Harris Critiques Trump Amid Government Shutdown
Former Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost the Democratic nomination in the 2024 presidential race, launched into a harsh critique of President Donald Trump’s renovations at the White House during a government shutdown. This outburst came while she seemed to also adjust her previous comments about President Biden.
In a recent appearance on The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart, Harris expressed her outrage, cursing as she discussed Trump’s planned ballroom renovations.
“Are you kidding me?” Harris exclaimed. “This guy wants to build a ballroom for his wealthy friends while completely ignoring that babies could starve when SNAP benefits end in just a few hours,” referring to the ending of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits due to the current government shutdown.
“I’m not going to get sidetracked by whether he has a big hammer. What about those babies?” she added.
The impending cut to SNAP benefits, which were to support around 42 million Americans starting November 1st, has contributed to concern, as funding has dried up amidst the shutdown, according to USDA reports.
During the interview, Harris claimed that Biden was “fully competent” to serve another term, a significant shift from her earlier criticisms after stepping down from the race. In her memoir, 107 Days, published on September 10, 2025, she reflected on Biden’s 2024 campaign as “recklessness,” attributing it to unchecked ego and ambition.
“In retrospect, I think it was recklessness. The stakes were too high. This wasn’t a choice that should rest on personal ambition,” she commented.
Harris later expressed regret for not better differentiating herself from Biden during her campaign. However, Stewart reminded her that his questions were aimed at policy differences, not Biden’s competence.
“No, I’m not talking about competence,” Harris clarified. “I believe he was fully competent to serve.”
Stewart, taken aback, asked, “Do you really?”
“I do,” she replied, affirming her stance.
Additionally, Harris elaborated on her choice to support Biden rather than criticize him after his poor debate performance in June 2024, stating, “I care about him deeply and didn’t want to add to the criticism he was facing.”
This week, she noted that Biden was hesitant about debating Trump, implying that he needed convincing to participate—leading to his controversial debate outcome.
“I didn’t fully grasp how important it was to some to see a distinction between us. I thought our differences were evident,” she said, although she acknowledged she didn’t have a clear idea of what she would have changed in her approach.
