EXTENDED INTERVIEW: VP Kamala Harris's "107 Days" Is A Peek Behind The Scenes Of The 2024 Election

[0:20] WAS VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, PLEASE WELCOME HER BACK [0:26] TO THE LATE SHOW, VICE PRESIDENT, KAMALA HARRIS. [0:29] VICE PRESIDENT, IT'S NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN. [1:20] HI, IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE, THANK YOU. [1:26] FIRST OF ALL, YOU LOOK RESTED. [1:29] YEAH. [1:30] I'M HAPPY FOR YOU. [1:31] THANK YOU. [1:32] HOW ARE YOU DOING? [1:33] WELL, OH, I'M FINE, I'LL GET PLENTY OF REST IN JUNE. [1:36] YEAH. [1:37] NOW, FIRST TIME YOU'VE BEEN HERE AS JUST A CITIZEN, [1:42] NOT AS A GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL. [1:44] THIS IS YOUR EIGHTH VISIT TO THE SHOW, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. [1:47] UH-HUH. [1:47] ONCE YOU LEFT OFFICE, I'M JUST CURIOUS, [1:49] I'M GOING TO GET INTO THE DETAILS AND I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT [1:52] YOUR COMING BOOK, 107 DAYS. [1:56] BUT BEFORE WE DO THAT, I'M JUST CURIOUS, ONCE YOU LEFT OFFICE, [2:01] HOW LONG BEFORE YOU TURNED ON THE NEWS AGAIN? [2:06] MONTHS. [2:07] YEAH? [2:08] MONTHS. [2:08] I, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST NOT INTO SELF-MUTILATION, AND I JUST... [2:13] YEAH, LOTS OF COOKING SHOWS. [2:17] OH, GOOD. [2:18] LOTS OF COOKING SHOWS. [2:19] GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF AND STUFF LIKE THAT. [2:20] OH, THE KITCHEN IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES. [2:21] OH, AMAZING, YEAH, SURE, YEAH. [2:23] UH-HUH. [2:24] YEAH, THE, UH-HUH. [2:26] YEAH. [2:28] WELL, UM, ONE QUESTION ON EVERYONE'S MIND RIGHT NOW. [2:30] UH, HOW'S DOUG? [2:32] UH, DOUG AS WELL, HE'S BACK PRACTICING LAW, [2:42] AND HE'S REALLY, HE'S GREAT. [2:44] HE'S, UH, HE'S GREAT, AND THANK YOU FOR ASKING. [2:47] YOU SAID HE'S BACK PRACTICING LAW, FOR A SECOND, I THOUGHT YOU SAID [2:51] HE'S BACKPACKING. [2:52] OH, WELL... [2:53] HE'S IN THE HIMALAYAS, HE HASN'T TURNED ON THE NEWS YET EITHER. [2:55] YEAH. [2:56] UM, SO, THE ELECTION, UH, ENDED. [2:59] UM, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES FOR YOU, I THOUGHT OF, THAT LAST YEAR, [3:03] OR ACTUALLY, GOSH, IT'S STILL THIS YEAR, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S STILL THIS YEAR. [3:06] IT SEEMS LIKE THIS THING WE'RE GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW IS, [3:10] HAS BEEN GOING ON FOREVER, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS I, I THOUGHT OF AFTER THE ELECTION [3:14] AND BEFORE JANUARY 20TH IS THAT YOU WERE STILL THE VICE PRESIDENT. [3:18] RIGHT. [3:19] AND YOU, YOU HAD TO BE THERE ON JANUARY 6TH, 2025, AND COUNT OUT [3:23] THOSE ELECTORAL BALLOTS AND CERTIFY. [3:25] FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR DOING YOUR CONSTITUTIONAL DUTY. [3:27] WITHOUT ANY QUESTIONS. [3:33] AND I'M JUST CURIOUS. [3:35] I'M JUST CURIOUS, AT ANY POINT AS YOU'RE COUNTING TO GO, [3:37] ANYBODY WANT TO STORM THE CAPITOL? [3:38] ANYBODY, NOBODY WANTS TO? [3:41] BUT, YOU KNOW, BUT IN ALL SERIOUSNESS, STEPHEN, [3:43] I WAS FULLY AWARE OF WHAT THAT MOMENT REQUIRED, NOT JUST OF ME, BUT OF OUR COUNTRY. [3:53] AND, UM, I TALK ABOUT IT IN THE BOOK. [3:55] THAT WAS, IT WAS A DIFFICULT DAY, TO BE SURE. [3:58] AND, YOU KNOW, I HAD BEEN AT THE CAPITOL FOUR YEARS BEFORE, [4:02] BECAUSE I WAS THEN VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT, AND I WAS A UNITED STATE SENATOR. [4:07] SO, WHAT I TALK ABOUT IN THE BOOK IS THAT DRIVE TO THE CAPITOL, [4:13] AND REMEMBERING FOUR YEARS BEFORE, AND WHAT MIKE PENCE DID, [4:19] AND WHAT OUR CONSTITUTION REQUIRES, [4:22] AND, UM, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF FULFILLING THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES. [4:25] IT WAS A DIFFICULT DAY, BECAUSE IT BROUGHT UP, [4:28] IT CONJURED A LOT IN TERMS OF WHAT THAT EXACT DAY WAS, [4:31] WHAT THAT DAY HAS MEANT IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY, [4:33] THE RECENT HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. [4:34] DID YOU TALK TO PENCE ABOUT THAT AT ALL, BY ANY CHANCE? [4:36] I DID NOT, BUT I'VE BEEN VERY HAPPY TO COMPLIMENT HIM [4:41] AS OFTEN AS I CAN FOR HAVING THE COURAGE [4:44] TO DO WHAT HE DID. [4:45] WELL, YOU ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY, YOU MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT, [4:48] THAT YOU'RE NOT RUNNING FOR THE GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA. [4:51] CORRECT. [4:51] EVEN THOUGH IN EARLY POLLING YOU BEAT EVERY OTHER CANDIDATE [4:54] BY DOUBLE DIGITS, YOU SAID YOU'RE GOING TO SIT THIS ONE OUT. [4:58] WHY ARE YOU SIT THIS ONE OUT? [4:59] ARE YOU SITING YOURSELF FOR A DIFFERENT OFFICE THAT MIGHT BE? [5:02] NO, NO. [5:06] THAT'S WHAT EVERYBODY, OBVIOUSLY. [5:07] I KNOW, BUT HONESTLY. [5:08] OBVIOUSLY PEOPLE PROJECT ONTO THEIR HOPS AND DREAMS. [5:11] AND HONESTLY, IT'S MORE PERHAPS BASIC THAN THAT. [5:15] I AM, LISTEN, I AM A DEVOUT PUBLIC SERVANT. [5:19] I HAVE SPENT MY ENTIRE CAREER IN SERVICE OF THE PEOPLE. [5:25] AND I THOUGHT A LOT ABOUT RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR. [5:28] I LOVE MY STATE. [5:29] I LOVE CALIFORNIA. [5:30] I'VE SERVED AS ELECTED DISTRICT ATTORNEY, [5:32] ATTORNEY GENERAL, AND SENATOR. [5:34] BUT TO BE VERY CANDID WITH YOU, I, YOU KNOW, [5:39] WHEN I WAS YOUNG IN MY CAREER, [5:42] I HAD TO DEFEND MY DECISION TO BECOME A PROSECUTOR [5:45] WITH MY FAMILY. [5:47] AND ONE OF THE POINTS THAT I MADE IS, [5:49] WHY IS IT THEN, WHEN WE THINK WE WANT TO IMPROVE A SYSTEM [5:52] OR CHANGE IT, THAT WE'RE ALWAYS ON THE OUTSIDE, [5:56] ON BENDED KNEE OR TRYING TO BREAK DOWN THE DOOR? [5:58] SHOULDN'T WE ALSO BE INSIDE THE SYSTEM? [6:02] AND THAT HAS BEEN MY CAREER. [6:04] AND, UM, RECENTLY, I MADE THE DECISION [6:09] THAT I JUST, FOR NOW, I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK IN THE SYSTEM. [6:13] I THINK IT'S BROKEN. [6:15] I THINK IT'S, THERE'S SO MUCH, I MEAN, [6:17] THERE ARE SO MANY GOOD PEOPLE WHO ARE PUBLIC SERVANTS, [6:21] WHO DO SUCH GOOD WORK, TEACHERS AND FIREFIGHTERS [6:24] AND POLICE OFFICERS AND NURSES AND SCIENTISTS, SCIENTISTS. [6:33] AND SO IT'S NOT ABOUT THEM, BUT, YOU KNOW, [6:38] I BELIEVE, AND I ALWAYS BELIEVED, [6:42] THAT AS FRAGILE AS OUR DEMOCRACY IS, [6:47] OUR SYSTEMS WOULD BE STRONG ENOUGH [6:50] TO DEFEND OUR MOST FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. [6:55] AND I THINK RIGHT NOW THAT, UM, [6:58] THEY'RE NOT AS STRONG AS THEY NEED TO BE, [7:00] AND I JUST DON'T WANT TO, FOR NOW, [7:02] I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK IN THE SYSTEM. [7:03] I WANT TO, I WANT TO TRAVEL THE COUNTRY, [7:05] I WANT TO LISTEN TO PEOPLE, [7:06] I WANT TO TALK WITH PEOPLE, [7:08] AND I DON'T WANT IT TO BE TRANSACTIONAL [7:09] WHERE I'M ASKING FOR THEIR VOTE. [7:14] WELL, I GOTTA SAY, I GOTTA SAY, [7:17] I WANT TO, I WANT TO, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE BOOK, [7:19] BUT JUST TO GO BACK TO WHAT YOU JUST SAID, [7:20] IS THAT I HAVE TO SAY, AS SOMEONE WHO IS VERY QUALIFIED [7:24] FOR THE PRESIDENCY, A SENATOR, [7:27] ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CALIFORNIA, [7:28] A VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, [7:30] AND THEN, AND THEN A VERY HOPEFUL [7:32] AND DYNAMIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE [7:34] FOR THE 107 DAYS THAT YOU HAD TO RUN, [7:36] TO HEAR YOU SAY THAT IT'S BROKEN, [7:38] TO HEAR YOU SAY THAT OUR SYSTEMS [7:40] AREN'T STRONG ENOUGH, IS HAROWING. [7:43] WELL, BUT IT'S ALSO EVIDENT, ISN'T IT? [7:45] NO, IT IS. [7:47] AND IT IS, AND IT IS HAROWING. [7:48] I MEAN, I MEAN, THERE'S, THERE, THERE'S, [7:51] THERE'S ALMOST NO, UH, CURSE WORD BAD ENOUGH. [7:54] BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN WE GIVE UP. [7:56] THAT'S NOT MY POINT. [7:57] OKAY, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I'M, [7:58] I'M HEARING LIKE YOU DON'T WANT TO BE PART [7:59] OF THE FIGHT ANYMORE. [8:00] NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, OH, ABSOLUTELY NOT. [8:02] I AM ALWAYS GONNA BE PART OF THE FIGHT. [8:03] OKAY. [8:04] THAT IS NOT GONNA CHANGE. [8:05] I AM ABSOLUTELY GONNA BE PART OF THE FIGHT. [8:07] YEAH. [8:10] BUT, I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE [8:13] AND AGREE THAT, I MEAN, LOOK, [8:15] THE POWER IS WITH THE PEOPLE. [8:17] THAT IS, THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE IDEAL AND, [8:21] OR I SAY THE STRENGTH OF OUR NATION, OF AMERICA, [8:24] THAT WE BELIEVE FUNDAMENTALLY THE POWER IS [8:26] WITH THE PEOPLE. [8:27] WE THE PEOPLE. [8:28] AND WE THE PEOPLE. [8:29] AND I BELIEVE RIGHT NOW THAT IT IS IMPORTANT [8:33] TO DO WHAT I CAN DO FROM THE POSITIONS THAT I HAVE HELD [8:36] AND WHAT I HAVE SEEN ABOUT THE WORLD AND OUR COUNTRY [8:40] TO GET OUT THERE AND REMIND EVERYONE WHO NEEDS [8:43] REMINDING RIGHT NOW OF THEIR POWER. [8:46] IT IS OUR GOVERNMENT. [8:48] IT IS OUR COUNTRY. [8:50] AND IT IS IMPORTANT, I THINK, THAT IN THIS MOMENT [8:54] WHERE PEOPLE HAVE BECOME SO DEFLATED AND DESPONDENT [8:58] AND AFRAID, AFRAID, THAT THOSE OF US WHO HAVE THE [9:05] ABILITY, WHICH I DO RIGHT NOW, NOT BEING IN AN OFFICE [9:09] WHERE I'M CAMPAIGNING FOR THAT OFFICE, TO BE OUT THERE [9:14] AND TO TALK WITH FOLKS AND REMIND THEM OF THEIR POWER [9:18] AND THEIR IMPORTANCE IN MAKING A DIFFERENCE. [9:22] WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS... [9:23] I MEAN, I JUST WANT TO PUT A FINE POINT ON THIS. [9:26] YOU CAN NEVER LET ANYBODY TAKE YOUR POWER FROM YOU. [9:29] YOU CAN NEVER LET ANYBODY TAKE YOUR POWER FROM YOU. [9:32] AND THAT'S WHAT I THINK, FOR ME, THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE [9:35] TO REMIND FOLKS OF. [9:37] WELL, IN THE OTHER BIG NEWS THAT, AS I SAID, [9:41] YOU'VE WRITTEN A BOOK, 107 DAYS. [9:45] IT DESCRIBES THE NUMBER OF DAYS THAT WERE IN YOUR CAMPAIGN, [9:49] WHICH, AS YOU SAID, IS THE SHORTEST [9:51] PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN OF ALL TIME. [9:53] BOOKS AFTER AN ELECTION CAN TELL A VARIETY OF STORIES. [9:56] THEY CAN BE LIKE AN AUDIT OF WHAT HAPPENED, [9:58] GUIDES FOR THE FUTURE, GOSSIPY TELL-ALLS. [10:02] WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO TAKE FROM THE STORY [10:04] THAT YOU HAVE TO TELL OF THOSE 107 DAYS? [10:08] SO THIS BOOK IS BASICALLY WHAT I WOULD OFFER [10:15] AS A BEHIND THE SCENES SHARING OF WHAT IT MEANS [10:22] TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT. [10:24] IT WAS AN INTENSE EXPERIENCE. [10:28] TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT IN A WAY THAT NO ONE HAD RUN BEFORE. [10:30] WELL, TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT, PERIOD, [10:31] BUT CERTAINLY IN A WAY THAT NO ONE HAD DONE BEFORE [10:33] IN 107 DAYS. [10:35] YOU KNOW, I TALK ABOUT IN THE BOOK, [10:37] YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE BORN [10:39] OR GROW UP BELIEVING, [10:40] I'M GONNA BE PRESIDENT. [10:41] I WANT TO BE PRESIDENT. [10:43] THAT WASN'T ME. [10:44] IT WASN'T. [10:47] IT WASN'T. [10:50] I KNEW I WANTED TO SERVE. [10:52] I KNEW THAT. [10:53] AND, BUT I THINK THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT IT ALL [10:56] THAT CAN FEEL VERY OPAQUE. [10:58] LIKE, PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THEY KNOW, YOU KNOW, [11:01] THERE'S THESE MOVIES AND THESE TELEVISION SHOWS, [11:02] BUT WHAT REALLY IS IT LIKE? [11:04] AND I HOPE BY WRITING THIS BOOK, [11:06] ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DO IS HELP PEOPLE [11:10] SEE FROM THE INSIDE WHAT IT IS IN A WAY THAT THEY CAN [11:14] SEE SOMETHING ABOUT THEMSELVES THAT TELLS THEM, [11:16] HEY, I COULD DO THAT, OR I HAVE, I HAVE THAT INSTINCT, [11:20] OR I HAVE SEEN MOMENTS IN MY OWN LIFE WHEN I'VE HAD TO [11:23] DEAL WITH ADVERSITY OR ATTACKS OR, AND THEN, [11:27] BUT I CAN STILL GET UP AND GO. [11:30] I MEAN, THERE'S, IT'S, THERE'S A LOT OF PERSONAL STUFF [11:32] IN THE BOOK. [11:33] I MEAN, POR DOUGIE. [11:35] YOU'RE JUST... [11:38] YOU'RE GOING THE LID OFF OF DOUG? [11:40] WHAT'S GOING ON? [11:41] FOR EXAMPLE, MY BIRTHDAY'S IN OCTOBER. [11:45] THE ELECTION'S IN NOVEMBER. [11:48] YOU SEE WHERE I'M GOING. [11:51] AND DOUGIE KINDA DROPPED THE BALL ON MY BIG BIRTHDAY. [11:55] HE DIDN'T GET YOU ANYTHING? [11:57] Oh, you have to read the book. [12:00] All right. [12:03] Just tell me the page. [12:05] Tell me the page. [12:07] Well, I mean, obviously, people will be surprised. [12:10] People don't know what it's like to run for president. [12:11] As you said, the way you ran was a very unique one. [12:14] Yeah. [12:15] But so we'll be surprised. [12:16] What surprised you about those 107 days? [12:18] What did you not know about running for president? [12:21] When you'd already run for a nomination [12:22] and you'd already run alongside Joe Biden, [12:24] what surprised you most about what those 107 days took [12:28] or needed of you? [12:31] Well, one, I mean, just again, to be very candid, [12:36] my prayer every night was to ask God, [12:40] I hope I have done everything I could do today. [12:43] I was so conscious and aware of the short time that we had. [12:51] And I mean, I would, it drove, [12:53] it would sometimes drive my incredible team bananas [12:57] because wherever I showed up in whatever town [13:00] or city I was, [13:01] the first thing I would do with the local leaders, [13:04] be they elected community leaders, [13:06] I'd ask them, what more can we do? [13:09] And that's one of the things that it was just, [13:13] it was very intense. [13:15] But let me also say what was incredibly beautiful [13:19] was we would have these events [13:23] where people who I'm sure had never been under the same roof [13:28] with the people who were standing next to them, [13:30] all were under the same roof, [13:33] seeing themselves in each other. [13:35] As I like to say, and it is aspirational, I think, [13:39] but very real, [13:42] seeing in the face of a stranger a neighbor. [13:44] And I saw that throughout our country. [13:50] You know, I mean, just, you name the, [13:52] whatever you're thinking of, the race, the age, the gender, [13:55] the whatever you're thinking about who our country is [13:59] and all of them being together, [14:02] seeing each other as fellow Americans [14:04] and invested in a common goal. [14:07] And that was really beautiful and very affirming. [14:10] Very affirming. [14:11] It's hard for us to remember now. [14:12] I mean, just hearing you describe that [14:18] reminds me of something that it's so easy to forget now [14:21] because the national mood is so grim in many ways [14:24] and people are so shocked by the abuses [14:26] and the abhorrent corruption [14:28] and the violence against neighbors here [14:31] happening in the United States by our government [14:33] and the free reign being given by Congress [14:36] and the Supreme Court to this president. [14:40] Just less than a year ago, things were very joyful. [14:43] There was actually a lot of hope [14:45] associated with your campaign. [14:48] And there was a lot, there was a lot of promise [14:50] that we might actually not only keep [14:52] this absolute barbarian out of the White House, [14:58] but also we might actually make progress as a country [15:01] with the type of people that we wanted to see in office [15:04] and a younger, more vital, revived political consciousness [15:10] in America. [15:11] What do you think of when you look back at that, [15:13] that time and that feeling? [15:15] What I look back at is, as I said, [15:20] how people realized the commonality [15:24] and the collective strength [15:26] and our collective love of our country. [15:28] We love our country. [15:30] And the thing about that experience [15:33] is exactly what propels me [15:36] to think about this moment and the future [15:39] and not look back too much, [15:41] which is those same people, they're still here. [15:44] They still know joy in their hearts. [15:47] They still know how to have a sense of optimism [15:51] and faith in the future and to believe and to fight for that. [15:57] And that hasn't gone away. [15:58] And I just think it's really important [16:00] that we never let a circumstance, situation, or person [16:05] defeat our spirit. [16:07] You can't let that happen. [16:10] You can't give up your belief in what can be and what can be better. [16:17] And in spite of, you know, I talked about it the day after the election. [16:20] And again, I talk about it in the book. [16:22] That was a rough bleeping day for me. [16:25] And it was important to me in my speech that I gave that day, [16:32] the next day after the election, to remind people to not give up. [16:37] I am so aware of the joy that was there and the hope and the enthusiasm. [16:44] And I just think that we have to remember it was not just a candidate that gave that. [16:50] It came from the people who naturally have that. [16:54] And we and this election cannot take that away. [16:58] But let's be clear-eyed about it. [17:00] Let's be clear-eyed about what's going on. [17:08] And that's why, you know, people are taken to the streets. [17:12] And people are organizing. [17:14] And people are talking with each other. [17:17] And they're talking about the issues. [17:19] And they're articulating what we know is wrong and what it should be. [17:23] And so let's just not be defeated. [17:27] Right? [17:28] Let's not be defeated. [17:29] The book also has, it's going to have, it has some photos that we haven't seen before. [17:37] This is a photograph of you, never before seen. [17:40] It's the day that Joe Biden announced he'd withdrawn from the presidential race, which was July 21st, 2024. [17:47] What's going on here with you? [17:48] Is this where you're finding out? [17:50] Are you being told that this was about to happen? [17:52] So that day, July 21st, 2024, was a Sunday. [18:00] And it was, my family was staying with us and including my baby nieces, my nieces' children. [18:07] I call them my baby nieces. [18:08] And we had a really wonderful brunch. [18:11] Again, I talk about what that day is. [18:13] But, and then I get the call from Joe. [18:16] And immediately, that's the dining room at the vice president's residence. [18:21] And immediately, my incredible team, and I'm just, my incredible team, they just, people just started coming. [18:28] And we turned it into a war room. [18:31] And I made over 100 calls that day. [18:34] I rolled calls. [18:35] And that's me on a call. [18:38] So you'll see my phone is actually on my lap. [18:40] And, and, you know, I, so I know I've been teased about this, but I like these kinds of air, ear pods that have the, the, the thing. [18:49] Yeah. [18:49] Because I've served on the Senate Intelligence Committee. [18:54] I have been in classified briefings. [18:56] And I'm telling you, like, don't be on the train using your ear pods and thinking somebody can't listen to your conversation. [19:02] I'm just telling you, that's a little bit more secure. [19:08] So you roll those 100 calls. [19:12] Yeah. [19:12] You roll those 100 calls in just a couple of, so, uh, President Biden says he's stepping out of the campaign, uh, in, uh, at, uh, at, what, mid-afternoon, something like that. [19:24] Yeah, yeah. [19:24] And half an hour later, he says he's endorsing you to take over. [19:27] You're rolling up those cards. [19:28] A couple days later, it kind of, it's kind of all over but the shouting. [19:30] Everybody can see that people are coalescing behind you. [19:33] You have 107 days. [19:35] Right. [19:35] What would you do differently, looking back on it? [19:38] There are things. [19:38] Because you were in a, you were in a tough spot. [19:39] Yeah. [19:40] There are things I would do differently. [19:41] And, um, again, read the book. [19:44] Read the book. [19:44] I know, read the book. [19:45] We all, we're all going to read the book. [19:47] But I will say this. [19:47] Do you do the audio book, by the way? [19:48] I'm going to do an audio book, too. [19:50] Okay, great. [19:50] Yes, I will. [19:51] And, um, and I'll read it. [19:54] I'll record it. [19:55] But, um, I just, I mean, the one thing I just have to say, and I mentor a lot of people over, have done that over my career. [20:02] Um, none of us achieves any success, it's certainly for me, without having an incredible team. [20:09] And, um, one of the points that I hope I make often enough is I, I was going through that 107 days. [20:18] This is a personal and candid perspective from me about what that experience was. [20:23] But I had a team, many of people who have been with me for years, who really were so invested. [20:31] And as I say there, I mean, left it all on the field. [20:34] And I don't regret a day of that. [20:37] You had a great team, but you also had a friend, a mentor, someone you respected greatly in the office of the president. [20:45] Yeah. [20:45] Who had just stepped away. [20:46] What was that like? [20:47] When you saw Joe Biden walk on stage at that debate, and it did not go well. [20:52] Spoiler. [20:53] It did not go well in that debate. [20:55] Therefore, you became the candidate. [20:56] At what point in the, say, month that followed that, did people start saying, you might need to be prepared for this? [21:03] Let me say something about Joe Biden. [21:09] I have an incredible amount of respect for him. [21:12] And, um, I think that the way that we should be thinking about where we are right now is to remember that we had a president of the United States who believed in the rule of law, [21:26] who believed in the importance of aspiring to have integrity, and to do the work on behalf of the people. [21:41] And that's where I'll leave that. [21:48] I think that's a fine sentiment and all true. [21:50] I'm just curious, did people say to you, you should be prepared for this? [21:54] There were some who did, but I, listen, it was, it was Joe's decision. [22:01] And, um, and he made that decision. [22:03] So then you go to run for president yourself, and people are asking you to separate yourself from Joe Biden. [22:08] People are asking over and over again, I was one of them. [22:09] What's different between you and Joe Biden? [22:12] Yeah. [22:12] That must have been difficult, because you have to differentiate yourself as a candidate. [22:16] Right. [22:16] And yet you respect this man who you're still working for at the same time. [22:20] What was that like to navigate? [22:21] I talk about that extensively in the book. [22:24] You were? [22:25] No, no, and I... [22:26] It's in the chapter with Doug. [22:27] No, it's, it's because, and I, and I say that because you're raising something that you and I both know is, requires a lot of, a lot more time than we probably have right now to talk about... [22:39] Are we in a hurry? [22:40] Are we in a hurry, guys? [22:44] Go ahead. [22:44] Thanks, everyone. [22:45] Go ahead. [22:46] Go ahead. [22:46] I feel very strongly that, and I mean, it's an instinct of mine to be someone who does not participate in piling on, and I was not going to pile on, and I just wasn't going to do that, and there was a lot of piling on at that time, and I wasn't going to participate in that. [23:17] Well, one person you did pile on, I will always treasure your debate with Trump. [23:25] That, that was one of the greatest, that was one of the greatest rhetorical performances I've ever seen. [23:36] You smoked him like a ham. [23:39] You were, I just want to remind everybody, you warned everyone about the future under our present president. [23:45] You said he would prosecute his political enemies. [23:47] He would cut Medicaid, Medicare. [23:50] He would ignore court orders. [23:52] He would alienate our allies. [23:54] He would give massive tax cuts to the rich, and I know you're not here to say, I told you so. [23:59] But would you like to? [24:10] But, but let me, let me just say this. [24:13] You are correct that I did predict a lot of it. [24:20] But, Stephen, what I did not predict was the capitulation. [24:26] I didn't predict that. [24:27] So people would roll over for this present. [24:28] I didn't, I didn't see that. [24:30] I didn't see that coming. [24:31] Um, I, and perhaps it's naive of me, someone who has seen a lot that most people haven't seen, but I believed that on some level, you know, there are many, there should be many who consider themselves to be guardians of our system and our democracy who just capitulated. [24:56] And, um, I didn't, I didn't see that coming. [25:01] Do you, do you think, uh, I mean, you must have some still connection to what's going on in Washington. [25:06] Do you, do you think that these people think that they can just ride out the storm and everything will be fine on the other side? [25:10] I think there are some who do, and I think that it is completely naive. [25:15] I think there are a lot of people who are, think they're riding out the storm as an excuse to be feckless. [25:22] And, um, and, you know, this is a time for people to, you know, I mean, look, we, we designed our democracy with three independent, co-equal branches of government. [25:38] I mean, when you see that the president of the United States is trying to get rid of the Department of Education, and Congress has the role and responsibility to stand in the way of that, and they're just sitting on their hands, and then they go on recess because they don't want to deal with transparency? [25:55] And the Supreme Court says, and the Supreme Court says that he can ignore a law that established it. [26:01] Yeah, but the Supreme Court, we knew what they were doing. [26:04] Remember, I talked about it in 107 days. [26:07] I don't put that in the book, by the way. [26:08] This is an exclusive. [26:11] This is an exclusive for the Stephen Colbert show, but that the Supreme Court basically gave whoever would be president, when I was in the campaign, I talked about, immunity, immunity. [26:27] We, we talked about it. [26:29] So this, let's, we're not surprised what the Supreme Court is doing, and God thank those members of the court who write brilliant dissents and remind us of what, [26:40] the democracy and the rule of law is supposed to be, you know? [26:47] Well, thank you so much for being here. [26:52] It's an honor to have you here to talk about the new book, 107 Days. [26:56] Got to read the book to find out most of the answers tonight. [26:59] But I got to ask you something. [27:01] Before you go, you're no longer, you know, you're not running for office right now. [27:04] You're stepping away from that life right now. [27:06] Who's leading the Democratic Party? [27:10] I'm just curious. [27:11] There are lots of leaders. [27:12] There's generally a leader of the Democratic Party. [27:15] You know, like, oh, that's the leader of the Democratic Party. [27:17] Who comes to mind? [27:18] I think there are a lot of, I'm not going to go through names, because then I'm going to leave somebody out, and then I'm going to hear about it. [27:25] But let me just, let me say this. [27:27] I think it is a mistake for us who want to figure out how to get out and through this and get out of it, [27:37] to put it on the shoulders of any one person. [27:41] It's really on all of our shoulders. [27:43] It really is. [27:49] Well, Madam Vice President, thank you so much for being here. [27:52] It's good to be with you, Stephen. [27:53] The book is 107 Days. [27:55] It's available September 23rd. [27:58] Vice President Kamala Harris, everybody. [28:00] We'll be right back with a performance by Renee Rapp.