It is a weird thing to watch a Vice President just... leave. One day you’re arguably the second most powerful person on the planet, surrounded by the heavy silence of the West Wing and a motorcade that stops traffic for blocks. The next? You’re moving boxes to Los Angeles and figuring out which local grocery store doesn't have a massive line. Since January 20, 2025, the question of what has Kamala Harris been doing has moved from beltway gossip to a very public, very intentional re-emergence.
She didn't disappear. Honestly, she barely took a breather. While the 2024 election cycle was a brutal, 107-day sprint that ended in a loss to Donald Trump, Harris has spent 2025 and the start of 2026 cementing herself as the unofficial leader of the "loyal opposition." She isn't just sitting on a beach in Brentwood. She’s currently crisscrossing the country on a massive book tour, keeping her political machinery oiled, and making sure the Democratic base doesn't forget her name before 2028.
The "107 Days" Blitz and the Southern Tour
If you want to know what has Kamala Harris been doing lately, look at the bestseller lists. In September 2025, she dropped her memoir, 107 Days. It’s a direct reference to the shortest major-party presidential campaign in modern history. The book has been a juggernaut, sitting on the New York Times Bestsellers list for 15 straight weeks. As of mid-January 2026, it has sold over 600,000 copies.
But the tour isn't just about selling books. It’s a vibe check for the South. Just a few days ago, on January 14, 2026, Harris was in Jackson, Mississippi. It wasn't some stuffy corporate event. She was at Thalia Mara Hall, getting a key to the city from Mayor John Horhn. She even spent time with a single mother at a grocery store, talking about how a $150 weekly budget actually works (or doesn't) in this economy. From there, she hit Memphis, walking onto the Orpheum Theatre stage to Victoria Monét’s "On My Mama."
This is "Campaign Kamala" without the baggage of the incumbency. She’s relaxed. She’s funny. She’s calling the current administration "callous, corrupt and incompetent" while being careful not to let the "transactional" nature of politics turn off younger voters.
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Turning Down the Governor's Mansion
For a while, everyone in California was holding their breath. Would she run for Governor in 2026? It made sense on paper. She’s been the DA of San Francisco and the State Attorney General. The seat is opening up because Gavin Newsom is termed out.
But in July 2025, she shut it down. She released a statement saying her leadership "will not be in elected office" for now. This was a massive tactical move. By skipping the Sacramento statehouse, she avoids getting bogged down in local budget fights and forest fire management. It keeps her eyes on the big prize: a potential 2028 presidential run.
Losing the Security Clearance (and the Protection)
Life as a former VP under the second Trump administration hasn't been all standing ovations and book signings. It’s been kind of a mess. In March 2025, President Trump revoked her security clearance—a courtesy usually extended to former VPs.
Then came the Secret Service drama. Normally, former VPs get six months of protection. Biden had extended hers for a year before he left, but in August 2025, Trump signed a memorandum canceling that protection effective September 1. It was a move that sent shockwaves through the political world, forcing Harris to lean heavily on private security funded by her own growing war chest and political organization, Pioneer49.
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Staying in the Fight via Pioneer49
Speaking of Pioneer49, that’s her new power center. While she isn't in office, she’s still a boss. She kept a tight circle of her former White House advisors and signed with CAA (Creative Artists Agency) to handle her speaking gigs.
She’s been using this platform to weigh in on:
- Reproductive Rights: Still her "north star." She’s been the loudest voice criticizing the rollback of healthcare protections.
- Artificial Intelligence: She showed up at a major tech panel in Las Vegas recently to talk about the "existential" risks of AI, a topic she handled extensively while in office.
- The 2026 Midterms: She’s already signaling a full-court press to help Democrats take back the House.
The 2028 Elephant in the Room
You can't talk about what has Kamala Harris been doing without talking about the "will she or won't she" of 2028. During an interview with the BBC in late 2025, she was asked point-blank if she’d run again. Her answer? A very deliberate "possibly."
She’s in a unique spot. She’s the first woman, first Black, and first South Asian VP. She’s got 100% name recognition. But she also has the "incumbency hangover." Some Democrats still blame the 2024 loss on her ties to the Biden era’s inflation and immigration optics.
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She’s spent her time since the inauguration trying to separate herself from those ghosts. In 107 Days, she even writes about the "hardest chapter"—losing the election. She admits to mourning for the country, saying she just repeated "My God" over and over when the results came in. It’s an attempt at vulnerability that her critics often said she lacked while in the White House.
Real Talk: Why This Matters for You
If you’re watching Harris, you’re watching the blueprint for how a modern political figure survives a "death-blow" loss. She is basically building a shadow cabinet in Los Angeles.
- Financial Power: She raised over $1 billion in 2024. Much of that donor network is still active and ready to move.
- The Gen Z Bridge: She’s obsessed with the "Sandwich Generation"—people taking care of kids and aging parents at the same time. Expect her to make this a core policy pillar for whatever comes next.
- The Media Game: Between the Met Gala appearance in early 2025 (wearing a half-white, half-black gown that went viral) and her constant social media presence, she is staying "pop culture relevant" in a way most politicians can't.
Moving Forward: Actionable Steps for Political Observers
If you want to keep tabs on what's actually happening with Harris, don't just wait for the nightly news. The real action is happening in the details.
- Watch the Pioneer49 Endorsements: The candidates she chooses to fund and campaign for in the 2026 midterms will tell you exactly which states she’s targeting for a 2028 run.
- Monitor the Book Tour Content: Her speeches in "Red" or "Purple" states like Mississippi and Tennessee are testing grounds for new messaging on the economy and "transactional" voting.
- Check the 2028 Primary Polls: Look for "Harris vs. Newsom" or "Harris vs. Shapiro" data. Her lead—or lack thereof—in these early "fantasy" polls will dictate how aggressive she gets in the next twelve months.
She isn't retired. She’s just in the lab. And based on the crowds in Jackson and Memphis, she’s still got a very loud microphone.