Everyone wondered what Kamala Harris would do after her crushing election defeat.
Now the former Vice President is making her intentions clear.
And Kamala Harris made a declaration about her next political move and now everyone is talking about Trump’s reaction.
Trump offers unexpected advice to his former opponent
Former Vice President Kamala Harris has been unusually quiet since Donald Trump demolished her dreams of becoming President last November.
While Democrats across the country have been shrieking about Trump’s second term, Harris has mostly stayed out of the spotlight.
But behind the scenes, Harris is plotting her next political move – and it could be a run for California Governor in 2026.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Harris declared in a recent speech, clearly signaling she’s not done with politics.
President Donald Trump caught many off guard when he actually encouraged Harris to throw her hat in the ring.
“Let her run,” Trump said during a recent podcast appearance, before adding a stinging piece of advice: “One thing she’s going to do, she’s got to start doing interviews.”
That brutal observation highlights one of Harris’ biggest campaign weaknesses – her tendency to avoid unscripted media appearances and tough questions.
Harris faces a critical decision by summer’s end
Sources close to the former Vice President confirmed to Fox News Digital that Harris will make her decision about a gubernatorial run by the end of summer.
The move makes sense politically. Harris previously served as San Francisco district attorney and California attorney general before representing the Golden State in the U.S. Senate.
Her name recognition would make her an instant front-runner in deep-blue California, where Governor Gavin Newsom is term-limited.
Polls show Harris would dominate the field if she entered the race, with several declared candidates already suggesting they would drop out if she ran.
One likely dropout would be California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, a close friend and ally of the former Vice President.
Political rivals aren’t waiting around
Not everyone is willing to step aside for Harris. Some Democrats already in the race are taking shots at her for delaying her decision.
Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa didn’t mince words when criticizing Harris’ timeline.
“The challenges facing California are too great for us to wait for a candidate who wants to come in late in the game,” Villaraigosa told The Los Angeles Times. “California is not a stepping stone to higher office.”
He also took aim at Harris’ brief presidential campaign, saying, “You can’t run at the end of the rainbow. We saw a 100-day campaign. Look what that brought us.”
Democrat former California Congresswoman Katie Porter and former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra have made similar arguments against Harris waiting until summer to declare her intentions.
Harris stays active while avoiding the spotlight
While Harris has been relatively quiet, she hasn’t been completely silent.
Earlier this month, she took to social media to cheer on Democrats resisting the Trump administration.
“Today in every state across our nation, Americans are standing up to the administration,” Harris wrote.
She also targeted Elon Musk, emphasizing that “the voices of working people will always be louder than the unelected billionaires.”
In early April, Harris spoke to a gathering of Black female business leaders in California, where she joked about her campaign warnings regarding Trump.
“I’m not here to say I told you so,” Harris said, causing the crowd to erupt in laughter. The clip quickly went viral on social media.
A Governor’s mansion or the White House in 2028?
Political analysts point out that Harris likely can’t pursue both the California governorship and another Presidential run in 2028.
Winning the governorship in 2026 would make a White House bid nearly impossible just two years later.
Early polls for the 2028 Democratic Presidential nomination show Harris with a significant lead over other potential candidates, largely due to her name recognition.
Harris has reportedly received encouragement from top Democrats to run for California Governor, including former DNC chair Terry McAuliffe.
But unlike her 2024 running mate Tim Walz and other prominent Democrats, Harris has avoided rallies, town halls, television interviews, and podcasts – ceding the spotlight to others in the party while she plans her next move.
Whether she chooses Sacramento or Washington as her ultimate destination, one thing is clear – we haven’t seen the last of Kamala Harris in American politics.
