The Briefing with Albert Mohler

Episode: Thursday, September 25, 2025

Overview:

In this episode, Albert Mohler provides a deep-dive analysis of Kamala Harris’s newly released memoir 107 Days, focused on her 2024 presidential campaign, her service as vice president, and her positioning within the Democratic Party. Mohler critically examines Harris’s explanations for her electoral defeat, her relationship with President Biden, her philosophical stances on key policy issues, and the internal party dynamics reflected in her selection of a vice presidential running mate. Throughout, Mohler offers commentary from a Christian worldview, highlighting the “worldview clash” on contemporary political issues.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Historical Record of Kamala Harris (00:15–03:00)

• Harris’s political trajectory: Attorney General of California, U.S. Senator, 49th Vice President.
• The immediate context: her loss in the 2024 election to Donald Trump, despite speculation about her potential presidency.
• The memoir 107 Days attempts to explain her electoral defeat and her choices during the Biden presidency and campaign.

Notable Insight:

• "The big historical question… is why in the world more Democrats… at the head of those Democrats, former Vice President Kamala Harris… did not put more pressure, public and private, upon President Joe Biden to decide he would not run for a second term in office when it was clear he was not capable." (01:30)

Why Didn’t Harris Challenge Biden? (03:00–09:30)

• Harris’s book reveals she neither publicly nor privately urged Biden to step aside, even as his fitness became increasingly questioned.
• She claims her loyalty prevented her from confronting Biden, seeing it as an act of unfaithfulness.
• Harris draws a distinction between Biden's “ability to govern” and “ability to campaign.”

Quote:

• “She says, and I think this is one of the more ludicrous things she tries to argue. She tries to argue that it really wasn't the case that he was unable to govern, but rather he was unable to campaign.” (08:45)

• Harris: "There was a distinction between his ability to campaign and his ability to govern. I was right beside him as he navigated successfully through intensely dangerous world events… His judgment, his experience...were expertly deployed. As for campaigning, I did have concerns." (09:10)

Mohler’s Analysis:

• Mohler challenges Harris’s distinction: “To govern is to campaign… you can't be in an office like… President… without gaining it by election. If he wasn’t up to campaigning… he wasn’t up to governing. We now know that...” (09:30)

Campaign Drama & The Democratic Ticket (09:30–14:00)

• Details about Biden’s withdrawal and Harris’s rapid anointment as nominee.
• The process of selecting her own vice-presidential running mate; insight into internal party negotiations and calculations.

Harris’s Position on Key Issues: Abortion & LGBTQ Rights (14:00–22:00)

• Harris highlights her more leftist positions compared to Biden, focusing on abortion and LGBTQ rights.
• She critiques Biden’s reluctance to seize leadership on abortion post-Dobbs, positioning herself as the one who organized national advocacy and outreach.

Quote:

• "Joe struggled to talk about reproductive rights in a way that met the gravity of the moment. He ceded that leadership to me. I initiated a national tour and rallied the outrage… building a national coalition." — Kamala Harris, as read by Mohler (15:45)

Mohler’s Critique:

• Points out contradiction: Harris claims unswerving loyalty to Biden but also documents her awareness of his age and incapacity concerns, even in 2022.

Vice Presidential Vetting and Identity Politics (22:00–36:00)

• Harris reveals Pete Buttigieg was her preferred choice for VP, citing his credentials and talents.
• Mohler questions the leap from Buttigieg’s background to “eminently qualified to jump from being mayor of South Bend, Indiana… to being the obvious person qualified for the presidency.” (23:25)
• Harris’s rationale for not picking Buttigieg centers on the perceived risk of a “black woman… and a gay man” ticket being too much for America.

Quote (from Harris’s book):

• “He would have been an ideal partner if I were a straight white man, but we were already asking a lot of America to accept a woman, a black woman, a black woman married to a Jewish man. Part of me wanted to say, screw it, let's just do it. But knowing what was at stake, it was too big of a risk. And I think Pete also knew that. To our mutual sadness.” (25:05)

Controversy:

• Rachel Maddow’s MSNBC interview: Maddow presses Harris on Buttigieg not being chosen “effectively because he was gay.”
• Harris denies this in a “word salad” answer, but Mohler argues her own words contradict her denial.

Quote (Harris responding to Maddow):

• “No, that's not what I said, that he couldn't be on the ticket because he is gay… My point… was that… to be a black woman running for president… and… a vice presidential running mate, a gay man, with the stakes being so high, it made me very sad. But I also realized it would be a real risk, no matter how. …But that's the decision I made… I'm being very candid about that.” (27:50–29:15)
• Mohler: “If that's candid, my goodness. I can't even put the words in an order that are fully understandable. Basically… no means yes, emphatically so. It's just not her fault.” (29:25)

The Shapiro Factor and Intra-Party Tensions (36:00–42:00)

• Harris describes her process for VP selection, focusing on Josh Shapiro, the Governor of Pennsylvania, along with Tim Walz and Mark Kelly.
• Harris’s concerns about Shapiro: his outsized ambition and possible lack of loyalty, despite his electoral value.

Quote:

• “I asked him if he understood the job of vice president… because if you do, you'll be good at it… At one point, he mused that he would want to be in the room for every decision. I told him bluntly that was an unrealistic expectation. A vice president is not a co president… I had a nagging concern that he would be unable to settle for the role as number two and that it would wear on our partnership.” (39:00–40:15)

Political Takeaway:

• Mohler speculates that Shapiro is now a leading Democratic figure for 2028 but may not want to be linked to Harris, given her portrayal of him.

The Battle of Ideas: Worldview Clashes (42:00–50:00)

• Mohler focuses on Harris’s positions and rhetoric regarding abortion, LGBTQ, transgender issues, especially regarding parental rights and women’s athletics.
• Harris acknowledges a need for compromise (“goodwill and common sense”) but remains vague; Mohler argues this is disingenuous given her political commitments.

Quote (on trans issues):

• “She says it's the height of hypocrisy for the party that's always championed the right of parents… to suddenly bring down the awesome power of the state on loving parents trying to figure out care for their children….

• Mohler notes: “She was the one with the golden opportunity to make” proposals on trans sports—“but she… couldn't possibly have made it. Instead, she makes the argument now, but it's not much of an argument.” (46:15)

• On abortion, Mohler criticizes Harris’s “restore Roe” position: “They want no restrictions on abortion… she says, I just want to restore Roe, and then… she's opposed to restrictions… that's not Roe.” (48:00)

Reflections on the Vice Presidency (50:00–55:00)

• Mohler discusses the importance and historical ambiguity of the vice presidency, noting its limited powers and the role as presidential successor.
• Not all vice presidents are successful in winning the presidency; the skill sets often differ.

Quote:

• “The fact is… the skill set to be vice president and the skill set to be president are not a precise overlap. History records that very, very clearly.” (53:00)

Final Observations (55:00–End)

• Mohler suggests Harris’s memoir, perhaps unintentionally, provides valuable insights for historians and the public into the fractures and worldview commitments within elite Democratic politics.
• He closes with a subtle encouragement to learn from recent political history, even if the lessons come from unexpected sources.

Memorable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• “Why in the world more Democrats… did not put more pressure… upon President Joe Biden to decide he would not run for a second term…” (01:30)
• “To govern is to campaign… If he wasn’t up to campaigning… he wasn’t up to governing. We now know that…” (09:30)
• “He would have been an ideal partner if I were a straight white man… but knowing what was at stake, it was too big of a risk. And I think Pete also knew that. To our mutual sadness.” (25:05)
• “[On Shapiro]… At one point, he mused that he would want to be in the room for every decision. I told him bluntly that was an unrealistic expectation. A vice president is not a co president.” (39:45)
• “The skill set to be vice president and the skill set to be president are not a precise overlap. History records that very, very clearly.” (53:00)

Important Timestamps

• 00:15 – Historical context of Harris’s career and memoir
• 03:00 – Reflections on Biden’s candidacy and Harris’s choices
• 09:10 – Harris’s key quote distinguishing “governing” vs. “campaigning”
• 15:45 – Harris on Dobbs decision and her leadership on abortion
• 22:00 – The Buttigieg VP vetting story and media reaction
• 25:05 – Direct quote on not picking Buttigieg
• 27:50–29:15 – Harris’s “word salad” response to Maddow
• 36:00–40:30 – Assessment of Josh Shapiro as a potential VP
• 42:00–48:00 – Worldview clashes on abortion & trans issues
• 53:00 – Reflections on the vice presidency's significance

Tone

• Mohler’s tone throughout is critical, analytical, and rooted in a Christian worldview. He is candid in his critique, occasionally incredulous (“If that’s candid, my goodness”), and often uses sharp rhetorical questions to challenge Harris’s narratives.

This podcast episode is essential listening (or reading, via this summary) for anyone interested in the interplay of party politics, the significance of the vice presidency, the ideological direction of the Democratic Party, and the boundaries of political loyalty—all through the lens of Christian cultural analysis.