Politics and Current
Harris writes in Vogue magazine, talks about the ‘complexity’ and ‘nuances’ of Israel’s war in the Middle East
Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris once more appears on the cover of Vogue magazine in the latest digital edition of the Fashion Bible.
The cover portrait of Harris, his second since his election as vp, was shot by legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz. Harris, 59, was photographed sitting at her Washington, D.C. residence, Naval One Observatory, wearing a monochrome brown suit and shirt by Gabriela Hearst. Vogue also notes that the vp is wearing Tiffany earrings.
The magazine’s cover story follows Harris on the campaign trail as she travels across the country to drum up votes in an unusually short period of time for a presidential campaign. The vp found himself much more in the highlight after President Joe Biden selected July 21 not to hunt re-election and to support Harris as his successor.
“It was a dramatic turn of the day,” Harris said of the moment she received the call from Biden, who delivered the shocking and historic news.
Now Harris is just 4 weeks away from potentially being elected the first woman, first Black woman and first South Asian president of the United States.
Harris spoke live with Vogue’s Nathan Heller about a number of topics, including what her first call from the Oval Office can be like if elected on November 5.
“One of my first calls – outside of my family – will be to the team that is working with me on our plan to lower costs for the American people,” Harris told Vogue. “It’s not just about publishing something in a respected journal. It’s not about the speech. It’s literally about how does it get onto the streets? How do people actually experience this work in a way that benefits them?”
Harris also reflected on perhaps the biggest international issue that has proven uncertain for the Biden-Harris administration: the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
The presidential candidate said the United States should create “incentives” for Israel and Hamas – and now Hezbollah in Lebanon – to show to de-escalation.
“The Harris administration – referring to myself in the third person, which makes me quite uncomfortable – would be to articulate these issues and hopefully use language that reflects the complexity and nuance of what’s happening in the region,” he said Harris .
The vp stressed that the conflict in the Middle East is “not” binary, telling Vogue: “You’re neither for this nor for that.”
Harris reiterated her position that Israel has the right to defend itself following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, but in addition emphasized: “Far too many Palestinians have been killed.”
The vp called for a two-state solution and said it was essential for stakeholders not to desert “the sense of hope that it is possible – even if it does not seem imminent.”
Vogue’s cover story also includes interesting reflections from individuals who know Harris personally or who’ve worked together with her over the many years of her profession as a former prosecutor, San Francisco District Attorney, California Attorney General, U.S. Senator, and now, Vice President.
U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, an influential Democrat and former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, spoke to a reporter about how Harris masterfully secured the party’s nomination in a matter of days.
“It was a beautiful thing,” said Pelosi, who noted that she believed there can be an open nominating convention at the Democratic National Committee Convention.
“I haven’t really talked about who’s next,” Pelosi insists she’s interested in a renewed ticket, then adds, “but I always thought if they had an open convention, she would win it.”
The cover story also highlights Harris’ commitment not only to public service, but in addition to private appearance.
Matthew Rothschild, described as a friend, former colleague of Harris and an LGBTQ supporter, reflected on Harris’s knack for being “perfectly organized” – even during visits to the dentist.
“I remember seeing her coming out of the dentist’s office one time and she looked great,” Rothschild recalled.
He said Harris said something that stuck with him perpetually when he went outside: “You’ve got to look the part.”
“Sometimes when I’m making a choice about what to wear – will I choose something more formal or a little more casual? “I hear Kamala’s voice in my head saying, ‘You have to look the part,’” Rothschild said. “…(It) doesn’t help me make a decision. Literally to this day. And that was 17 years ago.”
You can read Kamala Harris’s entire article Vogue.com.