Kamala Harris has been closely following the unfolding events in Los Angeles, keeping up with local news and social media. However, unlike most residents, she’s also been directly engaging with top officials, including calls to Mayor Karen Bass and Governor Gavin Newsom, according to a source close to her.
This situation highlights the unique position of the former vice president: a private citizen who recently held a prominent national role and may soon seek to reclaim a leadership position, either through another presidential campaign or a bid for California governor. This period of speculation about her political future has now converged with a major news story unfolding in her own community.
Harris’s Public Stance and Political Calculations
Since leaving Washington, Harris has been selective about her public political commentary. Her recent social media statement, which denounced President Donald Trump’s activation of the National Guard as a “dangerous escalation,” immediately sparked intense speculation about her intentions. (A fake post with similar formatting, claiming Harris was not running for governor, briefly caused confusion among political insiders, highlighting the heightened scrutiny around her every move.)
For Harris, speaking out on this issue was a natural fit. A person familiar with her thinking explained that her perspective is shaped by her lifelong connection to California, her background in law enforcement, and her consistent focus on the rule of law. She also deeply empathizes with the protesters, drawing on her experiences growing up amidst the civil rights movement and the anti-apartheid activism of the 1980s. Her time as vice president also provided her with firsthand knowledge of how White House decisions can impact volatile situations, leading her to criticize Trump’s move as a “cruel, calculated decision to spread panic and division.”
Unrest’s Impact on Harris’s Timeline and Future Prospects
Despite the recent upheaval, those close to Harris say her decision-making process for her next political move remains on track, with a late-summer deadline still in place. This means the waiting game for her announcement will likely continue for several more weeks.
Harris’s allies, ever cautious about preempting her decision, suggest that if she does enter the gubernatorial race, the current conflict between the president and the state could work in her favor. They argue that she would be the only Democratic candidate in the field with direct experience confronting Trump. Furthermore, they believe Trump’s current targeting of Los Angeles undermines the quiet concern among some rival contenders that Harris’s personal history with the president could put California at a disadvantage. “If she was worried that her becoming governor might put a bigger target on California, the last week took that question off the table,” one Harris supporter commented. “We’ve got a helluva target on us no matter who the governor is.”
Currently, it’s Governor Newsom who is bearing the brunt of Trump’s criticism, and his public profile has significantly risen as a result. Harris, who couldn’t connect with Newsom directly but left him a voicemail of support, may be observing his increased prominence as she considers her next steps, according to Democratic strategist Steve Maviglio. He noted, “There’s enhanced competition if she does decide to run for president. That’s a worry, because she’s clearly thinking, ‘Do I want to do that again?’ On the other hand, it helps her if she runs for governor, because aside from him in the state, she’s viewed as the most anti-Trump candidate.”
