‘Quiet power’: Harris returns home after making history in Washington

Former Vice President Kamala D. Harris left Washington on Monday the same way she entered office that same day five years ago: making history.

After President Trump’s inauguration, Ms. Harris traveled to Joint Base Andrews to take her final official flight home to California, supported by an all-female U.S. Air Force crew — the first such crew to use a C-32 aircraft as of the soldiers. department, said an assistant.

It’s a fitting end for a barrier-breaking vice president who rarely presents himself as such, a subtle nod to his historic rise to the nation’s second-highest office.

When she arrives in California, Ms. Harris will visit a fire station to thank the firefighters who were on the front lines of the wildfires that destroyed Los Angeles, so even her home was in danger. He will also join the World Central Kitchen charity’s staff in distributing food to communities affected by the fire.

Ms. Harris’s first act as the first unelected incumbent in decades may be a harbinger of things to come.

Mr. Trump has not addressed his loss directly or said publicly about his plans after leaving office.

“I’ll give you your message,” she said when asked last week, after signing her name — the first woman — on the ceremonial desk signed by vice presidents since 1940.

When she returned home, Ms. Harris launched a new website showcasing her achievements during her political career. Noting what many say he has shown time and time again, he recently re-signed the board.

“It’s not my nature to walk quietly at night,” he said. “Do not worry about it.”

Ms Harris has told close friends she is exploring three options, according to a person familiar with her thinking. Either he runs for governor of California in 2026, for president again in 2028 or nothing.

In California, Ms. Harris is seen by many as a fighter who can easily win support if she wants to run for public office again, her allies say.

“She’s coming back with her head held high and Democrats are very proud of the work she’s done,” said Mark Buell, a prominent Democratic megadonor in the state, who helped run Ms. Harris’s campaign. first. “I don’t think I’ll ever find anyone who thinks you could have fought harder for the presidency.”

Commitment to duty and democracy defined his last week in office. Ms Harris insisted she was defeated in the election, a stark contrast to four years ago, when her opponents incited violent mobs to disrupt the process when she took office. Instead of traveling to several countries, which were canceled to see the response to the fire, he made phone calls to world leaders. And on Monday, he fulfilled his duty to welcome the new administration in Washington, even after a bitter campaign in which his own supporters attacked him personally, often with racist and xenophobic remarks. -skin.

“Obviously, he was held to a standard that no other vice president of the country has been held to, and he rose to the occasion,” said LaTosha Brown, co-founder of the voter rights group Black Voters Matter. “And he left that office with his character.”

During her first two years, Ms. Harris had several setbacks. He has struggled to express political positions on issues such as immigration and has been kept out of power on key decisions. His office was full of trouble.

But he has emerged as a key ally for President Joseph R. Biden Jr. him, which was on display when he announced his candidacy — and his legacy — when he dropped out of the presidential race in July.

Before that, Ms. Harris played a key role in other decisions defining Mr. Biden’s legacy. He pushed her to show more compassion for the Palestinians in the Israel-Gaza conflict and to be more aggressive in communicating the administration’s achievements. She has been instrumental in advocating nationally on generational issues such as reproductive rights in her absence, and has been involved in her recent amnesty campaign for people who have served time in prison. longer than non-violent offenses.

She also played a key role in appointing Mr. Biden as the first black woman to serve on the Supreme Court.

“We may not be able to write his history or his legacy tomorrow, but I will tell you that generations yet to be born will know that he sat in a strong seat, and that he used that seat wisely and gratefully,” said Minyon Moore, a longtime Democrat. advisor and close associate of Ms. Harris.

Ms. Moore added that she thought Ms. Harris would inspire future leaders to come and stay in public service.

“The greatest thing you can give a country when you’re first is to ensure you’re never last,” Ms Moore said. “He already did.”

In the White House, Ms. Harris’s political influence has sometimes been overshadowed by her commanding nature. Activists and advocates saw him as a bridge to government, allowing them to enter the White House to overcome their problems that they never had before.

“There was a quiet power in the way he moved through that White House,” said Ms. Brown, who worked with the vice president on voting rights. “You wouldn’t even get the depth of what he had to offer because of all the white noise.”

While Ms. Harris’s portfolio was viewed as rubble, she became a spokeswoman for local public policy. Mr. Biden gave him the “root cause” of immigration, which he vaguely referred to as the “border czar” responsible for the migrant crisis. But he quickly carved out a role for himself by taking on the country’s pressing issues.

Ms. Harris has supported policies such as child loans, eliminating the burden of medical debt and strengthening workers’ rights. He also took on gun violence prevention issues, chairing the first federal White House office dedicated to causes, climate change, and American political progress. intelligence.

Joel K. Goldstein, longtime scholar and vice president of the University of St. Louis School of Law, said: Louis. “If you covered it, or Googled it, you’d see – it was all there. And the fact that he took on these international roles shows you that Biden valued him enough to give him an important platform. “

Ms. Harris’s role in shaping foreign policy has received little recognition, including her presence on the world stage.

The administration has looked to him to deliver some of the world’s most important messages, such as warning at the 2022 Munich conference that Russia is preparing to invade Ukraine and announcing its decision to the United States believes that Russia has committed crimes against humanity in Ukraine. conference in 2023. Ms. Harris also used her high-profile appearance in Selma, Ala., last year to call on Israel to increase the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza and for a ceasefire. war.

Azali Fortier, the 17-year-old sophomore at Spelman College who escorted Ms. Harris to Selma and locked arms with her as they walked over the Edmund Pettus Bridge, said Monday that Mrs. Harris instilled a “soldier” feeling in the youth. Watching him leave the White House after a tough campaign, in which he showed “grace and integrity,” taught her valuable lessons, Ms. Fortier said.

“His passing reminds us that we should be strong in times like these, but we should never forget where we came from, and we should keep that in mind as we look for where we’re going next,” said Ms. Fortier. “He let us know what it is – a world in which we must prepare to fight to live, not just survive.”

Whether in Africa building relationships to counter the economic influence of China and Russia, or strengthening Indo-Pacific cooperation, Ms. Harris has often focused on people whose voices are not being heard and thinking about the issues. may arise for many years. .

“Another thing she’s done throughout her tenure here is to make sure every voice is heard, and everyone gets a seat at the table,” said Philip H. Gordon, who is Ms. Harris’ national security adviser. . “All demographics, races, income levels, genders, often stand for the little man against the big man. And I think that applies to international relations as well. it’s instinct.”

And he set a path for others to follow.

“Prior to the 2020 election, the United States didn’t have a playbook for a woman being vice president of the United States — the playbook already exists,” said longtime Democratic analyst Donna Brazile.

“The glass ceiling is shattered, shattered,” she added, “and will soon be forgotten as a hidden barrier that said women should not be allowed to work.”