Former Vice President Kamala Harris was reportedly "completely shocked" by her defeat in the 2024 election, with sources claiming she believed she could have clinched victory if only given more time. According to a new tell-all book, Harris struggled with low approval ratings and criticism from both sides of the aisle and thought the race was still within her grasp— even up until Election Day. Her apparent sense of entitlement to victory only fuels concerns about her readiness for higher office, revealing the disconnect between her ambitions and the reality of her performance on the national stage.
In the book "FIGHT: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House” by The Hill reporter Amie Parnes, Harris and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn.), were stunned by their loss in the race against President Donald Trump. Harris remained confident in her chances of winning the race despite the overwhelming odds, as Trump secured victory in all seven battleground states.
The book, co-authored by NBC reporter Jonathan Allen, explores the 2024 presidential campaign. It details the turmoil that ensued after former President Joe Biden dropped out of the race, leading to Harris assuming the top spot on the Democratic ticket.
“She was completely shocked, and Tim Walz was shocked. We take you inside his hotel room at the Mayflower, and he's sitting there stunned. He has no words," Parnes said on the “Somebody’s Gotta Win With Tara Palmeri” podcast. "And people are kind of explaining to him, same thing with her. And she's like, are you sure? Have we done a recount? Should we do a recount?”
“They thought that they were going to win. And so, you know, when they come back now and say, 'Oh no, we didn't really have a chance.' No, that's not what they were thinking. They thought they were going to win,” she continued.
Parnes revealed that Harris' staff felt gaslit by the vice president, who repeatedly assured them that her prospects for winning were strong in the lead-up to the election. The author highlighted that Harris appeared to buy into rumors suggesting she was gaining ground on Trump despite the race's clear dynamics. After the loss, Harris allegedly told friends she could have won if given more time or if Biden hadn't sought re-election, pointing to his apparent unpopularity among Americans. Harris placed the blame for her defeat squarely on her former boss.
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“Kamala Harris was looking at her crowd size, and they felt like the vibe was strong and people were saying, 'Oh, we have more boots on the ground. We're doing better in fundraising,'" Parnes said. "And she bought all of that. She bought the hype, and so did a lot of people in the campaign.”
However, Harris’ senior campaign adviser, Stephanie Cutter, said on the same podcast that the vice president "wasn't willing" to distance herself from Biden. She said that Harris believed parting ways with Biden would result in a "different set of problems" for her campaign.
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