Kamala Harris plans to deliver a pointed critique of economic policymaking across party lines at a Democratic dinner in Arkansas on Saturday, signaling a broader political positioning as she considers a presidential run two years from now.
In prepared remarks shared with NBC News, the former vice president will argue that Democrats share blame with Republicans for economic policies that have failed working Americans. While she'll note that Democrats rejected Ronald Reagan's trickle-down framework, she plans to contend that many in her own party embraced flawed assumptions underlying the same philosophy.
"That growth at the top would take care of everyone else," Harris will say at the Fisher Shackelford Dinner, describing a bipartisan faith in market forces to ultimately benefit ordinary workers. She'll point to millions of Americans who "worked hard days and into the night" yet found the economic system failing to deliver, and will describe how "for so many, the American Dream has all but turned into American myth."
Harris has already signaled openness to running for president again. When asked by Rev. Al Sharpton in New York earlier this month whether she plans a 2028 campaign, she said "I might. I'm thinking about it," before emphasizing her experience as vice president and her understanding of what the job demands.
The Saturday speech also positions her as a Democratic leader focused on governance and policy specifics rather than solely opposition politics. She plans to call on Democrats to develop plans for wielding power in Washington after President Donald Trump's term ends, urging the party to pursue what she calls a "bold agenda."
That agenda includes overhauling public education to avoid saddling students with lifetime debt, restructuring tax policy to reward work rather than concentrate wealth, and establishing guardrails around social media and artificial intelligence to serve public interests ahead of corporate profits.
Harris would enter a crowded field if she runs. Multiple governors and senators are already weighing 2028 campaigns, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore. Potential Senate candidates include Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, and Maryland Sen. Chris van Hollen, while California Rep. Ro Khanna is also considering a bid.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "Harris is trying to have it both ways, blaming Democrats for economic drift while positioning herself as the one who'll fix it, but that argument works better if voters believe she actually learned something new since leaving office."
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