Kamala Harris reacts to awkward moment with protesters during book tour

LONDON – Former Vice President Kamala Harris’ trip to the British capital as part of the tour for her new book, “107 Days,” which details her failed 2024 presidential campaign, got off to a tense start Thursday when three protesters disrupted the event within minutes of starting, criticizing her for the Biden administration’s role in Israel’s war in Gaza.

“Harris, you have blood on your hands,” read a sign from one of the protesters who were escorted by security outside the Royal Festival Hall in London’s Southbank Centre.

Harris responded to the awkward moment by admitting that the Biden administration could have done more to address the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave amid Israel’s offensive.

“I think we had certain levers that we didn’t pull,” he said. “I think we should have made public statements about what was happening, particularly about the inhumane nature of what was happening in Gaza.”

But later, in her conversation with novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Harris made clear that as vice president, she did not have the “final say” on the administration’s policies, even in the Middle East, and noted that she would have done things differently if she had been in charge.

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Harris, who maintained a largely quiet profile immediately after Donald Trump’s return to power, is now taking the opportunity of her book’s publication to speak out against his administration and what she described as the “incompetence” of many of its members, citing the example of the Signal group chat scandal.

“They’re so lazy that they’re talking about war plans on Signal, instead of moving and crawling to a safe room,” he said.

Harris also criticized Trump for demolishing the East Wing of the White House “to build a gilded ballroom for his rich friends,” instead of working to end the government shutdown despite the GOP controlling both chambers of Congress.

While acknowledging that her party still has work to do to meet the moment, Harris applauded Democratic leaders in Congress for asking Republicans to add funding to address expiring health insurance subsidies for millions of Americans in exchange for voting to reopen the government.

“Democrats are willing to stand firm on that right now, not without political risk,” he said. “I applaud.”

At the same time, Harris noted that while she expected Trump’s second presidency to have a devastating impact on the country, she didn’t see capitulation coming from many industry leaders.

“I, as a devoted public servant, perhaps naively, believed that when push came to shove, the titans of industry would at least be part of the backup, and the number of those who have knelt at the feet of the tyrant has been profound,” Harris added.

Trump’s behavior could also serve as a global model, he warned, as the president has promoted the “resurgence of the strongman and the idea that the nation’s strength is based on the brutality of its leaders.”

“That worries us and should worry us all,” he added.

“People are talking. And at the end of this administration, there will be an incredible amount of debris because of what has been broken,” Harris said.

Harris, who has not yet revealed whether she intends to run for president in 2028 after announcing she would not run for governor in her home state of California in 2026, urged the audience not to lose hope as she spoke about the challenge of breaking barriers.

“When you break things, you get cut and can bleed,” he said. “And it’s worth it every time.”