Kamala Harris Says the ‘Guardrails’ on Trump Have Failed — Here’s Why
- Cloud 9 News
- Oct 10
- 3 min read
Washington, D.C. - October 10, 2025 – Former Vice President Kamala Harris issued a fiery warning about the fragility of American democracy during a book tour stop on Thursday, asserting that the institutional "guardrails" designed to restrain President Donald Trump's second-term agenda have largely collapsed. Speaking to a sold-out crowd at the Warner Theatre, Harris emphasized that only "the people and the power of God" remain as bulwarks against what she described as escalating executive overreach.“
The point is that the guardrails have failed, for the most part,” Harris said in conversation with journalist Kara Swisher to promote her new memoir, 107 Days, which chronicles her abbreviated 2024 presidential campaign. “Except one, which is the people and the power of God.” She questioned the Supreme Court's reliability as a check, adding, “So right now, in this moment, if the Supreme Court isn’t a guardrail … what is, from a legal point of view, the guardrail that you see? Just the people.”
Harris's remarks come amid a government shutdown now entering its 10th day, sparked by Republican resistance to extending Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire by year's end.She praised Democrats in Congress for standing firm but lambasted Republicans as "complicit," accusing them of prioritizing "political survival" over principle. "I know there are plenty of Republicans who know this is wrong, but they’re not stepping up," she said, attributing their silence to "fear of retribution."
The former vice president didn't hold back on the Trump administration's broader assaults on science and public health. Drawing from her mother's career advising the National Institutes of Health, Harris decried efforts "to end the war on cancer, to deny science and fire scientists," calling it deeply "personal."She specifically excoriated Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for a Cabinet meeting claim linking circumcision to higher autism rates in boys, dismissing it as "weird" and "f‑‑‑ed up." Harris also referenced New York Attorney General Letitia James's ongoing legal actions against Trump allies, underscoring what she sees as a pattern of retribution.
"I don’t know that it won’t get worse before it gets better … Everyday, something happens," Harris warned, urging sustained resistance. "We have to fight. We have to stay strong. We cannot get used to this. We cannot be overwhelmed, we cannot be silenced." She referenced a viral moment from her Los Angeles book stop at the Getty Center, where she quipped about the administration: "There is so much about this moment that is trying to make people feel like they’ve lost their minds, when in fact, these mothaf‑‑‑as are crazy!"—drawing laughter and applause.
In a related Monday interview with MSNBC's Rachel Maddow—her first since the 2024 election loss—Harris expanded on institutional failures, calling Trump a "tyrant" driven by a "fragile ego" and faulting "feckless" business leaders for their silence. "I always believed that if push came to shove, those titans of industry would be guardrails for our democracy," she said. "And one by one by one, they have been silent."The timing aligned with the Tuesday release of 107 Days, in which Harris reflects on replacing President Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee, critiquing his re-election bid as "recklessness" tied to "ego" and taking personal accountability.
The White House has mocked Harris's recent appearances, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt targeting her "cackle" on social media in response to the guardrails comments. Trump allies have yet to directly address her latest salvos, but the rhetoric has energized Democrats ahead of midterms, positioning Harris as a vocal opposition figure amid rumors of a potential 2028 bid—though she insists her focus remains elsewhere.
As the shutdown drags on and Trump's agenda advances unchecked, Harris's call to arms resonates: In a system where guardrails falter, the people's resolve may be democracy's last stand.
Comments