttigieg-all-the-democrats-kamala-harris-slams-in-her-new-memoir\/"},"modified":"2025-09-19T19:46:49","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T19:46:49","slug":"from-biden-to-buttigieg-all-the-democrats-kamala-harris-slams-in-her-new-memoir","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/from-biden-to-buttigieg-all-the-democrats-kamala-harris-slams-in-her-new-memoir\/","title":{"rendered":"From Biden to Buttigieg: All the Democrats Kamala Harris slams in her new memoir"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Kamala Harris is going scorched-earth against her fellow Democrats, criticizing not just Joe Biden but a list of party leaders \u2014 and potential 2028 candidates \u2014 in her new memoir.<\/p>\n

Recounting the whirlwind 107 days of her presidential campaign after Biden dropped out of the race in July 2024 following a disastrous debate performance, the former vice president tosses criticisms at a slew of major Democratic players, from her longtime friend California Gov. Gavin Newsom to party star Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.<\/p>\n

The memoir, titled \u201c107 Days,\u201d presents a raw retelling of the chaotic days between Biden\u2019s bombshell announcement and the November election. Throughout, Harris bluntly describes the failings of a slew of pillars within the Democratic Party, pulling the curtain back on party leadership as Democrats stumble through attempts to land on cohesive messaging during a second Trump era and scramble to elevate possible standard bearers ahead of the 2028 election.<\/p>\n

Here are eight Democrats Harris calls out in her new memoir:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"California<\/p>\n

Gavin Newsom<\/h5>\n

The California governor, and Harris\u2019 longtime friend and competitor in their home state, was among the Democrats the former vice president exposed for their response in the hours after Biden dropped out of the race.<\/p>\n

\u201cHiking. Will call back,\u201d<\/i> Harris wrote of Newsom\u2019s response in notes from her calls that day.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe never did,\u201d she pointedly added in her memoir, skipping reference to Newsom\u2019s subsequent endorsement<\/u><\/a> hours later.<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for Newsom previously declined to comment to Blue Light News on the anecdote.<\/p>\n

Harris and Newsom, both natives of the Bay Area , have had long and oftentimes overlapping political careers. While Harris, up until her book tour, has largely faded from view after her failed presidential bid, Newsom\u2019s popularity has grown<\/u><\/a> among Democratic voters, especially after the White House sent National Guard troops to the Golden State.<\/p>\n

The California governor has come increasingly in the spotlight as one of the few Democratic voices willing to match Trump\u2019s preferred tough-talking form of public sparring<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Michigan<\/p>\n

Gretchen Whitmer<\/h5>\n

Newsom wasn\u2019t the only Democrat whose response the vice president described as lukewarm.<\/p>\n

In her memoir, Harris recounted Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer\u2019s reticence to commit to an endorsement. According to Harris, Whitmer said she needed to \u201clet the dust settle\u201d following Biden\u2019s withdrawal from the race before making a public statement.<\/p>\n

Whitmer, whose name had been floated at the time as a possible Democratic candidate to replace Biden, endorsed Harris the following day<\/u><\/a> \u2014 and announced that she would co-chair Harris\u2019 presidential campaign.<\/p>\n

The governor\u2019s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Illinois<\/p>\n

JB Pritzker<\/h5>\n

According to her call notes from the day of Biden\u2019s withdrawal, which Harris presented in an italicized list in the early pages of her memoir, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker also declined to immediately offer an immediate endorsement.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs governor of Illinois, I\u2019m the convention host,\u201d Harris described as Pritzker\u2019s response. \u201cI can\u2019t commit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pritzker endorsed Harris the day after Biden dropped out.<\/p>\n

“Gov. Pritzker fought hard to elect Vice President Harris and Democrats across the state and country,” said a spokesperson for the governor. “He’s proud to have helped lead a convention that built momentum and showcased the Harris-Walz ticket.”<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Transportation<\/p>\n

Pete Buttigieg<\/h5>\n

In a shocking dig at the former Transportation secretary, whom Harris described as a \u201cclose friend,\u201d Harris wrote that while Buttigieg was her top pick to join her on the presidential ticket, she ultimately didn\u2019t select him because she didn\u2019t believe America was ready for a Black woman and a gay man in the White House.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were already asking a lot of America: to accept a woman, a Black woman, a Black woman married to a Jewish man. Part of me wanted to say, Screw it, let\u2019s just do it<\/i>. But knowing what was at stake, it was too big of a risk,\u201d Harris wrote, adding that \u201cI think Pete also knew that \u2014 to our mutual sadness.\u201d<\/p>\n

But according to Buttigieg, Harris\u2019 concerns were \u201cnot something that we ever talked about.\u201d<\/p>\n

The former Transportation secretary told Blue Light News on Thursday<\/u><\/a> that he was \u201csurprised\u201d to read Harris\u2019 thought process on his potential vice presidential candidacy in an excerpt of her book published this week, saying he believes in \u201cgiving Americans more credit\u201d than assuming they wouldn\u2019t vote for both of them.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Pennsylvania<\/p>\n

Josh Shapiro<\/h5>\n

Shapiro, who was also in the running to be Harris\u2019 No. 2, didn\u2019t make the cut either.<\/p>\n

Harris was concerned that the Pennsylvania governor\u2019s ambition would prove an obstacle to his willingness to serve in a secondary role to hers.<\/p>\n

Shapiro \u201cmused that he would want to be in the room for every decision,\u201d Harris recalled in the memoir, writing that she responded bluntly that \u201ca vice president is not a copresident.\u201d<\/p>\n

She just couldn\u2019t trust that he would settle for a role as No. 2.<\/p>\n

And while Harris lauded Shapiro as \u201cpoised, polished and personable,\u201d she said he \u201cpeppered\u201d her and her staff with questions \u2014 including how many bedrooms were in the vice president\u2019s home and \u201chow he might arrange to get Pennsylvania artists\u2019 work on loan from the Smithsonian.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shapiro also showed a \u201clack of discretion\u201d in the process, Harris wrote, citing an incident when his car \u2014 with Pennsylvania plates \u2014 was filmed by BLN outside of her residence despite her staff\u2019s efforts to secure the governor less obvious transportation.<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for Shapiro pushed back on Harris\u2019 characterization of the governor, telling Blue Light News this week<\/u><\/a> that \u201cit\u2019s simply ridiculous to suggest that Governor Shapiro was focused on anything other than defeating Donald Trump and protecting Pennsylvania from the chaos we are living through now.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Sen.<\/p>\n

Mark Kelly<\/h5>\n

The Arizona senator, a former astronaut and retired naval officer, was a strong contender in the veepstakes, Harris recalled, describing him as “magnetic” and saying that she “admired” him.<\/p>\n

But while Kelly was an \u201cAmerican ideal of selfless service,\u201d he was also \u201cuntarnished\u201d politically. He had yet to weather an \u201c\u2018oh shit\u2019 moment,\u201d Harris wrote, saying that she \u201cwasn\u2019t sure\u201d how he would handle the kind of attacks Trump was likely to lob his way.<\/p>\n

Harris was also wary of the fact that Kelly was slow to sign the pro-labor PRO Act \u2014 a choice that she called a \u201cred flag.\u201d<\/p>\n

The senator\u2019s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Former<\/p>\n

Joe Biden<\/h5>\n

After remaining quiet in the aftermath of her 2024 campaign, Harris finally opened the floodgates on her former boss, calling his decision to run for a second term<\/u><\/a> \u201creckless.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though she did not believe it was \u201cincapacity,\u201d Biden was old, Harris wrote. And it showed. At 81, the president was tired, manifesting in \u201cphysical and verbal stumbles,\u201d Harris wrote.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s any surprise that the debate debacle happened right after two back-to-back trips to Europe and<\/i> a flight to the West Coast for a Hollywood fundraiser,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for Biden previously declined to comment on her book, but several former aides were critical of previously published excerpts in interviews with Blue Light News<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n

But while she did have \u201cconcerns\u201d about Biden\u2019s ability to lead a successful campaign, Harris emphasized that \u201cthere was a distinction between his ability to campaign and his ability to govern,\u201d writing that he “navigated successfully through intensely dangerous world events.\u201d<\/p>\n

Harris stressed that her relationship with Biden was a good one, describing their rapport as \u201cgenuine,\u201d based on a foundation of shared values despite being people who \u201cseemingly couldn\u2019t have been more different.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, Harris describes the frustration that she and her husband, Doug, experienced feeling that she had to repeatedly prove her loyalty to the president.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had to prove my loyalty, time and time again,\u201d Harris wrote.<\/p>\n

But Biden and his White House didn\u2019t offer the same in return. When she was cast as a \u201cDEI hire\u201d or mocked for her laugh by conservatives, the White House stayed silent.<\/p>\n

\u201cGetting anything positive said about my work or any defense against untrue attacks was almost impossible,\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n

She also specifically mentioned that Biden called her before her crucial debate<\/u><\/a> with Donald Trump in 2024 to inquire why she supposedly was critical of him to donors. The call rattled her, she wrote.<\/p>\n

\"Biden<\/p>\n

Biden’s inner circle<\/h5>\n

But her broadsides weren\u2019t just reserved for the former president.<\/p>\n

Harris directed a volley of criticisms at Biden\u2019s inner circle<\/u><\/a>, blaming them for pushing her to the side as her popularity grew in a series of moves that she said ultimately held her back from beating Trump.<\/p>\n

Biden\u2019s team thrust thorny policy items onto her plate, reprimanding her after a viral speech she made and failed to defend her against attacks from Republicans and conservative media \u2014 even \u201cadding fuel to negative narratives,\u201d including reports of staff turnover in her office<\/u><\/a> \u2014 Harris wrote.<\/p>\n

And perhaps most of all, Harris blamed Biden\u2019s confidants for not pushing him to step aside sooner.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2019It\u2019s Joe and Jill\u2019s decision.\u2019 We all said that, like a mantra, as if we\u2019d all been hypnotized,\u201d Harris wrote.<\/p>\n

But the former vice president dodged blame herself, saying that as Biden\u2019s second in command, any move to encourage the president to step aside would have been seen as \u201cincredibly self-serving.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kamala Harris is going scorched-earth against her fellow Democrats, criticizing not just Joe Biden but a list of party leaders \u2014 and potential 2028 candidates \u2014 in her new memoir. Recounting the whirlwind 107 days of her presidential campaign after Biden dropped out of the race in July 2024 following a disastrous debate performance, the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":13477,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13476","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13476","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13476"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13476\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13477"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13476"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13476"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13476"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}