Former Vice President Kamala Harris gave her first television interview since leaving office in January 2025. The 40-minute sit-down aired on MSNBC on September 23 with host Rachel Maddow. Fox News later ran a shorter 2-3 minute clip highlighting her strongest remarks.
Harris’s First TV Interview Since Leaving Office
In the clip, Harris directly attacked President Donald Trump’s leadership in his second term. She accused him of being a “tyrant” and compared his style of rule to that of communist dictators. Her comments centered on threats to U.S. democracy, the silence of business leaders, and the power of ordinary citizens to push back against abuses of authority.
Harris spoke in a calm but firm tone, as she leaned forward in the studio to stress her points. Maddow asked her about the current state of democracy under Trump, prompting Harris to answer with sharp criticism of both the president and those she believes have failed to hold him accountable.
Calling Trump a Tyrant and Drawing Historical Parallels
Harris repeated a label she had used earlier this year when speaking near the Ellipse, the site of the January 6 Capitol riot. She said, “Right now we are dealing with, as I called him at my speech on the Ellipse, a tyrant.”
She argued that Trump uses federal agencies to settle personal scores. According to Harris, his decisions are driven more by a “fragile ego” than by concern for the American people. She warned that this behavior places the country at risk of sliding into authoritarianism.
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In one of the most striking parts of the interview, Harris compared Trump to communist leaders from the Cold War era. She said, “We used to compare the strength of our democracy to communist dictators. That’s what we’re dealing with right now in Donald Trump.” She explained that his administration suppresses dissent, weakens checks and balances, and fosters fear.
The clip showed Harris stressing that the U.S., once seen as a model of democracy, now faces challenges similar to those faced under authoritarian systems. Her words echoed themes she raised during her 2024 campaign, but she sharpened her tone after nine months of Trump’s second presidency.
Criticism of Business Leaders and Praise for Public Pushback
Harris also took aim at America’s business leaders. She accused CEOs and corporate executives of failing to speak up during what she described as a critical time. “They have been silent,” she said, adding, “Yes, I use the word feckless. It’s not like they’re gonna lose their yacht or their house in the Hamptons.”
She called on these leaders to act as “guardrails” to protect democratic institutions. She argued that companies and executives should stand against a president who, in her words, “is using the federal government to execute his whim and fancy because of a fragile ego.”
Harris then turned her attention to public action, pointing to the recent suspension of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. Kimmel’s show was briefly pulled off the air after he mocked Trump’s policies in a monologue. However, public outrage, boycotts, and social media campaigns pushed.
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Disney to reinstate him. Harris praised this outcome, saying, “We saw the power of the people over the last few days, and it spoke volumes, and it moved a decision in the right direction.”
She framed this as proof that ordinary citizens still have influence. By using their voices and even their wallets, she said, they could push back against what she described as threats to democracy.
The Fox News clip ended on a defiant note. Harris urged viewers to recognize what she called the stakes of the moment, saying that resisting now could prevent what she fears could become irreversible tyranny.
