Podcast Summary: “Work in Progress: Kamala Harris” (November 24, 2025)

Host: Sophia Bush
Guest: Vice President Kamala Harris
Podcast: Work in Progress with Sophia Bush, iHeartPodcasts

Overview

Sophia Bush welcomes Vice President Kamala Harris for an in-depth, heartfelt conversation about leadership, resilience, democracy, community, and what it means to persist as both a “masterpiece and a work in progress.” The episode is rooted in reflection—on Harris’s extraordinary 107-day presidential campaign, on the lessons from her upbringing, and on the communal nature of democracy. Together, they explore the reality of public service, sacrifice, hope as action, the importance of community, and the urgent need for truthful information in an era of disinformation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Childhood Roots & Early Influences

Timestamps: 06:41–11:27

• Sophia asks Kamala to reflect on her eight-year-old self, evoking stories of confidence, community, and standing up against injustice from a young age.
• Harris credits her “knock-kneed, pigeon-toed” childhood (07:16) and an environment saturated with love and encouragement for her lasting belief in justice and fairness.
• Having parents active in the civil rights movement, she internalized “an emotion that one has or should have about fairness or unfairness, justice or injustice.” (08:53)
• Early instinct to protect: Kamala recounts her first playground fight in defense of a friend with a lisp (10:10), underlining her innate sense of justice and loyalty.

"Nobody should be made to fight alone. ... You step in and don't just let it happen if there's something you can do about it."
— Kamala Harris (10:23)

2. Leadership, Democracy, and the 107-Day Campaign

Timestamps: 13:14–20:43

• Candid look at the historic 2024 election: Harris steps into the presidential race after the sitting president bows out with just 107 days to campaign. She ran against a former president with little time to prepare.
• She emphasizes the deeply divided electorate (one-third each for her, her opponent, and non-voters) and stresses the importance of understanding why so many Americans abstained from voting.
• Kamala wrote her campaign memoir as a "journal," describing each day’s events and inviting readers to reflect on where they were during those historic moments.

“I wasn't about to have history talk about it without my voice being present.”
— Kamala Harris (14:26)

• A favorite campaign memory: At rallies, crowds of strangers passed babies forward for photos, “the most wonderful, wonderful thing about just community” and a symbol of collective hope and care (17:16).
• Kamala frames the 107-day campaign as an example of optimism, urging listeners:

  “You cannot let any election or individual or circumstance extinguish your light or diminish your light. It is in us and it is in each other.” (19:38)

3. Public Service: Sacrifice and the Table Metaphor

Timestamps: 24:33–32:31

• Sophia delves into Kamala’s metaphor of the expandable table at the vice president’s residence—a symbol of adaptability and making space for all, regardless of status or familiarity.

• Harris clarifies her approach to leadership as duty-bound, not charity:

  “It’s not about charity... it’s about a duty, and it’s not negotiable.” (27:42)

• She critiques “perversion” of strength as beating down others—instead, true strength is "who you lift up." (28:00)

• On the importance of community and not being made to feel alone, especially amidst societal bullying and division.

• Sophia reflects on the importance of collective contribution, challenging the idea of resisting social support systems.

4. The Role of Family, Legacy, and Women’s Health

Timestamps: 44:41–54:23

• Kamala frequently invokes her mother as both compass and anchor, recounting how her mother’s strength, activism, and legacy continue to guide her—especially during tough moments like grilling Supreme Court candidates.
• A poignant story: Kamala’s mother was determined and supportive near the end of her life—even as Kamala ran for Attorney General, her mother offered unflinching, sometimes fierce, encouragement (46:13).
• On personal sacrifice: Harris recounts missing her stepdaughter’s high school graduation due to Senate duties, underscoring the continual trade-offs of public life (39:18).
• “Breast Cancer Awareness Sunday” fell near both her birthday and the election, rekindling her sense of purpose around women’s health and dignity (50:47–54:00).
• Larger reflections on “fighting for dignity” in women’s health, maternal mortality reduction, and policy advancements for equity.

5. Being Underestimated, Momentum, and Policy Lessons

Timestamps: 54:00–62:42

• The challenge of running as a woman and person of color—having to “work twice as hard to get to the same starting line,” echoed in her conversation with Cardi B.
• The campaign’s momentum was real but hampered by lack of time; Harris details her approach to policy during the race (affordable home ownership, combating corporate landlords, supportive policies for the “sandwich generation”).
• Honest self-reflection: Harris says if she had it to do over, she would prioritize affordable childcare, child tax credit, and paid leave before infrastructure, focusing first on “the here and now issues.” (60:33)

6. Disinformation, Media, and Rebuilding Trust

Timestamps: 66:55–74:33

• Kamala identifies disinformation as a profound threat to democracy: the lowering of barriers to spreading falsehoods via technology, and the challenge it poses to shared reality.
• She warns against assuming people who voted differently “are working with the same information,” and highlights Gen Z’s pivotal role and skepticism regarding information sources (66:55–73:49).
• Emphasizes the power of everyday interpersonal conversations in pushing back against misinformation.

"Some of the most reliable and trusted sources of information for an individual are people they know."
— Kamala Harris (71:51)

7. Hope, Resilience, and the Long Game of Social Progress

Timestamps: 75:53–81:06

• Sophia observes, “Hope can feel like a radical act right now," and commends Kamala's commitment to optimism, action, and community.
• Kamala insists on refusing defeat, even in the face of electoral loss:

  "You can concede an election, but not the fight for who we are." — Sophia Bush (78:30)
  "Sometimes the fight takes a while. ... So let's understand the nature of it and be up for it. And in the process have joy, have a sense of community, find time to laugh, find time to sing and to dance, eat good food. And fight. All these things coexist in a beautiful way." — Kamala Harris (80:18, 80:55)

8. Audience Q&A: Advice for Young People and Activists

Timestamps: 85:08–97:48

• Advice to Youth (Darius, age 12):

  • “If you want to be in politics, ... you have to have a purpose that is bigger than yourself. ... Connect it to something that gives you a sense of passion, which you are ready to fight for." (85:44–88:13)

• Advice to Non-politicians (“small” acts):

  • “Never refer to yourself as doing small things. ... Being involved in campaigns and policy is important, but so is helping local nonprofits." (88:24–90:29)

• Sustaining Movement Momentum:

  • Listen to the people you wish to serve, fight with discipline and unity, and avoid infighting (“circular firing squad”). The movement must stay relevant, adapt rapidly, and fight fire with fire, especially against historic threats (91:20–94:28).

• International Solidarity & Canada–US Relations:

  • “The strength of the relationship between nations is ... dependent on the strength between the people of those nations.” (95:55)
  • Grassroots ties and shared values can outlast political turmoil or adversarial leadership.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Nobody should be made to fight alone.” — Kamala Harris (10:25)
• “You cannot let any election or individual or circumstance extinguish your light or diminish your light.” — Kamala Harris (19:38)
• “There hasn’t been anyone like me.” — Kamala Harris, on her unique approach and perspective (27:28)
• “True strength is based on who you lift up.” — Kamala Harris (28:00)
• “It is often the people who have the least who give the most.” — Kamala Harris (32:31)
• “Fighting for dignity... is always going to be part of my fight.” — Kamala Harris (53:00)
• “If I had to do it differently, I would have first done affordable childcare, extending the child tax credit, and paid leave.” — Kamala Harris (60:33)
• “Don’t ever underestimate your power to have conversations with the people in your life ... about things you know to be accurate and true.” — Kamala Harris (71:51)
• “You can concede an election, but not the fight for who we are.” — Sophia Bush (78:30)
• “Sometimes the fight takes a while.” — Kamala Harris (80:18)

Closing Reflections

The episode closes with Kamala Harris reiterating the importance of endurance— “the moral arc of the universe is long” and requires ongoing engagement (81:00). The audience Q&A wraps up with practical ways to make a difference, for both aspiring politicians and everyday activists. Kamala leaves listeners with a sense of hope, calling on everyone to embrace their leadership, nurture community, and refuse to let their spirit be defeated by setbacks or division.

This summary omits all advertisements and non-content material, focusing solely on the substance of the discussion between Sophia Bush, Kamala Harris, and the audience Q&A.