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Kamala Harris in her own book reveals 12 things Americans must know about her
Sales of Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2019 memoir have skyrocketed in recent days, following her ascension to the top of the Democratic ticket to take on former President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
“The Truths We Hold: An American Journey” currently ranks at No. 1 among female biographies on Amazon. It’s No. 2 among all biographies, behind Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance’s 2016 personal memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy.”
“This book is not meant to be a policy platform, much less a 50-point plan,” Harris wrote in the preface.
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“Instead, it is a collection of ideas and viewpoints and stories, from my life and from the lives of the many people I’ve met along the way.”
As former President Donald Trump on Wednesday night at a rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, called Harris “more liberal than [Sen.] Bernie Sanders, can you believe it” — here are 12 insights and highlights from Harris’ life story as she shared in her own book.
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign event on June 28, 2024, in Las Vegas. Her book from 2019 is now a hot ticket on Amazon. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
1. Her name is pronounced ‘comma-la’
Early in the book, Harris tried to settle the great American debate.
“First, my name is pronounced ‘comma-la,’ like the punctuation mark,” she wrote.
“It means ‘lotus flower,’ which is a symbol of significance in Indian culture. A lotus grows underwater, its flower rising to the surface while its roots are planted firmly in the river bottom.”
2. She ate her sorrows away on Election Night 2016
With family and friends around her and all of them glued to the television, she recounted the scene on Nov. 8, 2016, when Republican political newcomer Donald Trump surprised American elites across the nation with his election to president over longtime political insider Democrat Hillary Clinton.
“No one really knew what to say or do,” wrote Harris about Trump’s stunning victory that night.
“I sat down on the coach with Doug [Emhoff, her husband] and ate an entire family-size bag of classic Doritos. Didn’t share a single chip,” she admitted.
3. She savages Trump
In her book, Harris fired off a barrage of Democratic talking points about the 45th president after he was elected in Nov. 2016. (Getty Images)
Just two paragraphs after sharing how she devoured a giant bag of Doritos, Harris fired off a verbal barrage of Democratic talking points about the 45th president after his triumphant election.
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“In the years since, we’ve seen an administration align itself with white supremacists at home and cozy up to dictators abroad; rip babies from their mothers’ arms in grotesque violation of their human rights; give corporations and the wealthy huge tax cuts while ignoring the middle class … [and] sabotage health care and imperil a woman’s right to control her own body,” she wrote in part.
Trump, she also insisted, has fought to harm the environment, women’s rights and free media.
4. Her parents were immigrants with an American dream
The vice president was born in Oakland, California, in October 1964, to immigrant parents.
“My father, Donald Harris, was born in Jamaica in 1938,” Harris wrote. “He was a brilliant student who immigrated to the United States after being admitted to the University of California at Berkeley.”
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Her dad is a professor emeritus of economics at Stanford University today.
“My mother’s life began thousands of miles to the east, in southern India,” wrote Harris. “Shyamala Gopalan was the oldest of four children … Like my father, she was a gifted student.”
Pro-Palestinian protesters gather in front of Sproul Hall on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley in Berkeley, California, on April 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Haven Daley)
The vice president’s mother also studied at Berkeley, and became a doctor of endocrinology and breast cancer researcher. She died in 2009.
Harris’ maternal grandfather was a prominent Indian diplomat.
5. Berkeley politics shaped her outlook
Harris’ parents “met and fell in love in Berkeley while participating in the civil rights movement,” the vice president noted.
“My parents often brought me in a stroller with them to civil rights marches … Social justice was a central part of our discussions.”
She discussed the network of leftist activist friends she developed in Berkeley and San Francisco political circles.
Harris discussed the network of leftist activist friends she developed in Berkeley and San Francisco political circles. Among them: Lateefah Simon, a Bay Area social justice warrior and 2024 congressional candidate.
“Lateefah was a genius,” Harris wrote. “In 2003, she became the youngest woman to ever win the prestigious MacArthur ‘Genius’ award.”
Simon today sits on the Bay Area Rapid Transport board of directors and has enjoyed leadership positions with far-left groups such as the Rosenberg Foundation and the Akonadi Foundation.
6. Harris took ballet, spent her teen years in Montreal
Her parents divorced when she was five years old, and when she was 12 she moved with her mother and sister Maya to Canada.
Members of Montreal’s Indian community are shown marching in Canada Celebration on St Catherine’s Street. (Pedro RUIZ/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
“My mother was offered a unique opportunity in Montreal, teaching at McGill University and conducting research at the Jewish General Hospital,” Harris wrote.
“It was a difficult transition for me, since the only French I knew was from ballet classes, where Madame Bovie, my ballet teacher, would shout, ‘Demi-plie, and up!’”
7. She was a sorority sister at Howard University
Harris skipped Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s appearance on Capitol Hill on Wednesday to speak before a meeting of historically black sorority members of Zeta Phi Beat in Indianapolis.
“There were hundreds of people and everyone looked like me.”
Sororities and historically Black education are foundations of her life.
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“‘This is heaven!’” she wrote about arriving at Howard University in Washington, D.C., for her freshman year.
“There were hundreds of people and everyone looked like me.”
Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak at a Rally for Reproductive Rights at Howard University on Tuesday, April 25, 2023 in Washington, D.C. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
She pledged to a sorority, “my beloved Alpha Kappa Alpha, founded by nine women at Howard more than a century ago,” she wrote.
“On weekends, we went down to the National Mall to protest apartheid in South Africa.”
8. Harris learned about George Washington Carver before she learned of George Washington
Dr. George Washington Carver was the pioneering scientist born into slavery in Missouri who rose to fame for his research in American agriculture.
General and later President George Washington was the father of our country.
Washington crossing the Delaware, near Trenton, New Jersey, America, Christmas 1776. George Washington (1732-1799), first president of the United States. From English and Scottish History, published 1882. (Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
“The first George Washington Maya and I learned about when we were young was George Washington Carver,” Harris wrote in the book.
“We still laugh about the first time Maya heard a classroom teacher talk about President George Washington and she thought to herself proudly, ‘I know him! He’s the one who worked with peanuts!’”
9. She wants constitutional protection for abortion
Harris treaded lightly on the pro-choice/pro-life debate in her book. She mentioned the word “abortion” only twice and the phrase “right to choose” twice, in her 318-page memoir.
“If you are a woman, period, you know we deserve a country with … abortion, protected as a fundamental and constitutional right.”
She stated her position quoting a speech she gave at the Women’s March in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 21, 2017, the day after President Trump’s inauguration.
“If you are a woman, period, you know we deserve a country with equal pay and access to health care, including a safe and legal abortion, protected as a fundamental and constitutional right.”
10. She holds a stark view of race and tolerance in the USA
The only-in-America rise to global prominence of millions of people has not brightened the vice president’s stark view of race and tolerance in the United States.
An image of Vice President Kamala Harris is shown in a field in Lawrence, Kansas, created by Stan Herd of Earthworks. (Stan Herd/Earthworks)
“We need to speak truth: that racism, sexism, homophobia, and antisemitism are real in this country, and we need to confront those forces,” Harris wrote early in the book.
She reconfirmed her commitment to American injustice near the end of “The Truths We Told.”
“There are so many ongoing struggles in this country – against racism and sexism, against discrimination based on religion, national origin and sexual orientation. Each of these struggles is unique. Each deserves its own attention and effort.”
Kamala Harris’ sudden rise to the top of the Democrat ticket for president has spurred a rise in sales of her 2019 biography, “The Truths We Hold: An American Journey.” (Sait Serkan Gurbuz/AP; Bonnie Cash/Getty Images)
11. She claimed Americans ‘fear immigrants’
“For as long as ours has been a nation of immigrants, we have been a nation that fears immigrants,” Harris wrote of the most successful immigrant society in human history.
“Fear of the other is woven into the fabric of American culture — and unscrupulous people in power have exploited that fear in pursuit of political advantage,” she also wrote.
12. Harris shares a MAGA belief about globalization
Trump’s Make America Great Again movement is built on the belief that globalization has come at a severe cost to the U.S. economy.
Harris shared the same sentiment while skewering America for its history of intolerance.
“More recently, as globalization has robbed the country of millions of jobs and displaces huge swaths of the middle class, immigrants have become convenient targets for blame,” she also wrote.
She claimed that in one Appalachian community, the rising “sense of despair” has contributed to rising opioid addiction.
She also gave a Trumpian nod to China and the porous border for the drug crisis.
Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. She wrote in her book, “We need to invest resources in law enforcement to cut off the supply of fentanyl from China.” (Getty Images)
“We need to invest resources in law enforcement to cut off the supply of fentanyl from China,” she said in the book.
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Her own office reported to her that “70% of the U.S. supply of methamphetamines was coming through the San Diego port of entry on the southern border.” Harris added proudly, however, that she vehemently opposed the Trump administration’s effort to fund a $25 billion border wall.
“It was a total waste of taxpayer money,” she wrote — adding, “Experts agree that a wall will not secure our border.”
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DENVER — Denver leaders say the city is ready to host the 2028 Democratic National Convention.
Local and state leaders came together Wednesday to show off the city, giving the Democratic National Committee its third of five site tours across the country.
Among the finalists are Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Denver.
“In 2028 Democrats will gather at the national convention to reaffirm the core principles of our party and nominate the next President of the United States of America,” Ken Martin, chair for the Democratic National Committee, said.
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He said the process of selecting the host city is a “serious and deliberative one.”
The selection will be based on factors including hotel space, transit and airport access, venues, restaurants and bars, and culture, among other things.
Colorado Democratic Party Chair Shad Murib made the case for what Denver brings to the table.
“Denver offers a town square, a place to debate, place to energize and a place to organize around the ideals that have always propelled this country forward with fairness, justice and the pursuit of happiness, and that’s what the West has always provided,” Murib said.
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis also joined in the pitch. Johnston acknowledged it has been 18 years since Denver last hosted the DNC in 2008, but said he believes the event could bring in half a billion dollars in economic activity to the city.
► Watch Veronica Acosta’s report in the player below:
Denver leaders pitch city as host for 2028 Democratic National Convention
“It’s four consecutive days of prime-time national television of 50,000 or more people in the city, hosting parties, events, gatherings, and so it’s a huge economic impact for us,” Johnston said.
Hosting the convention comes with a significant cost to the city as well. Johnston said Denver has a plan in place to cover it.
“That is certainly part of the question the convention will have, is each city’s ability to fundraise for the convention,” Johnston said. “We’ve built a very detailed financial plan to lay out our path to raise the resources that we would need to do and we’re prepared to do that.”
Denver Democrats are hoping to recreate the success of the 2008 DNC, nearly two decades later.
“Hosting a national convention, of course, can be a great economic boon for any city with over 35,000 delegates, guests and members of the press in attendance; the Democratic National Convention helps showcase its host city as a world class destination,” Martin said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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Bryan Woo was the best pitcher the Seattle Mariners had in 2025 as they made their run to the playoffs.
He looked like that guy again on Wednesday afternoon.
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Woo shook off a pair of recent shaky outings to go six scoreless, one-hit innings to lead the Mariners to a 3-1 win that clinched a series victory over the MLB-leading Atlanta Braves.
The 26-year-old right-hander worked around a pair of walks while tying his season-high with nine strikeouts.
Woo had a 2.25 ERA through his first five starts of the season, but he ran into trouble on Seattle’s last road trip, allowing seven runs on nine hits including four home runs at St. Louis on April 25. He struggled again last Friday, giving up four runs in the first inning and six runs total over six frames in a loss at home to Kansas City.
Those two outings pushed Woo’s ERA up to 4.61, but he lowered it to 4.02 on the year with his start Wednesday.
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With Woo dominant on the mound, the Mariners’ offense didn’t need to do too much to build a lead against the Braves. Seattle went up 1-0 when designated hitter Cal Raleigh came up with no outs and hit into a bases-loaded double play in the third inning, scoring catcher Jhonny Pereda.
Julio Rodríguez contributed with a little more volume in the sixth inning, blasting a 436-foot solo home run to center off of Braves starter Martín Pérez to put the M’s up 2-0. And after the Braves scored one in the eighth, team RBI leader Cole Young added some insurance by bringing home Josh Naylor home with his second double of the game.
The Mariners came back to beat Atlanta 5-4 on Monday, then had to bounce back Wednesday after falling 3-2 Tuesday night following Braves slugger Matt Olson’s go-ahead homer off of closer Andrés Muñoz in the ninth inning.
Seattle improved to 18-20 with the win, while the Braves dropped to 26-12. It was the first series loss of 2026 for Atlanta.
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SAN FRANCISCO — This is who the Padres are.
They are eventually. They are find a way.
They are virtually nothing — and then they are what is necessary.
“When it’s time to go, we’re ready to go,” Gavin Sheets said Wednesday afternoon after another typically untypical victory. “And we’ve got guys to do it, and we’ve got guys that are ready in any moment.”
Ty France was the one who encapsulated that ethic in a 5-1 victory over the Giants at Oracle Park.
Sent to the plate as a pinch-hitter with two outs in the seventh inning with one strike against him, France worked the count full and then lofted the seventh pitch he saw down the right field line.
As the ball fell, right fielder Jesus Rodriguez dove to try to make what would have been an inning-ending catch, but the ball bounced off his glove and rolled into the corner.
“I knew I didn’t hit it great, so I was hoping that it was going to get down,” France said. “He made a great effort, and fortunately for me, it kicked away.”
Yes, that is how it has gone for the Padres.
As the ball bounced off the side wall and died in the dirt, two Padres baserunners raced home and France ran all the way to third base.
Some deliberation in the dugout regarding personnel had resulted in France getting late word he would be hitting and his being assessed a strike for a pitch clock violation not of his own doing.
“Great at-bat by Ty,” manager Craig Stammen said. “I don’t know if the manager put him in the greatest position to succeed, but we got him out there and he came through and made me look good.”
That France went up and delivered one of the more clutch at-bats of the season was entirely on brand for the Padres of 2026.
His hit was the third by a Padres substitute that gave them a lead in the final three innings of a game. It provided the edge for the Padres in their 11th victory (of their 22 total) earned in the seventh inning or later. It required some good fortune, and it masked the fact that they had three hits to that point and had the 17th quality start thrown against them in 36 games.
What they don’t do just doesn’t seem to matter. It has so far been outweighed in great measure by what they do.
“We’re a resilient group,” France said. “It’s going to be someone different every day. We’ve got to keep putting good at-bats together. When we do put those big innings together, it’s because we’ve had, one after the other, just consistent, good at-bats.”
So it is that a riddle of a season continued, as the Padres won for the third time in four games. This comes after they lost five times in six games, which came after a 16-3 stretch, which followed a 2-5 start.
Xander Bogaerts, who entered the game at shortstop after France pinch-hit for Sung-Mun Song, hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning.
In all, 69 of the Padres’ 162 runs have been scored after the sixth inning. That is the second most in the major leagues.
They are batting .283 after the sixth inning in games in which they are leading by a run, tied or at least have the tying run on deck. That compares to a .227 batting average in all other situations.
Their formula for Wednesday did vary on the pitching side.
The Padres began the game with an opener for the first time this season, and it worked magnificently.
Bradgley Rodriguez retired the Giants in order in the first inning. Matt Waldron took over and allowed one run on two hits while striking out seven batters in his five innings.
Adrian Morejón began the seventh and allowed one hit over the next two innings before Mason Miller worked a 1-2-3 ninth.
A solo home run for each side — Gavin Sheets into the bay in the fourth inning; Rafael Devers the other way and just over the wall in left field in the fifth — had the game tied 1-1 when France came to bat.
Giants’ starting pitcher Adrian Houser had allowed three hits and walked one while throwing just 73 pitches through six innings.
He appeared to get the first out of the seventh when Fernando Tatis Jr. grounded a ball toward third base, but Matt Chapman had the ball go off his glove and into left field.
With that, Giants manager Tony Vitello went to reliever Keaton Winn, who began his day by walking Ramón Laureano before retiring Nick Castellanos and Freddy Fermin.
With the left-handed-hitting Song due up, Vitello made another change, bringing in left-hander Matt Gage.
The Padres, meanwhile, were trying to figure out how to handle their substitutions, given that France was serving as the backup catcher with Luis Campusano unavailable after fouling a ball off his toe Tuesday, shortstop Xander Bogaerts was getting a day off and various other players not working at their usual positions.
When Gage completed his warm-up pitches quicker than Stammen anticipated, Song walked to the plate and got in the box before France emerged from the dugout.
Home plate umpire Tripp Gibson assessed the Padres a pitch clock violation, and France faced an 0-1 count.
After fouling off successive 2-2 pitches, he watched a ball in the dirt and then went the other way with a fastball left up and in.
“Luckily, Ty is such a pro,” Stammen said, “he went out there and did his job and it worked out for us.”
It has not always. But it has an inordinate amount of the time.
Because that is who the Padres are.
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