Former Vice President Kamala Harris is making clear that she is not closing the door on a future presidential campaign, with recent moves sparking fresh speculation among Democrats about a possible 2028 bid, according to Axios.
The outlet reported that at least three developments over the past week have been widely interpreted within Democratic circles as early signs of campaign positioning. Among them is Harris’ decision to expand her book tour to additional cities. Her memoir, 107 Days, chronicles her last-minute entry into the 2024 race and her eventual defeat by President Donald Trump, offering a detailed account of one of the shortest general election campaigns in modern history.
Axios also pointed to Harris’ appearance at the Democratic National Committee’s annual winter meeting, where her rhetoric marked a notable shift. Rather than focusing solely on Republican opposition, Harris delivered pointed criticism of both political parties and the broader political system, framing public frustration as justified.
“Both parties have failed to hold the public’s trust,” Harris said during her remarks. “Government is viewed as fundamentally unable to meet the needs of its people. In these and in so many other ways, the people feel that the very institutions that were designed to support them have failed them. And they are not wrong.”
Despite her 2024 loss, Harris continues to rank near the top in early polling related to the 2028 Democratic field. A recent Big Data Poll found Harris leading with 31.1 percent support among Democratic voters, ahead of California Governor Gavin Newsom at 20.3 percent and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg at 10 percent. Other surveys, however, have shown Newsom leading in similar matchups.
Reaction to the Axios report was swift and largely critical on social media. Investor and podcast host Jason Calacanis wrote that Democrats were “gifting Trump a third term,” while Zeteo founder Mehdi Hasan dismissed the idea with a single word: “Insanity.” Washington Examiner correspondent Byron York questioned the timing, noting there are still more than 1,000 days until the next election.
Harris herself has declined to engage directly with speculation about her political future. In a recent interview with The New York Times, she downplayed the conversation around 2028, stressing the distance from the next election cycle.
“It’s three years from now,” Harris said. “I mean, honestly.”
While avoiding commitments, Harris emphasized her historical legacy, noting that she no longer feels bound by the “transactional” nature of campaigning. “There will be a marble bust of me in Congress,” she said. “I am a historic figure like any vice president of the United States ever was.”
