Former Vice President Kamala Harris sat down with MSNBC on Monday for her first interview since losing the 2024 presidential election to Donald Trump, delivering sharp criticism of the President and corporate America. The interview comes just ahead of the release of her memoir, 107 Days, set for Tuesday.
Harris Blasts CEOs for Silence
Harris, 60, lambasted US business leaders for failing to act as “guardrails” for democracy during Trump’s presidency.
“I’ve worked closely with the private sector over many years. And I always believed that if push came to shove, those titans of industry would be guardrails for our democracy, for the importance of sustaining democratic institutions. And one by one by one, they have been silent. They have been, you know, yes, I use the word feckless,” Harris said.
Harris suggested that some CEOs prioritized personal gain over national interest: “Perhaps it’s because they want a merger approved or they want to avoid an investigation. But at some point they’ve got to stand up for the sake of the people who rely on all of these institutions — to have integrity and to, at some point, be the guardrails against a tyrant [who] was using the federal government to execute his whim and fancy because of a fragile ego,” Harris added.
Democracy and capitalism
Harris emphasized that capitalism thrives under democratic institutions, warning that corporate silence enables authoritarianism. Harris ridiculed the idea that wealthy Americans would suffer materially by speaking out against Trump.
“Democracy sustains capitalism. Capitalism thrives in a democracy. And right now, we are dealing with – as I called him at my speech on the ellipse – a tyrant. We used to compare the strength of our democracy to communist dictators. That’s what we’re dealing with right now under Donald Trump. And these titans of industry are not speaking up,” she said.
Memoir 107 Days
The interview also highlighted Harris’ upcoming memoir, 107 Days, which chronicles her experience stepping in as the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee after President Joe Biden withdrew from the race. The book is set to release on Tuesday and offers insights into her campaign and political challenges during the 2024 election cycle.
