(NEW YORK) — Former Vice President Kamala Harris kept the door open on a possible third presidential run, saying that she’s “thinking about it,” eliciting cheers from a majority of the crowd at the National Action Network Convention on Friday.
“Listen, I might, I might. I’m thinking about it, I’m thinking about it,” Harris responded when Rev. Al Sharpton, during their chat at the New York City convention he hosts, flatly asked her if she’s planning to run again.
Harris, who said she has spent the last year traveling parts of the country, said that the status quo in government and politics is not working.
“I’ve been traveling the country the last year, I’ve been spending a lot of time in the South and many other places, and the one thing I’m really clear about, also, is the status quo is not working, and hasn’t been working for a lot of people for a long time, and part of the issue is the need to get rid of some of the bureaucracy in government and to understand that the people want — they don’t want process, they want progress. And that’s the work that needs to be done,” Harris said.
During her discussion with Sharpton, Harris was met with different chants during her remarks, including “run again.”
The National Action Network Convention is expected to be the biggest gathering of possible Democratic 2028 presidential hopefuls with appearances by former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Sen. Mark Kelly and Rep. Ro Khanna.
Nearly all of the hopefuls have either expressed interest or have not shut down the idea about running for president.
So far, many potential presidential candidates have discussed the Iran war as they have chatted with Sharpton during the four-day convention — including Harris.
On Friday, she rebuked Trump’s handling of the Iran war and said that he has deteriorated America’s relationship with foreign allies, leading the country to lose its global standing.
“Let us understand, first of all, this president is the first president of the United States since World War II who does not believe in the alliances that we have with friendly nations, does not believe in the strength of them, the recognition of the history with them, and the importance that that relationship bears on our standing around the world, our influence around the world, not to mention our national security,” Harris said.
Harris said that under Trump’s second term, America is losing its global influence, and it will take “serious” work to regain it.
As Trump has maintained that the U.S. “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program last June, Harris seemed to say that the war in Iran is evidence that it did not actually happen.
“The man said he got rid of their nuclear arsenal. ‘Obliterated’ it he said, you know how he likes to use those kind of words, ‘obliterated’ it, which is not an ambiguous term — that means you took it out,” Harris said. “Well, evidently he didn’t do that.”
Harris is set to take part in fundraisers for Democrats across the South this spring, turning her focus to helping the party win next fall during the midterm elections as her book tour winds down.
Her April schedule includes fundraisers for the North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia Democratic parties, and remarks at the Arkansas Democratic Party’s annual dinner.
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