#RolandMartinUnfiltered - Kamala Harris Unloads in “107 Days”: White House Betrayal and Wild Fox Attacks Exposed

Episode Date: September 13, 2025

Vice President Kamala Harris unleashes in her new book “107 Days,” exposing how the Biden White House failed to protect her while Fox News launched relentless attacks. In the excerpt of the upcoming book, Harris recalls being thrown under the bus by her own team, castigated for a Selma speech that went viral, and left to fend off negative narratives about staff turnover and chaos. VP Harris reveals how she had to build her own infrastructure of support because she could not rely on the West Wing. Her account frames betrayal from within and hostility from outside as defining tests of her vice presidency, while positioning her as a leader who survived political fire and refuses to be silenced.🔥 Harris says the Biden White House threw her under the bus repeatedly🔥 Fox News launched wild attacks while her own team stayed silent🔥 Viral Selma speech praised by the public — but infuriated the West Wing🔥 Harris built her own power after the White House refused to back her#RolandMartinUnfiltered #BlackStarNetwork #KamalaHarrisSupport #RolandMartinUnfiltered and #BlackStarNetwork 👉🏾 Use Cash App by visiting Stripe https://buy.stripe.com/7sI3ccgYyfSQ8y45kl 👉🏾  PayPal ☛ https://www.paypal.me/rmartinunfiltered Venmo ☛https://venmo.com/rmunfiltered Zelle ☛ [e-mail] omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Vice President Kamala Harris is soon to release her new book, 107 days. It details, it details, of course, the process after Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race, and she actually took over as the nominee. and the first excerpt from the book the first excerpt of the book was dropped in the Atlantic and it already has folks talking in this excerpt she talks about she labels recklessness in terms of Democrats

and not of course pressing Biden harder to not run she also name checks Biden and his wife Jill she talks about how the White House did not protect her how they allowed attacks to take place and she literally you know says that basically the Biden White House threw her under the bus numerous times even and then she talked about a situation

where I covered when she gave a speech in Selma and she talked about what was happening in Israel and Gaza and it was received very well and the White House hated that and I remember that because we covered it then So it's so much in her first excerpt that we talked about on this show. So this is confirmation. As we say, hashtag, we tried to tell you.

Ashley Etienne was the communications director for Vice President Kamala Harris. And she joins us right now. Ashley, glad to have you here. So first part is excerpt, I mean, coming out the box. Like, coming out hot. Exactly. I don't want to go through it. Okay.

We're having some tech issues, so I can't actually show it. The Atlantic has the whole deal. But one of the things is she opens up talking about Divine Nine speaking to them, the kind of groups that she was trying to bring in, the role that she played, being an African-American woman, all those sort of different things. The energy that she brought to the table. But she then gets into this whole back and forth

and how she was new, staff was new, all these different things, and how she was being constantly attacked. And the White House was new. not protecting her. And the reality is, and I remember in real time, and I was one of the, you were there, and I was one of the folks who was saying externally, the attacks on her were coming from inside the White House.

Oh, you said that? Oh, hell, y'all said it. It was quite obvious. It was very obvious. And here is her saying that's exactly what was going on. Sure. No, I was there, and that is actually what was happening. I mean, it was an incredibly,

challenging time because we were in the middle of COVID. Fox News, as she says in the excerpt, came out of the gate, you know, trying to undermine her lower confidence in her, attack her on everything from her laugh to her

portfolio, I should say. She also says in the excerpt in the book that listen, she had a pool coverage. She did. BP's never had that. They just sort of had some light stuff. Yeah. Because of who she was and how people were

she had media covering her all the time so every comment, everything, they were able to run with it. Unlike when Pence, hell, we never knew what the hell he was talking about. Yeah, no, I agree, but I think the opportunity was there

for her to tell her own story. Right. In an unprecedented way. No other vice president had ever had. So Joe Biden actually deserves credit for building a press pool for her. I think that press pool was as many as a dozen reporters. And that did create an opportunity for us to

really start to tell her story. But that was just an incredibly challenging time. We were in the middle of COVID. There wasn't much happening. It was COVID, but also it was 50-50. She couldn't leave D.C. a lot. No. So even when...

So that's when the narrative started to beg. Where is Kamala Harris? Right. It was kind of like, y'all, there were so many times. She broke the record of the most ties in history because she had to stay in D.C. a lot. And you're right, for all of 2021, for

a lot of 2022, both she and Biden were grounded. Yeah, can I just say this, though, to your point about the attacks coming from within? That's absolutely true. There's a lot of truth to both sides, that there were attacks from coming, that were coming from within. But here's the thing I would

like to just sort of level set, is that, you know, the job of the West Wing is to promote the president. Yes. The job is not to promote the vice president. There were times in which we asked for their help. There were times in which they gave it. There were times in which they did not.

We got to a sort of, when we hit a fever pitch, we're incredibly frustrated with the West Wing because we felt like they could have done more to inoculate her from criticism. But I will say the one thing that people hardly ever talk about, and I hope she gets into this in her book, is that really

fortified her in a lot of ways. It really positioned us to identify what her long-term needs. were to build that outside infrastructure because you couldn't depend on it from within the West Wing or from within the White House, which became helpful to her as she started to move down the process and when she launched her own campaign,

that infrastructure was there. That's why I was able to kick in that quickly. You remember when there were questions about whether or not she should be next, you had the CBC coming, a whole lot of outside advocates, organizations. We started to build that foundation for her because we realized we were going it alone. here's so we so and I and again this is just the first excerpt sure but if we actually if we just

take this thing back the reason her being vice president was so completely different and also the reason why you had so much press attention on her was because he was old and so one of the right and so it was from day one it was a lot of one term she's going to run all of that and that created some tension first of all that created I'm gonna say Roland's gonna say

no that created a lot of tension okay and let me also be clear a lot of that tension it was west wing but a lot was east wing and there's some stuff that I know but hopefully it's in the book

so here's so all of a sudden and here's Heather with the weather well it's beautiful out there sunny and 75 almost a little chilly in the shade now let's get a read on the inside of your car. It is hot. You've only been parked a short time and it's already 99 degrees in there. Let's not leave children in the back seat while running errands. It only takes a few minutes for

their body temperatures to rise and that could be fatal. Cars get hot, fast, and can be deadly. Never leave a child in a car. A message from NHTSA and the ad council. Our IHeart Radio Music Festival, presented by Capital One is coming back to Las Vegas. Vegas. September 19th and 20th. On your feet. live only on Hulu Ladies and gentlemen Brian Adams Ed Shearrett

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AXS.com You have this young vibrant African American woman juxtapose Joe Biden, old white guy

in terms of movement, to your point, Biden did things with her that Obama never did with him. Oh, absolutely. There was so many times when she spoke before him. Absolutely. As opposed to just staying there and be quiet. We used to laugh the Biden people out

of the room. We used to laugh them out of the room when they wanted to do things. I mean, you know, the job is not for us to make room for you. What Biden did effectively well, is he made room for himself. You remember when he got ahead of the president on gay marriage, for example? Yes. He made his own space for himself. Oh, no, I remember. I remember.

I also remember during that time when he was trying to give up, he was giving Obama advice when it came to the Ford of the Care Act and the nuns and Catholics, they weren't listening. And Biden was like, well, that was a private conversation he had with some Sunday morning show host he talked about. He was like, they wouldn't pay attention. I tried to tell him. But in this case, so he was providing that.

But the issue here, and so when we, and I think people need to understand, there's a difference between what Biden wanted to happen and what the people. around Biden wanted to happen. Okay. And what she touches on in here, because when she talks about the attacks, she says, when Fox News attacked me on everything from my lab to my tone or voice, to who I dated in my 20s, a claim I was a DEI hired, the White House rarely pushed back with my actual resume, two-term elected DEA, top cop, the second largest Department of Justice of the United States,

Senator representing one and eight Americans, Lorraine Bowles, my chief of staff, constantly had to advocate for my role at events, quote, she's not going to stand there like a pilot Give her two minutes of remarks, have her introduce the president. They had a huge comms team. They had Corrine Jean-Pierre briefing in the press room every day, but getting anything positive said about my work or any defense against untrue attacks was almost impossible. And the thing that she talks about when she went to France

with McCrone and how all these different habits. But this is one of the things that she references that this is where it came back to Biden. Okay. So because they were allowing certain things to happen, and we know a lot of the... I remember the stories. She addresses losing staff

and she's hard to work with. All of that plays a role in her poll numbers coming down. The problem is, never thought they were going to need her in 24. So the problem is you created, you created this thing of suppressing her, then when 24 rolls around, you needed her. So the work that you...

So my point is, the things that hurt her 21, 22, 23, because what I also know, because I was told this from multiple sources, multiple people went to Joe Biden and says, take her off the ticket. And Biden told them, hell no.

One person who said, I was in the room when the conversation was had. And so there were people who were saying, take her off, take her off, take her, she's going to replace. The team around him. Team around him, outside people as well, Democratic donors, folks on Capitol Hill. So the problem is you allowed a tax on the VP

from inside and out, and the problem is that contributed to those poll numbers being so low, and then Michelle all of a sudden has to run, that now is a hindrance, so you played a role in that stuff actually happening. Well, I don't disagree with that, but I think the most important point

is they had conflicting interest. It's not Joe Biden thought he was going to run for a second time. Right. So his interest was not, to figure out how to promote her. And when you're in the middle of a global pandemic, the interest is to solve what's in front of me, right? He had his own set of challenges.

So I think that's what this mostly boils down to is this conflicting interest between the two camps. But, I mean, I want to challenge you on a couple of things. I mean, just to be fair to Joe Biden, and I appreciate that you're being fair to him, his interest was to be helpful to her. In every, I never heard a no. And as I told you, I've worked in the Obama White House, and we told Joe Biden no all the time.

In fact, we kind of ignored them. It's like they didn't even exist, right? It was a team of one. It was Barack Obama. But I never heard Biden's, Biden himself or Biden's close people ever tell her, no, you can't do that, no, you can't do that. I never heard that. Now, that could have happened after I left. Right.

So she writes this here. Worse, I often learned that the president's staff was adding fuel to negative narratives that sprang up around me. One narrative that... And by the way, I said that to them, to the team, my team. I mean, when I was on the VP's team, I said, this is coming from internally. She writes one narrative that took a stubborn hold was that I had a chaotic office in unusually high staff turnover during my first year. She said, the plain fact is many people who come to work with the new administration

in the White House haven't done it before. It's a job unlike any other, and not every person, no matter how talented in their former position can step up into such a high stress round-the-clock role. Others finally just don't want a job that doesn't pay particularly well. take a massive toll on family, and rules out anything resembling a normal life. I'm not going to keep people on who can't thrive in their jobs.

It's not fair to them. It's not good for the country. Now, the whole point I'm bringing up is that thing was constant. It was constant. Oh, that you couldn't keep staff? Well, not just keep staff, but it was like it was political.

It was Axios and the New York Times. It was so, and you were sitting here going, damn, how many times this story going to get written? Yeah. As opposed to what actually is happening. Yeah. Well, I mean, you know, I'm not going to refute what the vice president said, you know, but I will say this, you know, for what it's worth.

I think the vice president is the blueprint. I think she's an exceptional leader that has, like a lot of women leaders, that doesn't get her full credit, and especially black women leaders, doesn't get her full credit. When you think about what she was able to achieve, not just breaking the glass ceiling, but her efforts to repair our relationships all over the world, the fact that she's secured five. To a five billion dollars for the border

or to just the root causes of migration. I would say that the third is her work on maternal health, you know, leading the fight on reproductive rights. All of that stuff. So my advice as a strategist would have been to write a different book, honestly. And the reason why I say this is because Kamala Harris is... Well, first of all, this is just one excerpt from the book. So we don't know the full breadth of what's in the book.

Absolutely. But the book is focused on the 107 days. That's how it's framed up. So my point would have been to... Focus on four years and that 107 days. Absolutely. And the reason why I say that, can I, if you don't mind? The reason why I say that,

because I think that's the book that my daughter and her generation need to hear. They need to hear how she broke a glass ceiling and they need to hear what she was able to achieve. The second point I would add is because her Achilles heel has always been that people don't know her, don't know what she stands for, and doesn't know what she's...

So my point would have been, my advice would have been, to lead with that. Now, all of this stuff, you can talk about your challenges as a black woman and as the first. Could be a two-book deal, we don't know. It could be, but I'm just saying out the gate because the concern is that this opens up a wound, you know, within the party. And it serves as a major distraction. In addition, serves as a fodder for Trump and the GOP. So I remember this vividly. She writes in Selma, Alabama at the commemoration of Bloody Sunday when civil rights barters were attacked and beaten

once they crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge, I gave a strong speech on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. At this point, you had already left. Yes. Desperate people had been shot when they swarmed a food truck, and I spoke of families reduced to eating leaves or animal feed, women prematurely giving birth but little or no medical care, and children dying for malnutrition and dehydration. I reiterated my strong support for Israel's security and called on Hamas to release the hostages and accept the ceasefire agreement, then on the table. I also called on Israel for greater access to aid. It was a speech that had been vetted

and approved by the White House and the National Security Council. It went viral and the West Wing was displeased. I was castigated for, apparently, delivering it too well. Their thinking was zero sun. If she's shining, he's dimmed.

None of them grasped that if I did well, he did well, that given the concern about his age, my visible success as his vice president was vital. It would serve as a testament to his judgment in choosing me and a reassurance that if something happened the country was in good hands. My success

was important for him. His team didn't get it. That's how the excerpt end. Now, the reason I remember that because I flew in Air Force II with her to Selma. And I remember the speech and many people and I remember the reaction. The people who were there and then the reaction

external. And then I remember the next seven days. And the White House was pissed. And we were like, How? Why would they? Like, it was like, what are you? And here's Heather with the weather. Well, it's beautiful out there, sunny and 75, almost a little chilly in the shade.

Now, let's get a read on the inside of your car. It is hot. You've only been parked a short time, and it's already 99 degrees in there. Let's not leave children in the back seat while running errands. It only takes a few minutes for their body temperatures to rise, and that could be fatal. Cars get hot, fast, and can be deadly. Never leave a child in a car. A message from Nitsa and the Ad Council.

Our IHeart Radio Music Festival, presented by Capital One, is coming back to Las Vegas. Vegas. September 19th and 20th. On your feet. Streaming live only on Hulu. Ladies and gentlemen. Brian Adams. Ed Sheeran.

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Sammy Hagar. Tate McCray. The offspring. Tim McRaw. Tickets are on sale now at AXXXX. dot com get your tickets today a xs.com doing how are you mad that that was received well when that's why you sent her out to say it it was the most unbelievable and it's vetted by them right right it was like and in fact and in fact the speech had been changed and they literally had

approved every word in it so I remember covering that in real time and what she's saying report and hearing that and it was like how are you mad and and that was a I was talking to what I was told was she literally was like, hey, there was something else going on. Hey, I can't wait into that right now because I got my ass kicked on the Selma speech. It was the dumbest thing in the world. I was just sitting there going, that's why you have a vice president. Yeah, I mean, there were many days, many nights where I went over to the West Wing and argued that it was in his interest to help elevate her. that it was in his interest to protect her and inoculate her,

that it was in the party and the nation's interest to position this woman, an historic figure to position this woman successfully for whatever was to come. Because the reality is when we started in the White House the first year, we walked in and the understanding between her and the staff is that you could be the president at any moment. Literally. You have to be prepared to be every vice president, but definitely her because of his age. So you're absolutely right, and she's absolutely right.

We were insanely perplexed by the fact that they didn't seem to absorb that concept. And the only thing I can attribute it to is that they had these conflicting interests, that why would I need to promote you if I'm going to be next in line, if I'm going to run for two terms? But can I just say this? I mean, I love Joe Biden, but if I want to extend this argument, I would extend it all the way through the election. I remember at certain points in the election, I'm like, where is Joe Biden?

Why isn't he in North Carolina with a mop? They had just had a storm, a horrible storm, mopping up streets. Like, why isn't he doing more to turn out the Biden voter? Because there is a specific Biden voter. And there were points at which days and weeks he was not even on the campaign trip. I think. So it raises all these. questions to her point.

24 for me was just, that whole thing, that whole peer was just so insane. Yes. And remember, we had not seen an incumbent president step aside since LBJ 1968. And his numbers were so low. People were still pissed off. It was so like, do we send them out? Do we not send them out? What do we do?

And then again, of course, her campaign manager was his campaign. manager. Well, it was also in the West Wing. General Mallee Dillet. Was also in the West Wing. Was also in the West Wing. I got no problem saying it. So if we're saying the West Wing isn't supporting here. I have no problem saying it. Saying what? Oh, I got no problems saying it. I said it before. Say what? General Mellie Diller and Anita Dunn were part

of the problem in hurting Vice President Kamala Harris. But why keep them on then? Huh? Why are they? Well, again, because again, this is where this is where the, when you talk about just the craziness of it, there's And you know this working inside of politics, whether it's for the vice president, speaking Nancy Pelosi.

There's a difference between the chief and their relationships with, let's say, a VP or another senator or another member. But it's different when staff has their own agendas. And there are different people on staff who operates differently. And the grudges, not just agendas. Right, because, and she brings it up, she wrote about, of course, when she criticized, when she criticized President Biden during, Vice President Biden, during the campaign when it came to busing. And I know from on reporting, there were people on Jill Biden staff who never got over it. Absolutely.

Never got over. Absolutely. And again, I still go back to, you know, all that BS going on because nobody thought they were going to need her in 24. But my point is you didn't have to wait to 24. You needed her every day. No, no, no. To her point, you know what I mean? And I think that's the thing they didn't accept, which was doubly insulting for me.

It wasn't just that you weren't positioning her for a presidential one. My point is you're not even leveraging her today to your advantage, efficiently, effectively, and maximizing her presence. to her point, what we tried to build the vice president up was to drive this point that she actually is the coalition builder. She can build that coalition and cultivate and foster that coalition he was going to need or she was going to need to win long term.

I mean, Politico wrote about it, how she brought in all of these groups and was meeting with them in her ceremonial office. Because he wasn't doing a lot of meetings. We designed all of that intentionally to not only build her infrastructure and develop her relationship with all these groups

or strengthen her relationship. with all these groups, but really to position him or her to win, come whatever, you know, come 2024. Yeah. So that was my real thing is like, wait, we're doing good things right now that could benefit you and that you need to be elevating, but there was a reluctancy and a hesitancy. I think it's because of the grudges, the relationship dynamics, in the conflicting interest. And the point I'm making in panel, get ready, I'm about to come to y'all, and the thing that again, it jumps out at me.

So because they were thinking, oh, he's running again, he's running again. So you essentially, you shitted on your VP, thinking, yeah, we ain't going to need her. You had people. It wasn't, no, no, no, no, I know from my report. I mean, I, I mean, I, I don't disagree. I think there's so, but no, what I say, what I say shit it on, what I mean is, because you did not think, you did not think you really needed her. You let certain things happen.

those things that happened caused her popularity and I'm not removing her responsibility from any of these no no because everybody has the role and has agency and you had 12 reporters but what I'm saying is those things also played a part in

if you were here going down here and then the problem is when you needed her when you never thought you needed her when you needed her she was starting here and now the role that you played in her being here and now she has to now fight

to come up. And so that to me, so the lesson, the lesson for leaders, not just political leaders. The lesson for leaders is none of us know what tomorrow, the next hour, the next minute holds.

And so while you may think you are number one and you got this, you also have to recognize that you do have to position for the continuity of leadership and decisions that you make today could have negative consequences tomorrow

and we saw the consequence of her losing and what we're in now and I just think I hope people learn from that that in politics don't always just take out the folk who on your side work with the people on your side because you might really, really need them a little bit later. Go ahead.

Yeah, I mean, I think I definitely agree with you. And I mean, I was in the building, and I would say that there were efforts made to support the team and to support what the team wanted to do and to support the vice president. So I think there's truth in all of this. I think she's right about 99.9% of what she's actually saying, but there were some opportunities that were created that I think she took advantage of and she knocked it out the park. But I think the interesting thing, I want to go back to challenge you on one thing. I met with the vice president's team maybe two years after I left. And I brought in CBS poll.

And we were meeting to talk about what her accomplishments were. And why they weren't sticking, right? Because like we knew her, all this stuff, they weren't sticking. I pulled out this poll and I said, look at this poll right here. Okay. Now, she's outperforming. Joe Biden among his own coalition. So at one point, she was outperforming in terms of the polls. Right. All those are base voters, everybody you need to run. So my point to the team was over index on targeting these constituencies right now.

Okay, in your own interests, over index. So, yeah, I mean, at one point the numbers did go down, but then she kicked into high gear. Well, especially, and what really flipped that was the, she writes about the Dobbs decision where she... And this was before Dobbs. Where she really... Yes, and this was actually before Dobbs,

where she... Okay, the first year was tough. Because Biden couldn't really do... He didn't really do a lot of... No, it was, the first year was tough. Second year, she starts to get her footing by the third year she's smoking. And so my point is you're already beaten

Joe Biden among his own coalition. Now, I don't know if they saw the same poll. I did, I'm sure they did. That may have caused some more friction. Who knows what you... By that third year? Yes. steal people who were going to Joe Biden and say, drop her.

Oh, no doubt. It was insane. No doubt. I think people weren't looking at the numbers and they're not political like me to understand what that actually meant. And my point to them was, you've got something you can cook with. Do you know what I mean? To quote down to result, add a little grease to it.

And this is going to hit, and this is going to hit. And that's when she started doing the college tours. Then Dobbs happened. She started traveling the country when she's going down to L.A., I mean, to Atlanta meeting with rappers and other folks. that were key in those constituencies. Even when you got the 24, the economic tour, because even then, Biden still was not out there a lot.

So once, once if we got past COVID, but she was. So there's a lot of, there was a lot of opportunity created there. You had your own pool. Joe Biden was down, right? You start. But I can tell you this here. I can definitely tell you from January to June, the absolute struggle was with that campaign.

because that was also the absolute struggles with it was in terms of her visibility it was the conversations that i was having with people uh and and and the battle that was and here's heather with the weather well it's beautiful out there sunny and 75 almost a little chilly in the shade now let's get a read on the inside of your car it is hot you've only been parked a short time and it's already 99 degrees in there let's not leave children in the seat while running errands. It only takes a few minutes for their body temperatures to rise, and that could be fatal. Cars get hot, fast, and can be deadly. Never leave a child in a car. A message from NHTSA and the Ad Council. Our I-Heart Radio Music Festival, presented by Capital One, is coming back to Las Vegas. Vegas. September 19th and 20th. On your feet. Streaming live only on Hulu.

Ladies and gentlemen. Brian Adams. Ed Shearrett. Fade. Glorilla. Jellyroll. John Fogartie, Lil Wayne, L.L. Coolj Mariah Carey Maroon 5 Sammy Hagar Tate McCray The Offsprint Tim McGraw Tickets are on sale now at AXS.com

Get your tickets today AXS.com What was happening internally in terms of trying to do exactly what you're talking about There were people forces who did not want her doing those things There were others who would say

What are you talking about? He's not moving to these ways Use her more Have her out there Talking me to it So when she did the economic tour, that was like, okay, an A-City thing was kind of there, but there were others who were really advocating for to go even harder,

and it was this tension in the campaign. So you had a campaign tension, then you still had a West Wing BP tension that made no sense to me because I'm like you. Yo, you need to win. Yeah, but it all goes back down to the same small set of people, both the West Wing and the campaign. Right, and there was an extreme.

You already named him. I mean, that... And unlike most... This was a... He had loyalist, and there was an extremely small cabala folks who were driving... No, I mean... No, I'm laughing because I've been in this business 25 years, and it's been the same small cabal of folks for 25 years.

It's been the same small making all the decisions and all the money. We're extremely small, and we're controlling everything, and we've seen all this of the stuff come out. Let me go to my panel, Rebecca. Sure. You first. Thank you so much for being on the show tonight. So two-part question, will Harris run again?

And if so, how would she need to position herself to be successful through a very fraught and raucous Democratic Party primary? Yeah, I mean, I don't know the answer to that. I don't think anyone knows it. Oops, excuse me, I'm sorry, I thought it was here. Forgive me. I don't know. All right, we got you.

Okay, we got you. Okay, sorry. Forgive me, forgive me. That used to be the old camera. Go right here. I don't think anyone knows the answer if she's going to run again. I think it gets back to what Roland said,

whether or not it's a two-part book deal. I think if you ask me, based on this particular book, does this suggest she's going to run again? My answer would be no. I don't, there's nothing, but also I don't know what I don't know about what's in the book. What I'm hearing from her team is that she's going to get into a lot of the details

of the actual campaign, but really close. out with the way forward. And so that's what I'm most curious about is how she sort of characterizes and describe, how do we move forward as a party, as a people, and as a nation. And then to me, that'll be some indication whether or not she's actually going to run. Oh, and then in terms of- Sorry, you're two parts. Yeah.

Then in terms of positioning herself, I mean, I think the most important points, the most important, what matters most with her has always been the same, which is having validators out there talking about what she actually has done. And I would love to see her she does, but own it even more. Like, lean into what made her an exceptional

leader in this particular book. Right. You get a second part. Yeah, no, I think I addressed it. You got both Rebecca? Yep, she did. Thank you. Tyler, go right ahead. Yeah, thank you for joining. I had the honor

of being a youth director at the DNC, and got a chance to travel the country with the vice president. And I first hand saw the incredible energy that young people had who wanted to volunteer and get involved, but many didn't know, as we are hearing the behind-the-scenes dynamics that shaped the decision-making and the strategy. What do you wish the public could better, like, understand these internal dynamics that I think, you know, influence the outcome. And also, do you think this sets a blueprint for future vice presidents that may transition, you know, midway through during campaigns? Yeah, I mean, I think that one of the biggest takeaways for me is this issue, this word that I mentioned earlier, which is agency, that, you know, I think Shirley Chisholm said it best, you've got to bring your own folding chair to the table. You know, any particular leader, but especially black leaders and especially black women, can't afford to be subjected to or maybe a better way of characterizing it is being beholden to someone else's vision for themselves. You know, there was a lot and a lot of opportunity that was created for the vice president.

And I think, you know, I would have, my advice to any leader going forward is when the door is cracked, you kick it all the way open. That you don't wait for someone to give you permission, to allow you to give you an assignment, to advocate for you. As much as you can, you've got to do it yourself. And I think that's my top takeaway for future leaders. What was the second part of your question? I'm sorry. Yeah, my second part would be, you know, the future vice president that made experience the same thing. Yeah, I mean, I, I mean, honestly, I think she established an incredible blueprint, you know, I think it started slow because we were in the middle of COVID, but once she got her sea legs, you know, we were sort of out of spring training.

She was out of spring training, and then she hit the, hit the ground running fast and hard. But I will say, I just don't think there's a blueprint. No, can I just say there, there is one? Well, I'm saying a blueprint is also based upon the president and what that person also allows for you to do. So my argument, I'm glad you said that, my argument was always internally to the VP's team. He's not going to tell you no.

Why would he ever tell the first woman and the first black person in that position no to anything you wanted? Hold on, wait. Push hard enough. If he says no, but you ask for so, you've gone so hard. Wait, what?

Don't look, damn, I don't let you do this, this, this, here. No to that. Okay. So the challenge for the leader is to know, if we're talking about blueprints, know what you want. So you can go and advocate for it. And if you don't get what you want, which this wouldn't have happened in this particular situation, you've got an outside infrastructure that can push the White House to get you what you want. Can I just say one other thing?

Because there is some other thing about a blueprint. What I saw Joe Biden do, and I just talked about this early. And maybe it's sort of the white man in him and that perfect. Leger comes along with that, but there were several times where he got ahead of the president. There were several times when he went to the president and said, this is what I want to do. I mean, before he, I mean, I don't know that the story is even told, but before he was, before the inauguration in 2009, he went to the president and said, I want the recovery act. Now, let me tell you how genius that was.

You know what that means? I'm only going to get likely, you're only going to get one bill passed, likely, you know, worst case scenario. That was going to be the first one. why would he choose that one? Because that would enable him to go all around the country, write checks, purple states, blue states, districts, establish his own infrastructure.

So he was thinking long term about his own future. Now we also know that he asked for a lot, Obama let him do some stuff, and then Harry Reid was like, man, get his ass out of here. He missed my negotiations. So that was going to be doing. And then he became marginalized. But he never stopped knocking on.

But here's the thing that I also... And he did the vice president. But here's the other thing that I think, and again, this is why I disagree with this notion of a blueprint. The difference with Biden. First you're talking about a person who was a creature of the United States Senate who had extensive Capitol Hill relations, who had extensive foreign relations, serving as a chair that's in the Foreign Relations Committee.

One of the reasons he was picked, served on the committee with Obama. And so he brought, frankly, kept to the position. She comes as vice president, gets elected 16, all of it. So basically you're in the Senate three years before that attorney general. So now I think-

I mean, and she's worked at every level of government. No, no, no, no, no, I understand every level of government. But there is a difference between being a DA and AG in California. being a three-year United States Senator in serving as vice president, compare, let me just, let me just walk through, compared to what he brought to the table. Sure. And I think.

And here's Heather with the weather. Well, it's beautiful out there, sunny and 75, almost a little chilly in the shade. Now, let's get a read on the inside of your car. It is hot. You've only been parked a short time, and it's already 99 degrees in there. Let's not leave children in the back seat while running errands. It only takes a few minutes for their body temperatures to rise, and that could be fatal. Cars get hot, fast, and can be deadly.

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Cool J. Mariah Carey Maroon 5 Sammy Hagar Tate McCrae The Offspring Tim McGraw Tickets are on sale now at AXS.com

Get your tickets today AXS.com When she talks about staff Not working at that level It also applies to her Because that also was A whole different animal Than she ever experienced

And I only know this just from personal conversations. She had to get her footing. Sure. And it was like, and one of the criticisms of the vice president, and if I said across from her at dinner, well, actually I did say it, is that she often was so, so careful,

so meticulous that it contributed to problems. her best two speeches as vice president were actually at two funerals first was in Buffalo second was Tyree Nichols even though Nichols was scripted the Buffalo one wasn't because there was no script there was no speech

there was nothing Sharpton called her up to make some comments and I saw her no notes no nothing fire just speak all the top and the passion, the energy, the compassion, all of that with it. I think one of her weaknesses is being so

that what it does is... Risk averse to say that. It constricts you from being you. If I go to the campaign, forget all the rallies. It was when she went, when she had the rally, there was a rally at the hangar at the Detroit airport, but it was the speech she gave at the year. Union Hall and I kept saying y'all need to unleash that Harris and so I think for her just like

anybody else that first couple of years she had to gain footing with what that was unlike unlike a Biden who because he had operated in that power circle for so long hell he just to your point he just rose in and say hey so let me this is what I want to do let me interrupt you before I forget my point but I think as we talk about blueprints, one thing that you have to understand going into that building, not just the vice president or the president, even me

as a staffer, you have to understand your own power. So Joe Biden's power is, I know my way around the Senate, I know policy, I know for him, but, blah, blah, but I got relationships, etc. Her powers, you had 94% of black women behind you.

You had, you know, that whole coalition that we cultivated for her that was behind her. So I think when you come into the room, and you have to understand your history maker, I dare somebody. You know, I don't know if I can curse, but I wish a motherfucker would kind of an attitude.

Exactly. So my point is that the key is you have to always understand what am I working with. Why am I in this particular room? And so if you can understand that, then that informs your entire strategy. Rebecca, do you have a question before you go? Okay, Rebecca's gone.

Zach, we had to leave earlier as well. Last point here. I really hope, I really hope, first of all, as Tyler asked earlier, yeah, we don't know what she's going to do. She's already made the decision she wasn't going to run for a governor of California. I never believed that she was going to run for governor of California. When people were asking me, I was like, gosh, y'all don't understand. You don't understand the personal toll of losing.

A personal toll of even being in office. Right, no, no, I mean, that's exhausting. She's been doing it since she was 30. What I mean is, but being, I get all of that, but I'm talking about literally being on the cusp of being president of the United States, first woman president of the United States. but also losing to someone who's evil. And so I remember having conversations

with people close to her and others like guys, I don't think for a second, I see it because you literally have to process, it's grief. People, I saw the stories how she was in tears that night. I'm like, y'all don't understand. Losing is not simple. Being on the cusp is not simple.

you have to take some time. I just felt that trying to step into a governor's race was way too soon. That's just a losing job to it. You can't really win as a governor. To position yourself to be president.

I mean, that's a challenging thing in California. In other states in California. We're talking about California. But the other piece is that if your intention was not to, if your attention was not to run for president one day.

Also making history the first black female governor is also his story but also California is the fourth artist's economy and there's a perch by which you can still be part of the national conversation. But the point I'm making here is I still believe

there is a tremendous role that she can play. Absolutely. I believe that there's a wide open space. I look at what's happening right now. Sure, Obama created this re-mandering, redistricting thing with Eric Holder afterwards.

But I still think that what is missing right now is someone of a national stature who can speak to those coalitions. I look at Texas, what do we say about our native Texas? The reality is, it's not, it is Ruby Red, it's simply an unorganized and disorganized. You got 81 Democratic county parties with 254 counties.

But also, too, the party just goes in and rapes them of all their money and doesn't reinvest it in the state. That's what I was just about to make. What I was about to make there is, it would be helpful to have someone of that stature who will say, no, we're going to go in and we're going to raise $8, $10, $12, $15 million

and with a number, and let's target 8, 10 house seats to break their super majority. Let's really try to have a competitive United States Senate race and still there. So the role is still there for her to play. She said on Stephen Colbert in terms of the role that she wants to play. So I do look forward to during this book tour

and after this book tour, knowing what that is, even if it's not running for president in 2028, because I still believe it is going to be exponentially harder for her more than anybody else because she's going to have to address every single day how to raise $1.5 billion and lose. And then the people who are still pissed off, and all the other questions that come with that.

And the other thing is this here. we know how politics is worse people are going to be looking for a fresh voice fresh face then the question is they're like we're trying to go back so they already are yeah i can't wait to her people hit me the other day they said hey we want to see you in the book before it drops and so i can't wait to read it can't wait for your interview too huh i can't wait for your interview with her too uh yes trust i've already had that conversation and i know you have with some folks as well of course like um gonna be sitting out with rolling so we'll see how that happens. But I really

do want people to read this expert, to read the book to really understand that they may love to West Wing, they mean love scandal, they mean love any of those political shows I watch, but ain't nothing like the real thing. Yeah, I mean

and I hope that, and I'm hearing from her team that she will, that it gets into some really constructive, productive points. Because she was in a unique position as the first woman and the first black woman. And as a woman a black woman that's trying to navigate the world and dealing with a lot of challenges that she's dealing with, I think she has an incredible opportunity to really get into some of those conversations that we've never

elevated nationally. What does it mean to be the first in that particular role with that much power, that much pressure, and that much sort of adversity? How did you overcome that? And that's what I would love to see her talk about on the tour, because that's something that we can all take away, not just me but my daughter and the next generation on how we can all show up bigger, better, and more effectively in our roles. And here's Heather with the weather. Well, it's beautiful out there, sunny and 75, almost a little chilly in the shade. Now, let's get a read on the inside of your car.

It is hot. You've only been parked a short time, and it's already 99 degrees in there. Let's not leave children in the back seat while running errands. It only takes a few minutes for their body temperatures to rise, and that could be fatal. Cars get hot, fast, and can be deadly. Never leave a child in a car. A message from Nitsa and the Ad Council.

Our IHeart Radio Music Festival Presented by Capital One is coming back to Las Vegas. Vegas. September 19th and 20th. On your feet. Streaming live only on Hulu. Ladies and gentlemen. Brian Adams. Ed Shearin. Fade. Chlorilla. Jellyroll.

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AXS.com. And in the world. The last point I'll make here for the people who are watching and listening, why they need to understand also why black on media matters. It used to really piss me off to listen to people, bitch and moan, radio show host, podcast. writers, commentators, but how she wasn't interfacing with black leadership. It used to piss me off because I said, y'all don't know how to check a Twitter feed.

The reality is, and I ain't got no, she had way more meetings and discussions with black leadership. And when I say black leadership, she expanded the access of black leadership, even more than Obama did. I think our first meeting was a black with a black chamber of commerce. Right. But what I'm talking about, what I'm talking. So it was broadening out with that leadership. We're not talking just civil rights leaders. Sure.

That's what I'm talking about. Absolutely. I need people to understand it was, yes, chambers of commerce. Yes, it was D-9. Yes, it was so broad. The problem was, and the point I'm getting to that, I think people to understand. The reason black on media is so important

is because so much of that stuff, no one knew. Because black on media is not in a position to be able to pay multiple White House correspondents or congressional correspondents. Or to get on Air Force, too, right? Or to actually be on Air Force Two and be a part of the pool. And so there was, because even when she traveled,

there were people she would meet with. I remember when she went to Detroit, they asked me to go be a part of the pool, and I hate being a part of the pool. I just despise being a part of the pool. I just hate it because of the constriction. And I remember when she finished speaking, they rushed us out, and we're in the van,

and then she's meeting with a group of African Americans in there. And I'm telling her staff, why the fuck are we sitting out here in the van? I'm like, don't you know, What is the campaign going? Yeah. You want folks to know that is happening. And so it was, okay, damn, you're right, you're right, you're right, okay, you're right.

And that was a thing that I kept trying to get them to understand what you have to show, what you have to say. But I need our people to understand there are so many things that we don't know what's happening because white media ain't telling us. They ain't covering it. And that's, and so why we need people to support black-owned media is because by having our folks in those places, we can tell those stories in real time and not when a book comes out three, four, five years later. And so, and then if more of us were aware of those conversations,

I think we wouldn't have had a lot of the BS that was being thrown out there, what she wasn't doing, we don't see her, and all sort of stuff along those lines. Can I just, can I, can I close on one, no, too? I don't, I think black own media is critically important, not just for a black member for all members, for our community to have access to all of these people and what they're doing. But can I also add that black staff with authority is insanely essential

in these places? And so we as a black collective should be advocating for asking questions about who the hell looks like me that's at the table, that has budget authority, that can go in and tell the president's team stand down, we're not doing that,

that can tell the vice president or any of these elected officials, what's happening behind their back, protect their own interests. So that is critically important, and it's not just at the White House, it's at the Capitol as well. That's very important. And many of these, many members that look like us don't have those folks around them. More importantly, they're not also at the table advocating for going in, let's just pick it. Because there's some black folks who they do hire who do not advocate for us.

No. I mean, it's intentional to some degree. It's insanely intentional. But the point two is, even if you're at the table, I need to know that you've got budget authority. Y'all people are hilarious. We need to see her shoes. I need to stop.

I don't know what the hell is people to be talking about. Do you know how many times I get that? First of all, they don't understand. I see everything. Okay. And tell them what they look like. I actually see the shit. Y'all, they black.

Calm down. See, they don't realize I'll monitor the chat while things happening. So the book is 107 days. y'all, Vice President Kamala Harris, can't wait to a drop again. They're going to be sending me a copy. Yes, I will read it, because it's some other political books.

I got them on the shelf. I ain't read them because I didn't give a damn. Ashley, Etienne, we appreciate it. Thanks a bunch before to having you back. And what little high school you went to in Houston? Clear Lake High School, what you mean? Is there any other, is there any other Jack Yates? Is there any other Jack Yates?

Is there any other Jack Yates? No, y'all, y'all co-ops. Did us because we got NASA. Y'all would let us not be in Houston. And they're broke. So y'all, y'all need that tax base. But yes, yours truly went to the Jack Gates High School. Everybody know that.

Good to see you, fellow Houston. Everybody know that. Hello, I'm Isaac Hayes III, founder and CEO fan base. And I'm here with a very important message. We are at a turning point in the black community where we must have equity in the apps we use that scale to billions of dollars. But this time, we own the infrastructure. We own the culture, and we shape the future. And fanbase is the future. Fanbase combines the free functionality of Instagram,

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lives, our stories matter, and where our culture drives the world. Thank you. And here's Heather with the weather. Well, it's beautiful out there, sunny and 75, almost a little chilly in the shade. Now, let's get a read on the inside of your car. It is hot. You've only been parked a short time, and it's already 99 degrees in there. Let's not leave children in the back seat while running errands. It only takes a few minutes for their body temperatures to rise, and that could be fatal. Cars get hot, fast, and can be deadly.

Never leave a child in a car. A message from Nitsa and the Ad Council. Our IHeart Radio Music Festival, presented by Capital One, is coming back to Las Vegas. Vegas. September 19th and 20th. On your feet. Streaming live only on Hulu.

Ladies and gentlemen. Brian Adams. Ed Sheeran. Fade. Cholrilla. Jelly Roll. John Fogarty. Lil Wayne, L.L. Cool J. Mariah Carey, Maroon 5, Sammy Hagar, Tate McCray, The Offspring, Tim McRaw.

Tickets are on sale now at AXS.com. Get your tickets today. AXS.com. This is an I-Heart podcast.