Trumpism is more than politics. It’s an emotional gas-main explosion, from people who felt unheard, patronized, left behind. The Mamdani phenomenon is a pressure valve, too, an outlet for voters to make a statement against the Democratic burghers who claim to represent “the people” but who are compromised by PAC money and conventional thinking.
The entire political establishment should be scrambling to adopt the lessons of these two men’s candidacies. Instead, many of its members seem to be assiduously ignoring them. Kamala Harris, now on a finally-free-to-be-me truth-telling book tour, recently endorsed Mr. Mamdani in the most tepid way possible — “As far as I’m concerned, he’s the Democratic nominee, and he should be supported” — before lauding candidates running elsewhere in the country. Politicians, stop talking this way!
“There are so many extraordinary people serving this country,” she told Colbert. “But the system itself is failing to defend the principles we stand for.”
Before diving into the politics, Harris eased into the conversation with a grin. When Colbert welcomed her back to the public stage, she quipped, “Well, I’ve got some things to say… and you’re safer than Twitter.” The audience roared.
Harris confirmed she will not run for governor of California and, for now, has no plans to re‑enter electoral politics. Her decision, she said, was less about strategy and more about refusing to participate in a structure she believes is fundamentally dysfunctional.
“It’s not about sparing myself,” she explained. “It’s about recognizing that this system — as it is — is not working.”
