Kamala Harris, the first woman and first person of color to serve as Vice President of the United States, has always been a figure who sparks both admiration and controversy. Her latest memoir, 107 Days, released on September 26, 2025, was meant to offer readers an inside look at her tumultuous 2024 presidential campaign—a campaign that ended in disappointment for Democrats and a resounding victory for Donald Trump. Instead, the book has generated heated debate, both within her own party and across the broader American political landscape.
According to iNews, Harris’s book chronicles her journey from the days before her nomination through the election on November 5, 2024. The memoir is structured as a day-by-day account, providing a granular, sometimes memo-like record of campaign events and policy debates. While this approach gives readers a sense of immediacy, critics argue that it limits her ability to reflect deeply or offer meaningful post-election analysis. The result, some say, is a narrative that feels more like a West Wing script than a revealing autobiography.
Harris’s reflections on the now-infamous June 27, 2024, debate between President Joe Biden and Donald Trump are particularly telling. She writes, “Trump was using his words like a weapon, but shooting before he aimed, spouting lies, unburdened by truth. Biden, striving for accuracy, often stopped mid-sentence to correct himself, which left him sounding hesitant and garbled.” The debate was a turning point, and Harris’s account leaves readers wondering what she was really thinking as she watched Biden struggle. Did she realize, in that moment, that the party was heading for disaster? The memoir offers little insight into her private doubts or strategic calculations, frustrating those who hoped for candor.
One of the most persistent criticisms of 107 Days is its lack of deep personal reflection. As iNews notes, Harris avoids probing whether she bears any responsibility for the Democrats’ catastrophic defeat. Instead, the book dwells on policy minutiae and the daily grind of campaign life. This stands in stark contrast to the recent memoirs of international leaders like Nicola Sturgeon and Jacinda Ardern, which have been praised for their openness and emotional intelligence. Harris’s own narrative, by comparison, feels guarded and constrained.
Her loyalty to Biden is a recurring theme throughout the memoir. Harris describes how she repeatedly praised Biden in her campaign speeches, even as doubts about his capacity mounted. “All the questioning about his capacity had wounded him badly. He didn’t want to get out of this race; he didn’t want to stop being president. My feelings for him were grounded in warmth and loyalty, but they had become complicated, over time with hurt and disappointment… when I took to the stage, I spent the first third of my speech effusively praising him before I launched my own campaign speech.” One of her team members eventually reminded her, “People hate Joe Biden.” Yet Harris’s sense of duty kept her tethered to him, a decision that some believe cost her dearly.
According to Townhall, not all of Harris’s recollections have gone unchallenged. The memoir recounts a dramatic moment during the June 27 debate, when actor and director Rob Reiner allegedly yelled at Harris’s husband, Doug Emhoff, blaming him for “losing democracy.” Reiner has publicly denied the exchange ever took place, calling the account “ludicrous” in a televised interview with Piers Morgan. “I never, ever said to Doug Emhoff, ‘It’s your fault’. That’s ludicrous!” Reiner insisted, adding, “How could it possibly be Doug Emhoff’s fault? I was screaming at the whole world there. Doug was definitely there. He was hearing all of that.” The same claim appeared in a book by CNN’s Jake Tapper, which Reiner also disputes. This episode has fueled accusations that Harris’s memoir contains petty slights and unverified anecdotes.
Harris’s relationship with Biden’s inner circle is another sore spot. She claims that some of Biden’s senior staff quietly undermined her chances, telling restless Democrats, “If he goes, you get her.” Harris describes the atmosphere in the West Wing as “zero-sum,” with her successes perceived as threats to Biden’s standing. Even when she was aggrieved, however, Harris’s tone in the book is more muted than fiery. The memoir gives the impression of a leader caught between loyalty and ambition, unable or unwilling to fully break free from the old guard’s shadow.
The book does, however, offer glimpses of Harris’s personal life and values. She writes about her mother’s intellect, her multicultural upbringing, and her pride in being the first female Vice President. Harris is at her most compelling when she steps away from the political fray and discusses her advocacy for gun control, reproductive rights, and the “freedom not just to get by, but to get ahead. And the freedom to simply be.” She is unapologetically pro-abortion and denounces America’s epidemic of gun violence, citing the staggering number of school shootings in 2024. These moments of conviction stand out in a narrative otherwise marked by caution.
Yet, as iNews observes, the memoir largely sidesteps the deeper issues that plagued the Democratic campaign. Harris criticizes Biden’s decisions on Afghanistan and the Israel-Palestine conflict but stops short of a full reckoning. She expresses sorrow for the American soldiers lost in the Afghanistan withdrawal but says little about the fate of Afghan civilians. Her attempts to empathize with Palestinians are described as equivocal, reflecting the tightrope she walked on foreign policy.
Within the Democratic Party, reactions to 107 Days have been mixed at best. One Democratic strategist told Townhall, “This book seems to be unhelpful and divisive in a way that makes it hard for her to be the face of the party as we look to the future.” Some party insiders have criticized Harris for including what they see as petty grievances and for airing internal disputes at a time when unity is desperately needed. Others have questioned the accuracy of her accounts, especially in light of high-profile denials like Reiner’s.
Despite the controversy, Harris is pressing ahead with her book tour, making stops in Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Seattle, and even London between late September and November 2025. Whether the tour will rehabilitate her image or further divide the party remains to be seen. Harris has made no secret of her hope to run again in 2028, but as iNews notes, the current political climate is hardly favorable for a woman of color seeking the nation’s highest office. Under Trump’s renewed leadership, diversity and progressive causes face stiff headwinds.
For all its shortcomings, 107 Days is a testament to Harris’s resilience and her belief in the possibility of change. But in a political era defined by division, disinformation, and disappointment, it may take more than discipline—and more than a memoir—to chart a path forward for herself and her party.
