“When I decided to become a prosecutor, I had to defend that decision to my family, like a student defending a thesis,” Harris wrote in her book. “I asked why, when we seek change, must it either be by breaking down doors or crawling on bended knee? I wanted a seat at the table. I wanted to make change from inside the system.”

CAUTIOUS KAMALA HARRIS DOOMED BY DISTRUST OF VOTERS

“Today I’m no longer sure about that,” she added. “Because the system is failing us. At every level—executive, judicial, legislative, corporate, institutional, media—every single guardrail that is supposed to protect our democracy is buckling. I thought those guardrails would be stronger. I was wrong.”

The new excerpt largely focuses on Harris’s thoughts following the election, her disapproval of Trump’s win as a “mandate,” and her path forward amid her unemployment.

At one point, she suggests the Trump administration is the rise of fascism and tells readers, “I told you so,” about the outcome of Trump’s election and his time in office.

Harris’s book will be released on Sept. 23, but several excerpts and advance copies have been released to tease it.

Harris’s future is the source of much speculation. Earlier this year, she announced she would not be running for governor of California, thereby increasing speculation she will seek another presidential bid in 2028.

But Democrats have signaled that they don’t understand her political strategy with the book, or whether she even wants to run for president for a third time.

“If there’s a political strategy here, it’s a bad one,” former Obama adviser David Axelrod told Politico of Harris’s book. “There’s an awful lot of grievances and finger-pointing that really doesn’t serve a political agenda.”

A different Democratic voice speculated whether she’s reassigning blame so she can run again or if she’s just settling scores. “When you write a book like this, it’s intentional,” said Pete Giangreco, a veteran Democratic consultant, to Politico. “The question is about intent now. Is she settling scores because she’s not running again, or is this her catharsis to assign blame somewhere else so she can say, ‘Give me another chance’?”

One anonymous Democratic strategist painted a one-way political picture for Harris.

“This reads like, good riddance to politics,” they said.

Among other headline-catching lines in her book, Harris said that Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) was not her first choice as her running mate. Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was.

The former vice president thought it too risky to put a gay man and “a Black woman married to a Jewish man,” on the same presidential ticket.

POLITICAL VIOLENCE ON THE RISE IN THE US: A TIMELINE OF KEY INCIDENTS

Buttigieg, a possible 2028 presidential contender, said he was “surprised” to hear the sentiment.

“My experience in politics has been that the way that you earn trust with voters is based mostly on what they think you’re going to do for their lives, not on categories,” Buttigieg said.