Harris tells Colbert, in first interview out of office, that the U.S. system is 'broken'

[Zorro]

In her first interview since losing the election to President Trump and leaving office, former Vice President Kamala Harris told Stephen Colbert on “The Late Show” that her decision not to run for California governor was more “basic” than saving herself for a “different office” — which is to say, another run for president in 2028.

After years of being a “devout public servant,” Harris said in the interview, set to air Thursday night, she just doesn’t want to be “in the system” right now.

“Recently I made the decision that I just — for now — I don’t want to go back in the system,” she said. “I think it’s broken.”

She said that was not to take away from the important work being done every day by “so many good people who are public servants,” such as teachers, firefighters, police officers and scientists.

“It’s not about them,” she said. “But you know, I believe, and I always believed, that as fragile as our democracy is, our systems would be strong enough to defend our most fundamental principles. And I think right now that they’re not as strong as they need to be.”

https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2025-07-31/kamala-harris-in-first-interview-since-leaving-office-says-american-system-is-broken

Republicans broke it and we're all paying the price.

[fshrink]

1. It's been broken since 2000

But instead of acknowledging it and facing a constitutional crisis, everybody chose to keep on going. Now, it is in shambles and there's gonna be hell to pay.

[usaf-vet]

16. The purposeful start of being able to steal all future federal elections. They NEEDED COMPUTERIZED ELECTIONS!

Trump and his gang of treasonous followers believe they are almost to the pinnacle. The 2026 and 2028 elections will be the icing on the cake if they win.

We will never again see elections that haven't already established the winner before the first ballot is cast.

[S/V Loner]

2. She is right and the old guard...

Last edited Fri Aug 1, 2025, 05:01 PM - Edit history (1)

Are trying to use the arsenal of weapons used to protect Democracy without realizing that the arsenal has been looted and sabotaged. I feel like we are screaming there is a breach here, there is a breach there, and our Officer Corp (the Democratic leadership) is in chaos. Even to the point of fighting between themselves.
We need new leadership that realizes they need to prepare for the next battle and on our terms. Not the enemies terms which they are doing now.
I am so frustrated and only now realizing where we currently are in this fight and it is not a good position to be in.

[Tetrachloride]

3. First interview since leaving office. 6 months.

Just enough time to mow the lawn.

[obamanut2012]

5. ?

[Tetrachloride]

7. I would have thought that Democratic leaders would not be passive.

[Boomerproud]

4. I hope she got a huge, warm reception.

When I have the time I'll check YT.

[Deuxcents]

6. She did..a nice long welcome 🤗

[littlemissmartypants]

9. Most definitely. Rhiannon12866 posted it earlier...

https://democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1322&pid=83394

[Joinfortmill]

8. It's what she's not saying that's screaming to me. She knows something

[Hope22]

10. Yes and Colbert didn't dream of asking ...

Why her campaign did not request recounts for the protection of the system. Unfortunately it is too late. History has been rewritten and this country will pay the price. My guess, she was threatened and decided to let it go. We are paying the price. It doesn’t look hopeful for our children.

[tritsofme]

12. Of course Colbert didn't dream of asking such a silly question. He doesn't peddle delusional conspiracy theories.

[neohippie]

13. If you read the story...

She is not saying the election system is broken, although there are issues with a lot of things that relate to elections like gerrymandering, voting rights, voters being removed from rolls, vote challenges

She is mostly saying that the systems checks and balances didn't work because it was never imagined that a party in power in Congress would capitulate to an authoritarian and so easily give up their power to an executive, or that the courts would fail to keep an authoritarian in check, that all of the processes that were thought to be in place would breakdown so easily

At least that is how I understood her thoughts about the system being broken

I like her didn't believe that so many in office would abandon our constitution and their oaths to uphold and defend it. But what can a minority party do with the way the system was setup?

The minority party doesn't wield much power to challenge the majority party.

The majority party has enabled all of this by willingly abandoning their own powers

They have ceded power of appropriations, the power of the purse, their power of review and confirmation on appointments

They have gone along with lifetime appointments to judges that lied their way to Supreme Court seats or like recent confirmations like with this Bove character.

The majority party is no willing to consider impeachment, they are not calling for ethics investigations, they are not standing up but enabling all of this

[Random Boomer]

14. She could also just be bone-deep weary

Harris put her heart and soul into that campaign. Her loss -- for whatever reason -- had to be a body blow. It was for me, just as an ordinary citizen voting for her.

[littlemissmartypants]

11. I can't wait to read the book!

My favorite sweatshirt of all time is my Kamala period sweatshirt. Every time that I wear it, it reminds me of the feeling of a warm hug. It's a great shirt. The book should be very interesting.

❤️

[harumph]

15. I think the democratic leadership "knows something" dreadful.

Remember that they went radio silent for months after the election. Maybe they strongly suspect or have actual knowledge that election was hacked in some way. Maybe the election was fair, but they know or strongly suspect that Trump is actually a Russian plant. Maybe there is indeed a video of Trump fucking a child or snuffing one. Does someone metaphorically have a gun to their heads? Maybe we've been contacted by extraterrestrials that have laid down the law that we must reduce our population - or else. However crazy you think the foregoing sounds, the deafening silence from our leadership that does not speak substantively about how we are in the middle of an actual fucking coup, is more than strange. I can't help feeling that the silence is a result of a kind of privileged "the public can't handle this..." kind of attitude. Of course, depending on how outrageous or horrifying the truth may be, their reticence may be justified.

I guess to sum up - I'm early sixties, and have be through many election cycles. My honest feeling is that something is seriously OFF about all this. I don't just mean Trump and the Heritage Foundation, et al. I mean the silence our "opposition" leaders with the exception of a handful. Disbanding the CDC's vaccine advisory panel and gutting the NIH give me serious pause and even a "12 Monkeys" vibe.

[msongs]

17. when does the book tour begin? nt