The Breakfast Club - A Charlamagne Tha God Conversation with Former VP Kamala Harris Pt. 2

Episode Date: October 21, 2025

During the Birmingham stop of her nationwide book tour, Vice President Kamala Harris sits down with Charlamagne tha God to discuss her book '107 Days,', sharing insights into her experiences on election night, personal challenges, and reflections on critical issues facing the nation. Kamala discusses topics from grieving the past election to the impact of misinformation and the role of young voters. She also addresses misconceptions about her public persona, the importance of staying hopeful, and the future of American democracy. Don't miss this deep and heartfelt discussion.YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BreakfastClubPower1051FMSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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And listen now. Birmingham, get about your seats. Come on, get about your seats. And make some noise for our fellow vice president, Ms. Kamala Harris. Good evening. Good evening, everyone. Charlemagne, thank you. How are you?

Here we go again. Okay. We are here. How many people have read the book 107 days? Fantastic greed, fantastic greed. What's a part of those 107 days you still can't talk about even now?

Because there's two days missing from the book. I think it's the 11th and the 12th of October. Oh, that's interesting. You counted. In all seriousness, probably the most difficult, in fact, the most difficult chapter to write was about election night. So the night before the election, Doug and I and the kids and my grand nieces and we all, we were in Philly and did a big rally there. like 30,000 people. We were on the rocky steps.

And then we flew back to D.C., got there past midnight on Election Day. And then the next morning, Doug and my brother-in-law, Tony, went to go campaign in Michigan. And I did a bunch of stuff in D.C. And it was not until I was writing the book. that Doug told me about what he experienced on election day and night. Because, you know, in writing the book, I'm recreating and just remembering the 107 days, and I would, from time to time, in writing the book, check in, right? So this is what I experienced on that day.

What did you experience? And so when I sat down and write that chapter, Doug and I sat down, and it was Charlemagne, it was the first time he and I had talked about election night. You know, there are moments where you experience something that's so heavy and traumatic that it takes a minute to be able to talk about it. And so we hadn't. And so it wasn't until the writing of the book that I learned what happened during Doug's Day on Election Day, which is he and Tony, my brother-in-law, went to Michigan.

It felt good on the ground. People on the ground were like, this is good. winning. And then on their way back to D.C., they got a call from a friend of ours who's a Democrat who speaks on Fox News. And this friend called to say, he was in the war room, in the boiler room at Fox News, and said to them, what are you all hearing? Because I'm concerned about what I'm hearing. And that caused, as you can imagine, Doug and Tony to be very concerned. So when Doug came back to the house in D.C., and the house was at that point full of family, because every election that I've run, on election night, we do with friends and family, small

dinner before we go to the election campaign headquarters. So I was busy doing all that. I could tell something was a little off, but I was preoccupied. What I learned in writing the book is Doug went straight up the stairs, went to the shower, and prayed. And it was really interesting. because then we talked about the night, and I said, honey, you remember when I stood up and gave a toast to our family

to thank them for all they gave and sacrificed? And he was like, you didn't stand up and give a toast. He was so that evening overwhelmed almost by what he had heard that that was the only thing on his mind, but he didn't want to tell me because he really just prayed it wouldn't be right and true. And so then we learned about the outcome of the election. And I will tell you, the only thing I could say over and over again, I had no other words, was my God, my God, my God.

And that night, and for quite some time, I had not felt an emotion like I felt since my mother died. And it was, I was grieving for our country because I knew what was going to happen. I knew what was going to happen. And to write that chapter resurfaced all of those feelings and memories in a way that was very difficult, but it was important to tell. How did you get over that grief? I mean, it hasn't even been a year yet.

Yeah, it was, well, writing the book was part of the process of reflection. And, you know, I mean, even the day after. the election. So we had planned that on election night, we would be giving a victory speech. I had my alma mater at Howard University. And, you know, and of course, that was not to be. And so we asked people that night to come back the following day, and I went back the following day to give a speech. That was my concession speech. In writing the speech, I was trying to figure out how to reconcile that at almost every rally, I would end the rally by saying, when we fight, we win.

Because that is what I believe and know to be true. It is a lived experience. But I needed to figure out how to reconcile that with the outcome of that election. And to hopefully give the thousands of people who turned up the next day, something that would not allow them to feel defeated. And it was actually in the car on the way to Howard that I then wrote into the speech to reconcile that because it wasn't as simple as, oh, you win some, you lose some, right?

And so that's when I wrote in the speech that sometimes the fight takes a while. Sometimes the fight takes a while. And to leave people with that sense of it. And that's how I felt after the election. Part of it in dealing with my grief was, look, we got it. It's not just about one moment. It's that the fight is an ongoing fight.

You know, I used to always quote Kretta Scott King, who would say the fight for civil rights must be fought in one with each generation. This is the nature of it. And after we left D.C. after the inauguration on January 20th, We went back to L.A. and I literally and figuratively unpacked boxes and went through a lot of reflection in a way I hadn't allowed myself in those 107 days. I'm very task-oriented, but I allowed myself the reflection. And, you know, sometimes for anyone who has dealt with, well, we're all dealing with, aren't we? I mean, how you doing? Right, right, right. You know, so we, we, in many different ways, we've all been processing it, right?

And part of the reason I wrote the book... You hit that side? They're like, he's still processing it. They're grieving right now. No, but that's, but part of, but part of the reason I, one of the reasons I wrote the book also is to remind us of what we felt during those 107 days because there was an incredible

optimism and a feeling about the potential of our country and dare I say joy, dare I say joy, right? That was because of you though. But no, it's because... No, it was because of you.

That campaign was dead before you. Okay, but here's the thing. Here's the thing. The joy and the feeling that people had. It was, it's inside of you. It's inside of you. And part of the reason

that I wrote the book is to hopefully remind us that that is inside of us and we cannot let anyone election or individual our circumstance extinguish that light. We have that light. Right?

And we have to see it in each other and in particular in moments of darkness, it is that light and shining the light then on the path in a moment of darkness, toward what we know is right and just. And hopefully, you know, we've all had some time however we needed to take it to process, to grieve, to feel the anger, the righteous anger,

the sadness, the depression, all of that. We cannot allow that individual in the White House or the people around him or this circumstance in any way dampen our sense of what is possible and what we believe in our country. Our spirit cannot be defeated if we don't let them. So. That's right.

What's the biggest, about you that you stopped trying to correct? I don't know. Tell me. I mean, I think there's a lot of misconceptions just because, you know, and you've spoken about this, people who didn't really know you, right? And 107 days isn't enough time to really get to know it for us. We needed more time.

Yeah, I think people are getting them know you more now on these book tours than they did, you know, while you was campaigning. I think we definitely needed more time. There's no question about that. I mean, for a number of reasons, including one of the issues that I think was probably the most important issue for people who voted in the election was bringing down prices. And I really had and ran on exactly that point, but didn't, you know, the people in marketing say you need to hear the same thing three times for it really to sink in. And that's about time, right, and having the ability to do that.

And for example, one of the things that we started to see was really people were starting to hear and know about my priorities. An example was what I intended to do, which is to have Medicare cover home health care, which is a big issue for so many people. And it's an issue that was personal to me. I took care of my mother when she was sick, when she was dying. cancer. And there are so many people, especially in the sandwich generation right now, as we call it, people who are right in the middle, who are raising their young children and taking care of their elderly parents and relatives, who are just trying to make it all work and having Medicare cover home health care so they don't have to go bankrupt or quit their job

and not be able to have the dignity that everyone in that household deserves. Well, it's, it's, It was starting to take hold, but we didn't really have enough time for enough people to know that's part of what I stand for. The issue of affordable housing is one of the biggest challenges in our country and has been for a long time, including one going after corporate landlords, which is part of my agenda, a $25,000 down payment assistance for first-time home buyers, part of the agenda. Taking on price gouging was part of the agenda, right? And, but it, it took time. And, um, and that's just a reality of the challenges of, of this, which is, it was unprecedented in so many ways that election. Because think about it. A president of the

United States is running for reelection. Three and a half months before the election decided not to run. The sitting vice president takes up the mantle against the former president of the United States who had been running for 10 years with

107 days to go. Lord have mercy. But the other point that must be made just for the point of clarity for this person in the White House, it was the closest presidential election in the 21st century.

He does not have a mandate. He does not have a mandate. He keeps disputing that, by the way. Every time you say that, he says, that's not true. I don't know why he saw it hell been on saying that's not true. On perpetuating lines?

Yeah. No, and in his I mean, it's a fact. It's just a fact. I want to stick to the money of it all, you know, and we talk about this every time we're together, but it's true, and I want people to understand this. the economy does better when they're the Democrat in the White House.

That's right. Like that is just a statistical fact. That's right. You know? I mean, he's been in eight months and people is broke right now. That's right. But why doesn't that stick? Why don't Democrats, why aren't they known as the party that gets the economy boom?

I think that we need to keep working on making sure that people understand we prioritize their immediate needs. and that is an ongoing challenge. And it is about the fact that we stand for, I mean, everything that I ran on, we stand for extension of the child tax credit. We stand for affordable child care for paid leave. And these are the issues that are the immediate issues that people need to have addressed.

I have talked about the fact that, you know, one of the reasons that I ran on those issues and it was a priority for me is because I realized, that over the four years that we were in the White House, I think we really should have considered putting those issues before infrastructure and the Chips Act.

And those are both important things. We need to upgrade America's infrastructure. It created jobs. Chips Act. America needs to be a leader on this technology and now outsourcing it to our adversaries. But dealing with the immediate needs of the people has to be our first priority because folks in our country

right now are trying to get through the week, much less the month. And I feel strongly that we have to really be grounded in that while we also see what's coming. You talk in the book a lot about how perception can eclipse truth, right? Do you think we'll ever get back to where truth will solely matter? truth matters but the one of the issues that has kept me up at night for a long time and before the election during the election and now is the rampant amount of miss and disinformation and I will tell you it is you know when I was in the United States Senate I was a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee and we investigated Russia's interference in the 2016 election

and we declassified a lot of that investigation to make it public. And one of the things that we saw in our investigation was that this adversarial nation targeted vulnerable communities with mis and disinformation, in particular targeted the black community and brown communities, with an understanding that there are certain communities that have a learned experience in a history of distrusting the system and government and will be then a prime target

for those who are trying to create discord and division and distrust. And the issue of misinformation is not new. It is centuries old, maybe through flyers and other means, but it is centuries old. But normally to have an impact, it would have to be nation states engaged

because of the resources required to have a lot of people here the same thing. over and over again. Because of technology, the bar to entry in terms of sending out information that hits a lot of people is much lower. The positive side of that is that there is also we've democratized information, right? Anybody if you have a good message can get it out and you don't have to have it filtered through some powerful source. And anybody who's got a bad message, if it's crafted the right way to tweak the right emotions

will get to a lot of people and don't discount how foreign governments will then manipulate that and how bad actors will manipulate that with bots to make it flow through a lot of people to manipulate their perspective on reality and truth. How come Democrats can't get a foreign government

to help them? You've got to cheat back sometimes. Well, because we believe in the power of the American people to express their power and their vote and their voice. And I certainly do. And I believe that one of our greatest challenges is this issue of mis and disinformation and that it will be the power of the people

as much as anything else that will have the capacity to counteract that. Because let me just tell you to be very candid, I don't see, for example, the abuse of technology being curbed by the technology industry itself. There are some actors within it that will do good work,

but you've seen how they're dismissing and getting rid of in their companies and corporations the people who are supposed to be responsible for tracking mis and disinformation. I do worry and am concerned that Congress right now, for sure, will not be the place that is going to put guardrails in to curb the aspects of technology that create harm. So then one has to ask, if it's not going to come from the industry, if it's not going to come from the legislators on high, where else could it come from? Here's what I posit to you, the people.

Because as much as anything else, we are also consumers. And the voice of the consumer to demand what they expect and want from an industry can be very powerful when we put it into play. Yeah, we just saw that. Very powerful. And so part of that is about helping people understand how fact is being manipulated. It is so we know who to ask and what to ask, and not just ask, but demand better in terms of, you know, these huge companies and corporations pushing through their mechanisms so much that is just patently, obviously not true or factual. You've been in politics a long time.

Why are these, you know, major corporations and these institutions just bend in the knee to the current president? So, as you and I have talked about before, I did predict almost everything that has happened. That of the fact. But I did not predict the capitulation. Titans of Industry bending the knee at the foot of a tyrant. Fecliss. I used the FECD. Fecliss.

And here's, as we have discussed, you know, I said it on the debate stage. The man in the White House, he loves flattery in favor. So for those titans of industry who want to have their merger approved or avoid an investigation or just be close to power, we are seeing whether it be saying that the man should get the Nobel Prize, Peace Prize, to just being silent. And part of the dynamic that is at play that we have to see is part of the game they're playing is to basically suggest,

and it's about scapegoating and just gaslighting, to suggest to the American people that your predicament is because of the people who are relatively power, less instead of to distract you from focusing on the people who are powerful, right? They're essentially saying to people, you have less because of people who have even less than you. That's part of what's going on right now. And we have to see through it in a way that we understand where the real responsibility

lays, whether it be among members of Congress, and I do not absolve elected Republicans from their responsibility. I served in the Senate, and I know that a lot of them know what this is and that it's wrong. I know they know it. And they're not saying anything because they want to be close to power or preserve their and preserve wearing that pin on their lapel and having a bunch of interns follow them around. Instead of speaking truth with clarity and conviction.

And then you see, the ones who have done it or are prepared to do it are deciding not to run for re-election. So, you know, there's a lot of, there's a lot of cowardice. that we are witnessing. I'm Ibel Angoria. And I'm Maite Gomes Rajan. And on our podcast, Hungry for History, we mix two of our favorite things, food and history.

Ancient Athenians used to scratch names onto oyster shells, and they called these Ostercon, to vote politicians into exile. So our word ostracize is related to the word oyster. No. Bring back the OsterCon. And because we've got a very My Casa is Su Casa kind of vibe on our show,

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It blows me away how progressive Mexico was in this moment. They had land reform, they had labor rights, they had education rights, Mustard seeds were so valuable to the ancient Egyptians that they used to place them in their tombs for the afterlife. Listen to Hungry for History as part of the My Cultura Podcast Network, available on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Hunter, host of Hunting for Answers on the Black Effect Podcast Network.

Join me every weekday as I share bite-sized stories of missing and murdered black women and girls in America. There are several ways we can all do better at protecting black women. women. My contribution is shining a light on our missing sisters and amplifying their disregarded stories. Stories like Tamika Anderson. As she drove toward Galvez, she was in contact with several people, talking on the phone as she made her way to what should have been a routine transaction. But Tamika never bought the car, and she never returned home that day. One podcast, one mission, save our girls.

Join the search as we explore the chilling cases of missing and murdered black women and girls. Listen to hunting for answers every weekday on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up everybody? This is snacks from the TrapMur's podcast, and we're bringing you the horror every week all October long. Kicking off this month, I'll be bringing you all my.

My greatest fear-inducing horror games from Resident Evil to Silent Hill, me and Tony bringing back by our team on Left for Dead 2. And we're just going to be going over some of the greats. Also in October, we'll be talking about our favorite horror and Halloween movie and figure out why black people always got to die further. The Umbro Reliquary invites any and all fooling, brave enough, to peruse its many curiosities. But take heed, all sales are final. Weekly horror side quest written and narrated by yours truly

With a full episode read and a commentary special And we will cap it off with horror movie battle royale Jason versus Freddie Michael Myers versus the 80th thing with the little tongue muster October we're doing it Halloween style Listen to the Trave Nerds podcast from the Black Effect Podcast Network On the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast Think back to the early 2000s

You're flipping through TV channels and then you hear this I was rooting for you. We were all rooting for you. How dare you! Learn something from this! But looking back 20 years later, that iconic show so many of us loved, is horrified.

Robin, first of all, is too old to be starting a model. She's huge. I talked to cast, crew, and producers who were there for some of the show's most shocking moments. If you were so rooting for her, what did you help her?

With never before her, interviews. The Curse of America's Next Top Model examines why this show was so popular and where it all went wrong. We basically sold our souls and they got rich. Listen to the curse of America's Next Top Model on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. How hard is it for you to not get on Twitter three times a week and just post? I was right about everything. I think you should do that. You said, no, seriously, because you said it takes three times

for messaging to connect with people. I think you need to keep telling people that over and over and over. Or at least I told you so. That's less characters. It's just not my style. But part of what I have reflected on, though, is that not only is it about what we predicted

and so many of us did, about what this would be, but also let's reflect on the fact that this thing did not just happen overnight. And that this, what we are witnessing, though it feels chaotic, is actually a high-velocity event that is about the swift implementation

of a plan that has been decades in the making. And so one, I would recommend that, you know, for those of us who are Democrats, that we not be so fixated on one individual that we lose sight of what is, what facilitated and surrounds that one individual. And two, that we understand the Federalist Society Heritage Foundation,

this, Project 2025 did not fall out of thin air. It was, it is the culmination of decades of work going after the Department of Education and public education did not just happen overnight. That has been part of an agenda for a very long time. And then, you know, if you look at how we got here in terms of the path toward encouraging somebody like the current president, you know,

I just think about, I see it as kind of a combination of the celebrity of Ronald Reagan, the base level of discourse from, Newt Gingrich, the nativism from Pat Buchanan, all into one, right? This didn't just happen overnight, and part of what I hope in our reflection of the 107 days is to reflect on the years leading up to those days so that we can have a clarity about where we are now and what the challenges are and what our mission. That's why I think 107 days is so important, you know, because you are questioning everything that, you know, went wrong over those 107 days, and I think it'll help Democrats in the future.

But when I think about that, like, what went wrong over these past decades that Republicans were even able to implement something like Project 2025 and executed? Well, look, I mean, here, right here in Alabama, we can look in this region of our country, the gerrymandering, the taking over. of state houses. It's been, it's very, it's been very methodical, right? Which is start local, start statewide, and then guess who you're going to be sent into Congress? I mean, think about this, we all know this, three co-equal branches of government. The Congress is supposed to be a stopgap on the excesses and abuses of the executive.

So how about this example? the executive branch, through this president and his secretary of education and others, trying to get rid of the Department of Education. Well, constitutionally, not allowed to do that without Congress. But these feckless so-and-so's. You know she curse crazy, right?

Mofos. Y'all don't know. She talks crazy. I just know how to pronounce words. correctly. I'm glad you have optimism. I have optimism as well, but, you know, I was looking at, like,

if they're not so Supreme Court, you know, guts the Voting Rights Act, I was looking at what the redistricting map would look like for the South. It's like, how do you have optimism when they're doing things like that? It is. The optimism is about knowing what we fight for.

The optimism is about we cannot afford to give up. The optimism is about we cannot afford, nor will we be passive, right? That is the optimism. The optimism is about our spirit will not be defeated. The optimism is about the powers with the people, and we are not allowing anyone to take our power from us. that is where I derive my optimism

knowing that it's part of the nature and our culture as Americans that we are up for a good fight when the things that we hold dear are on the line and back to your point about the South it is here I mean you all in Birmingham are the you are the standing

in the legacy you are the legacy of the people who fought for our nation to have a conscience around notions of equality and fairness and justice and civil rights which benefit everyone. Lord of her. I don't want to fight that hard, but I guess we ain't got no choice. We have to. We have to.

It is, listen, There is nothing that you can take for granted if you are not vigilant. That's true. And look, we're here for real talk. Look, it may get worse before it gets better, okay? It may get worse before it gets better. And I hope in these nine months, I pray that we have all found a way to the extent necessary, to heal, to revive, to have a moment of rest.

to have a moment of reflection, and then to get back out there. Tomorrow's no King's Day, right? Right? Take it to the streets in peaceful protest. The midterms are coming up. We have elections. You know, people have asked me,

I just did an interview earlier, and the report asked me, well, do you, what is your role? I said, well, I'm a leader of the Democratic Party. I am a leader. And my intention is that we win, that we win. And it's about elections, it's about winning in terms of fighting for the principles behind our Constitution, the integrity of our nation and our values.

Like, we have to know we are winners and know that we fight like winners because we know what we stand for. so we know what to fight for. That's what this moment is right now. Are you going to take time to enjoy yourself on your upcoming birthday? Oh, yeah. You know, I write about... It's like next week, right, man?

If my birthday's coming up. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Doug knows that this time, right? Because I know in the book, he kind of forgot last year. Yeah, so I tell a story about I love my husband so much. I love my husband so much. I love my doggy so much. much. But, yeah, that was not a good birthday last year.

You got triggered just now, just thinking about it. Okay, what happened was, so what had happened was this? So, my birthday is just days before the 11th. My birthday is October 20th. So, so, so, so, so anyway, we were, as you can imagine, knee, knee deep in the campaign. And Doug and I, Doug my husband and I, we had basically, you know, like so many of our family, so we had, you know, split up to everybody being somewhere that we needed to be. And our teams had conspired so lovingly that he and I would end up in the same place

the night of my birthday. Yeah. So, you're going to ask me, did Doug plan a dinner? No, I read the book. I know he didn't. He didn't. So then it came time for the birthday gift. I opened the gift. Like I told you, my birthday is October 20th.

the gift was a necklace that was engraved it was not October 20th it was the date of our anniversary because Doug clearly thought he was going to get a two-fer with that one gift I need you to do better this year Doug okay poor thing he had and he was so

And it was leading up to the World Series. And so we had, we had dinner, which I selected. And we had a little cupcake, and I blew out the candle, and I was done. And so I went to go take a bath because actually during the campaign, and I highly suggested for anybody who has a bathtub that it is a really wonderful way to de-stress at the end of the day. With Epsom salt. Yes, with Epsom salt. With Epsom salt, right.

So I went to go take a bath. Doug was watching the baseball game. And then I realized in this hotel, and it was a nice little sweet they got us for that night. And the towels were on the other side of the bathroom. So, of course, I'm vice president running for president of the United States. So I had my phone next to the bathtub. And, but first I just called out to my husband.

Dougie, nothing. Then I went to Doug, calling him out, Doug, nothing. And then it's real serious when I go, Douglas. So I picked up the phone to call him. He didn't answer. So then I FaceTime audio him. Here's how he answered. what's up and that was it and that was it and so we got into it a little bit rightfully so

but here's the thing about my husband and about that moment we all in our relationships in whatever form you have go through stressful moments and go through stressful moments and go through, you know, what life brings. There are joy and there is also stress. And my husband said to me at that moment, he looked at me and he just poured cold water on the heat of that moment. And he looked at me and he said,

we cannot turn on each other. And it was so poignant. And, you know, I tell a few stories like that about just what this was. because Charlemagne, in many ways, I just, I wanted to write this book to also just lift the hood on what happens behind the scenes in every way. I think there's so much about, I mean, obviously the office of president is, and it affects the entire globe. And there's, but there's so much about the process that's very opaque, that people, unless you've been personally

involved at a very close level, you don't really have a sense of. And I wanted to, help people have a sense of it in a way that I hope helps people see where they could fit in or be involved or a part of it and feel a sense of understanding what it all involves so that we can all participate in an active way. It feels like this is the first time that you get to control your own narrative. Because I feel like, you know, even when you first ran for president back in 2020, from that time until now, it's people that have been trying to control your narrative. They've been trying to shape who Kamala Harris is to the people as opposed to Kamala Harris, letting the people know who she is.

Well, look, there are always when you put yourself out there, and especially in this environment, be it just for any of us, whether you have a public persona or not, because of social media and so much else, putting yourself out there in any way leads to, invariably that there will be people who misunderstand you on purpose and even and even dislike you and and it's it is an awful feeling to be misunderstood much less dislike but it's an awful feeling to be misunderstood and it is sadly you know hopefully it is just a few

it is not everybody but it is sadly an ask of putting yourself out there. And that's why I will always applaud anybody for putting themselves out there for any reason, be it a job or a promotion or applying for, you know, school or whatever. There is always going to be a level of vulnerability associated with ambition.

And I'm, I am in that way no different than anybody who puts themselves out there, that you are exposed to that. And it is not enjoyable, and it can be painful. Especially when it's paid campaigns against you. Well, yeah. I mean, look, when I ran for Attorney General, the National Republicans put, this was before Citizens United when they put a million-dollar hit piece against me. when I ran for Attorney General in 2010 and I asked my campaign consultant

what is going on and he said look their theory is you know kill the baby in the crib damn yeah but they don't believe in abortion and we don't believe in killing let's not go there let's just not let's not do that

but I do believe that it is important for one to exercise their voice, and that's part of the reason I wrote the book, which is, look, these 107 days are part of American's history. It is part of American history, and I

wasn't about to let history tell the story without my voice. Right. So. If there's one truth in 107 days that might make people uncomfortable, what do you think it is. Well, it depends on who you are.

Yeah. Right? I don't, I think that there are a number of conversations that we need to have right now, that are difficult conversations that will make people uncomfortable. But now is the time to have those conversations in a way that is not intended to be confrontational or, you know, to bring attention to oneself. But just literally, we've got some deep work to do as a country. We really do.

There's among the things that is, I think, weighing on us, and so many people are feeling on edge is, you know, we've always had a fair amount of cynicism based on, you know, trust of the system and government, right? but I think it was really highlighted by the pandemic when the rug just got pulled out from so many people. So there is that, that trust around the individual and the government and systems.

But what also we are experiencing right now that I think is weighing us down is the high level of distrust between the American people. And I don't mean, just can I, like, leave my door unlocked? I mean, can I trust you to not be a threat to my very existence? Right? And that's a real issue right now for us as a country.

And this is where, again, I say the power is with the people because it is also about what we do in our daily lives in the context of whatever our world is, our neighbors, our friends, our relatives, our coworkers, but to really work on these conversations and also to understand that not everybody is working with the same information. And we should not assume that we know someone else's morals

or principles or values on the assumption that we're working with the same information. And that gets back to the point, of the rampant amount of miss and disinformation. And part of the antidote to that is really working on developing community and developing those relationships of trust. And that requires work.

Relationships of trust require work. We know that. We know that in our personal lives and our professional lives. And right now, we need to do a lot of work as a country on that. Man. I'm Ibel Ongoria and I'm Maita Gomez-Guan.

And on our podcast, Hungry for History, we mix two of our favorite things, food and history. Ancient Athenians used to scratch names onto oyster shells and they called these Ostercon to vote politicians into exile. So our word ostracize is related to the word oyster. No way. Bring back the Ostercon. And because we've got a very Mikaasa esucas. Yucasa kind of vibe on our show, friends always stopped by. Pretty much every entry into this side of the planet was through the Gulf of Mexico. No, the America.

No, the America. The Gulf of Mexico, continue to be so forever and ever. It blows me away how progressive Mexico was in this moment. They had land reform. They had labor rights. They had education rights. Mustard seeds were so valuable to the ancient Egyptians that they used to place them in their tombs for the afterlife.

Listen to Hungry for History as part of the My Cultura Podcast Network, available on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Hunter, host of Hunting for Answers on the Black Effect Podcast Network. Join me every weekday as I share bite-sized stories of missing and murdered black women and girls in America. There are several ways we can all do better at protecting black women. My contribution is shining a light on our missing sisters and amplifying. their disregarded stories. Stories like Tamika Anderson.

As she drove toward Galvez, she was in contact with several people, talking on the phone as she made her way to what should have been a routine transaction. But Tamika never bought the car, and she never returned home that day. One podcast, one mission, save our girls. Join the searches we explore the chilling cases. of missing and murdered black women and girls. Listen to hunting for answers every weekday on the Black Effect Podcast Network,

iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, everybody? This is Snacks from the Trap Ners Podcast, and we're bringing you the horror every week all October long. Kicking off this month, I'll be bringing you all my greatest fear-inducing horror games from Resident Evil to Silent Hill,

me and Tony bringing back fire team on Left for Dead 2. and we're just going to be going over some of the greats. Also in October, we'll be talking about our favorite horror and Halloween movie and figure out why black people always got to die first. The Umbro Reliquary invites any and all fooling, brave enough, to peruse its many curiosities. But take heed, all sales are final. Weekly horror side quests written and narrated by yours truly. With a full episode read and a commentary special.

And we will cap it off with. horror movie battle royale Jason versus Freddie Michael Myers versus the 80th thing with the little tongue muster October we're doing it Halloween style

listen to the Trabner's podcast from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the IHeartRadio app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your broadcasts think back to the early

2000s you're flipping through TV channels and then you hear this I was rooting for you we were all rooting for you how dare you learn something from this but looking back

20 years later, that iconic show so many of us love, is horrified. Robin, first of all, is too old to be starting a model. She's huge. I talked to cast, crew, and producers who were there for some of the show's most shocking moments. If you were so rooting for her, what did you help her? With never before heard interviews, the curse of America's next top model examines why this show was so popular and where it all went wrong. We basically sold our souls, and they got rich.

Listen to the curse of America's Next Top Model on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Do you think the media ever truly wanted to understand you? Yes, I do think they're, yes, I think, I mean, look, the media is this a broad thing, right? Like, did Fox News one understand me? No. No. They didn't.

They didn't. They didn't. But. That was one of your favorite, my favorite interviews of yours during the campaign, though, when you went on a Brett Bear. Because I was like, you know, I like when you get at people, even when it's me. But I'm like, yeah, I like that. But here's the thing.

And I, and I, you're right in the book, I do talk a lot about the media. And the thing that was so disappointing about that interview, and I write about it, is that I was told and believed that he was told and believed that he was. he would be tough but fair on Fox News yeah but I know that but you know what

but listen here's the thing I was running to be president of all Americans including people who watched Fox News and

I and so I wasn't going to not give myself and them an opportunity to have that conversation but the way he set up the interview

was was quite disingenuous. And I think right now we are faced with a real challenge around media writ large. We are looking at a lot of corporate-run media. I would urge everyone to really support independent media. You know, the climate is changing. So, you know, in addition to trusted sources I mentioned earlier, like AP and New York Times. But really, it's so diffuse now. I was talking with a group of young people earlier today here in Birmingham, and they were between about age 18 and 22. And I was asking them, where do you get your news? And it's all

online. They're not really reading their news. They're receiving it mostly through a video presentation, and it's through TikTok, it's through Twitter, it's through the shade room, and what they are yearning for, as they expressed to me without me asking, is we know how we are being treated like a commodity. They know it. Our young leaders know it. And they are yearning to have those conversations where they can trust that fact and truth are being sent their way. So, there we are. I thought you did a great job. I mean, even when you read 107 days, you did a great job of going to, you know, the legacy

media outlets, like The View, the Co-Bads, but then you still were doing the podcast and things like that. I thought that was a great way to do it because you kind of got to meet everybody where they are nowadays. That's exactly right. I thought you did a good job. That's right. And the Breakfast Club?

Of course. With the view, you know, you had a lot of regret over that moment in the book. Yeah, I did an interview on the view shortly before the election. And I was asked about the difference between myself and Joe Biden. And it was in an environment where there had been so much being sent his way. And I just wasn't about to pile on. For better and worse, I am a loyal person. And I interpreted the question as requiring me to criticize him, and I wasn't going to do that.

Thank you. But what I misinterpreted was that there was also a desire for me to distinguish myself from him. But I thought the differences were obvious. And, you know, maybe I should, not maybe, I should have probably given more thought to how to point out, you know, for example, I was focused on what we need to do around child care and those kinds of things. So, yeah, I do reflect on that interview in the book and talk about that.

And you do talk about loyalty a lot in the book. You talk about your loyalty being tested. Like, what's your definition of loyalty in politics versus loyalty in friendship? Oh, that's a great question. I mean, loyalty is about as much as anything not being a fair weather friend. It's about standing with people when they're down and when they're up. it's about you know

not just fair weather I'm with you when the times are good and and it's about you know I think there is loyalty is rooted in really caring about another person and their well-being

loyalty I think is about for me knowing life is long and I mean look, my best friend from kindergarten is still one of my best friends, right? And that's just how I am. But even with that, like, in the book, you know, your loyalty was being questioned. Even though you was, you know, loyal to the soil, like, your loyalty was being questioned by, you know, the Biden's wife in particular.

And Dougie had an issue with that. Like, that didn't make you feel the way? nobody likes to have their loyalty or their questions but that was I mean that was something that I think needs to be put in context as well but the reality of it is that my focus was not one not in the book and not on the campaign trail about Joe Biden my focus was on the fact that I was running against Donald Trump and that that needed to be the focus of everybody involved, as opposed to trying to find some kind of palace intrigue

in terms of what was going on within our administration. When people say they still don't know who the real Kamala Harris is, do you ever think to yourself that's because you're not ready for her? Because I'm not what? Do you ever think to yourself that's because you're not ready for her, as in me? I think there is some truth to that, I suppose. But, yeah, I don't know that people are asking that question as much as they're asking, how can we bring down the cost of food?

But no, during the campaign they were, though. Like, during the campaign, they definitely were. Well, not 75 million people. 75 million people voted for me. That's right. Yeah. That's a fact. That's a fact.

You want to do some audience questions? Sure. Courtney Weaver, oh, how are you, yeah, this is a good question. How are you fostering hope during a time when hope can feel lost? Oh, Courtney, are you here? Can we turn on the lights so we can see everybody? Courtney? Somebody's going to turn on the lights in here.

Where are you? Wait, wave, wave, everybody around, Courtney, wave. Oh, there. Hi. You just woke up, you was on your, you know, on Instagram or something? Pay attention. Hope, so we, here's, for example, I just ask everybody to look at each other, the person sitting next to you that you don't know, and just say hello and how you do it, right? My hope is

born out of just the mood here and my knowledge that we want to we love our country and we know it's our country and we're prepared to fight for it. The same people who came to the rallies by the tens of thousands during those 107 days still have that sense of hope. I know it for what our country can be. They still believe it on behalf of their children and the children in their lives.

And hope is an interesting thing. It's something that is ours to have, but it can't be taken from us. we can't let our hope be taken from us it's something that comes from inside of us that we have and when we look around and see each other and we know that this fight is worth it that gives me hope that gives me hope

and it gets back to my point don't don't let any circumstance or situation diminish that light that when I think about hope and light it's part of the same thing did you ever have to build that back up like was there ever a period like after election night

and now when you had to replenish that cup of hope well I needed to take some time and that's for sure I spent time you know with my family I spent a lot of time cooking Doug's very happy

I I needed to take a minute. And, you know, for example, for months, I did not watch cable news. I just was not going to. I was watching the cooking channel full time. So I knew I needed to take a minute to just pull back. Because, again, every day and still every day, you see what's happening. And we knew what could have been.

And it's very, it's painful for all of us, and most importantly, it's painful for the people who right now, for example, starting on November 1st, their premiums are going to go up in terms of health care. Because the Republicans who are in charge of the House, the Senate, and the White House, they're in charge. This is their shutdown. This is their shutdown. Right? And, you know, so when you see bad things happening, it has a way of being very deflating. And sometimes you need to just step back for a moment

to realize it's not everybody. And it's, and there are more good people than there are those who are trying to cause destruction. You know, you asked me earlier, what's some misconception that people have you? And I just thought about it that people, I don't know people really know you really be cooking. because I remember one time

we was in South Carolina we was in Somerville, South Carolina I believe and I think you were speaking at a church just when you unveiled your mental health plan and I was with you And you know But you've been a great leader on mental health Thank you and when it was over

You was like Look I want to show you something And you had a trunk full of collard greens And wasn't no cameras around It was nothing And she asked me, say You think I'm gonna look crazy Walking through the airport

With all these collard greens? okay so here's what happened it was Thanksgiving yes and I was campaigning and my family we decided to spend our Thanksgiving in Iowa

and I wanted to take my collard greens from South Carolina smart So I had plastic bags full of fresh collard greens walking through the airport. I didn't care. I was a good country woman. I was walking through my collard greens. It's a true story.

It's a true story. Darrell Pruitt, he says, Madam Vice President, a lot of people in our communities feel like we only get attention when it's election season, but not when it's time for real investment. So my question is, how do we move from being needed for votes to being valued for our power? Right. Is that Darrell? Darrell, is it? Darrell. Where are you, Darrell?

Where are you, Darrell? Where are you are? What's up, Darrell? Hello? No, you're right. I mean, part of the work that elected leaders have to do that we all have to do is not just come around election time. And it can't be transactional. You know, one of the reasons I decided not to run for governor of California is I'm just, I need, I want to be, I want to be talking like to the young people I was talking with today in Birmingham and it not be transactional, where I'm not there asking for their vote.

And elected leaders, people are running for office, Democrats need to do a better job of that. and being present and listening. I mean, as an extension of that point, so part of what I am proposing to extend the power of the people and to make sure that people who have so much at stake are heard, is I actually believe we need to bring down the age of voting to 16. I do So let that sit with you for a minute

I know I know it's if you have if you have 16 year olds in your life it's a complicated thing I'm asking you to think about I mean it can work and drive at 16 but it's but here's the thing the biggest issues that I think we are facing that are the most intractable are directly going to impact people who are in that

generation. There is so much about way the things have been that for some of us, we're going to be okay. But if you look at it in terms of the future of work, for example, what technology is doing right now to change the future of work in America and the world is profound. Gen Z are from age 13 to about 27, 28. They are a larger population of people than boomers. They have only known the climate crisis. They missed substantial phases of their education and socialization through the pandemic. Understand one in four black Americans

lost a family member during the pandemic. So imagine what that means in terms of the trauma for the family unit. Understand that the statistics that I have seen are that Gen Z will come out of high school or college having 10 to 12 jobs in their lifetime. Previous generations, the job you took, took out a high school or college was pretty much the job you had until you retire.

For those who are high school in college right now, they're wondering, especially those who are in college, if what they are studying is actually going to result in a job that pays them. Right? The American dream around the possibility of home ownership, all of that. And so when I think about if we were to allow younger people to vote, and what that would require of people running for office, which is to not just talk about right now, but what is your plan for the next five, ten, and twenty years for our country?

Because it is they, our youngest generation, that are going to either benefit or pay the price for what we are doing right now. So there you go. Think about it. Think about it. But I think it is when we talk about listening to the people and not just around election time because when I'm talking to young people around our country,

they're done with us. They are impatient. They're like, you know what? Y'all need to figure it out or we're going to do it for you. So there you are. You know, in the book you write about democracy being fragile And we see that happening right now. Do you still believe the system can fix yourself from the inside?

No, not necessarily. Okay. It pains me to say that. I, when I decided to become a prosecutor, I had to defend that decision with my family. They were not down with that decision, so many of them. And I said, look, why is it that we are always thinking that for, systems that need change or reform, that we have to be on the outside on bended knee or trying to break down the door to get that improvement done. I said, shouldn't we also think about being

on the inside of the system as a way to have an impact? And I have believed that, and I've seen the benefit of that my entire career. But to be very candid, I perhaps naively, thought the system would be stronger in this moment than it's been. And I think that without any question, the destruction caused by this administration in this moment and the debris that will be left is going to require some serious work

and it will need to be without nostalgia about how things were knowing that there was a lot that was not working so well and there was a lot that was working well to be sure and the people inside these career people who have been there doing incredible God's work must be applauded always

but the structure and the way we have designed some of these systems has turned out to be quite flawed and so the change that we want and the improvement that we're going to need, some of it will be from inside the system, but I think a lot of it is going to be because of the pressure that the people put to say, this is how I want my government to work for me. I think that's, and I think that perhaps in this moment of crisis, it is going to, one of the maybe opportunities in this moment of severe crisis is that when we have to then start

figuring out how we're going to deal with the debris and the cleanup, that it's a lot. that it gives us an opportunity to reimagine some of these systems to make them more effective and responsive to the needs of the people. Well, if 107 days was your closure for one chapter, what's the new one you're ready to open? Are you going to be part of that cleanup?

Are you going to be out there in the future? You know, it is my nature to serve. I'm not going to stop serving. But right now, my focus is on winning and so I'm going to be doing work on behalf of folks in the midterms there are two important governor's races happening in the country right now which we should focus on in New Jersey and Virginia there's the local work that's happening and and that's going to be my focus we have to win on everything and it's about not only elections but around this

this war on disinformation, and also just lifting up the ability of us as Americans to trust each other. There's a lot of work to be done, and I'm in it, and I'm here for the fight. Make some noise for the Madam Vice President, y'all. Ammala Harris. Birmingham, y'all have been amazing. Short on time, but big on true crime, on a recent. episode of the podcast, Hunting for Answers, I highlighted the story of 19-year-old Lichet Dungey. But she never knocked on that door.

She never made it inside. And that text message would be the last time anyone would ever hear from her. Listen to Hunting for Answers from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm the homeguard that knows a little bit about everything and everybody let me know

Lauren La Rosa You hear that exclusive Lauren came in Hi I came in telling the truth Every day I'm bringing you the latest in entertainment

breaking down the headlines you can't stop talking about and giving you my very unfiltered tape on the biggest stories in the industry From exclusive news and y'all know I got it

to us breaking down the interviews because y'all are my co-hosts now I'm giving you the deep dives on some of the biggest moments in pop culture Oh, my God. Listen to the latest with Lauren the Rosa weekdays on the IHeart Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, everybody? It's snacks from the trap nerds in all October long. We're bringing you the horror. We're kicking off this month with some of my best horror games to keep you terrified. Then we'll be talking about our favorite horror in Halloween movies and figuring out why black people always die further. And it's the return of Tony's horror show,

SideQuest written and narrated by yours truly. We'll also be doing a full episode reading with commentary. And we'll cap it off with a horror movie Battle Royale. Open your free IHard radio app

and search trap nurse podcast and listen now. I'm I Belongoria and I'm Maite Gomes Gron and this week on our podcast Hungry for History we talk oysters plus the Mianbi Chief stops by.

If you're not an oyster lover don't even talk to me. Ancient Athenians used to scratch names onto oyster shells to vote politicians into exile. So our word

ostracize is related to the word oyster. No way. Bring back the OsterCon. Listen to Hungry for History on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast.