When Vice President Kamala Harris walks into the Capitol this Friday to swear in a new class of Senators, it’s hard to ignore the irony. Many of the same politicians who’ve spent months criticizing her will be handing her their family Bibles with a smile. These are the folks who, at rallies, on social media, and in interviews, have spread wild and false claims—like accusing her of wanting to cancel Christmas, bring dog meat to immigrant kitchens, or rig the election by allowing undocumented immigrants to vote.
It’s a strange, sometimes ugly reality that comes with the job of Vice President. Whether it’s Kamala Harris, Al Gore, or Richard Nixon, they all know what it’s like to lose a presidential bid but still have to come back and preside over the Senate—where their opponents wait. It’s an uncomfortable truth that politicians have to make peace with. But no matter how awkward or painful, it’s just part of the role.
For Harris, the situation is particularly tough. Even though she’s put on a brave face after her political setbacks, there’s no denying the sting of seeing her harshest critics—those who accused her of everything from promoting Christmas wars to causing an assassination attempt—now in positions of power. Take, for example, Sen.-elect Bernie Moreno of Ohio. He spread baseless rumors about dog-eating in Ohio and falsely linked Harris to claims of putting “illegal immigrants” ahead of U.S. citizens. Then there’s Sen.-elect Jim Banks of Indiana, who stuck to tired culture war rhetoric, saying Harris wanted to wage a “war on Christmas.”
Meanwhile, Sen. Ted Cruz continued to make wild claims, like accusing Harris of orchestrating a flood of asylum seekers to the U.S. (which, by the way, non-citizens can’t vote). And then there’s Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, who criticized Harris for not showing enough concern over Florida’s hurricane recovery efforts. Despite all this, come Friday, Harris will stand there, swearing in the very people who’ve spent months misrepresenting her.
But Kamala Harris isn’t new to this kind of political drama. As a former prosecutor, district attorney, Attorney General, Senator, and presidential nominee, she knows the game. She understands that her opponents will always try to create divisions between the parties and amplify any small crack. Harris has spent her entire career pushing through these kinds of attacks—and at 60, she’s not about to stop now.
It’s clear that Harris doesn’t find joy in the current political atmosphere. She and President Biden are preparing to leave offices that will soon be occupied by their political opposites—like Donald Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance. The shift in the Senate will be just as dramatic, with Republicans taking control, but without the steady hand of Mitch McConnell leading them. This uncertainty could be one of the only things that offers a bit of solace to Harris as she gets ready for Friday’s swearing-in ceremony.
So, yes—Harris will smile, nod, and shake hands on Friday. But don’t expect her to forget the many slights she’s endured. Like all seasoned politicians, she remembers. And she’ll likely use those memories to fuel her next moves. After all, in the world of politics, it’s never just about what’s happening now; it’s always about what comes next.
