After more than two decades serving in elected office — rising from San Francisco district attorney to California attorney general to senator and, ultimately, vice president and Democratic presidential nominee — Harris said she was eager to find a new way to be engaged, albeit one that would still maintain her profile with everyday people.

“I want to travel the country,” she told Colbert. “I want to listen to people. I want to talk with people. And I don’t want it to be transactional where I’m asking for their vote.”

Her bearish assessment about the state of the country was, in Colbert’s words, “harrowing,” leading Harris, who is focusing on a book tour and potential non-profit initiative, to insist she was not disengaging from civic life entirely.

“In this moment where people have become so deflated and despondent and afraid, those of us who have the ability — which I do right now, not being in an office or in a campaign for that office, to be out there and to talk with folks and remind them of their power,” she added.

A Harris spokesperson declined to comment for this story.

While there is plenty of skepticism within the party’s ranks about her viability in 2028, many prominent Democratic leaders still effuse praise for Harris and have touted her as a key asset for candidates in the midterms.

Asked if he wants her to run in 2028, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, her former running mate, told POLITICO, “I would welcome it. I think she was a great candidate. I think she would make a great president. I saw how she thinks. I saw how she cares about people. So if that’s her decision, you know where my heart is.”

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who’s considered a potential presidential contender himself, boasted about Harris after a bill-signing ceremony this week, calling her a “terrific spokesperson” with a storied career who can help Democrats speak to the economic challenges facing working people.

“Frankly, those of us who believe that we need change in this country right now, need all the help that we can get to try to overcome what’s ahead and to win in the 2026 elections,” Pritzker told reporters. “And so I welcome her to that fight.”