Kamala Harris claims she 'had a certain responsibility' to argue against Biden running again
Washington: Former US Vice President Kamala Harris said on Monday evening that she regrets not expressing her concerns about then-President Joe Biden running for a second term when a majority of Americans felt he was too old for the job.
"I have and had a certain responsibility that I should have followed through on," Harris told Rachel Maddow on MSNBC in her first live television interview since the election.
Such a conversation, even if it happened privately and behind the scenes, would have been an extraordinary breach in a relationship between a president and vice president.
Harris' comments expand on a passage in her book, "107 Days," that looks back on her experience replacing Biden as the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee after he dropped out of the race. Harris ultimately lost to Republican candidate Donald Trump.
In the book, Harris wrote that everyone in the White House would say “it's Joe and Jill's decision” about running for reelection, referring to the president and first lady. “Was it grace, or was it recklessness? In retrospect, I think it was recklessness,” she wrote.
“The stakes were simply too high. This wasn’t a choice that should have been left to an individual’s ego, an individual’s ambition. It should have been more than a personal decision.”
In her interview with Maddow, Harris said, "when I talk about the recklessness, as much as anything, I'm talking about myself.”
Harris said in the interview she was concerned that “it would come off as completely self-serving” if she had counseled Biden not to seek reelection. She had competed against him for their party's 2020 nomination, and she was well positioned to run again.
A representative for Biden declined comment.
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Mission operations key to space success: ISRO chief Narayanan
Bengaluru, Apr 8 (PTI): ISRO Chairman V Narayanan on Wednesday highlighted the importance of mission operations in ensuring success, calling it key to India’s expanding space programme.
He was addressing a gathering of scientists, industry experts, and students at the three-day international conference on Spacecraft Mission Operations (SMOPS-2026), themed 'Innovative Operations for Smart and Sustainable Space Mission Management–Next Generation'.
"Mission operations are crucial, especially for long-duration ones. This is an important domain," Narayanan said.
Welcoming delegates from leading global space agencies, including Roscosmos, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the European Space Agency (ESA), and the French space agency, Centre National d'Études Spatiales (CNES), the ISRO chief said the conference marked a significant milestone, as it brought together international expertise, startups, and the broader space ecosystem on a common platform.
"This is not just another conference—it is quite a major global gathering with participation from many countries, experts, startups, and ecosystem partners," he said.
Narayanan pointed to the successful Chandrayaan-3 mission, noting that the "historic landing" near the Moon’s south pole was the outcome of sustained teamwork and operational precision.
He credited the leadership and continuous involvement of senior scientists in mission control, saying their contribution remained indispensable during key phases.
The ISRO chief also recalled the challenges faced after the Chandrayaan-2 mission and said the subsequent success demonstrated India’s technological resilience.
"After the partial setback of Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3 had to be perfect," he said, adding that the achievement had earned global recognition.
Tracing the evolution of India’s space programme since its inception in 1962, Narayanan said the country has accomplished a wide spectrum of missions spanning launch vehicles, scientific exploration, and satellite operations.
He added that while rockets operate for a brief duration, spacecraft require continuous monitoring and control over several years.
"While a rocket functions only for about 15 to 25 minutes, it must generate tremendous energy to place the spacecraft into orbit. However, the spacecraft itself must operate for years—sometimes from two to 15 years," he said.
The ISRO chairman said even minor errors in command execution could jeopardise an entire mission, and commended engineers, software teams, and planners for their role in sustaining mission health.
Narayanan stressed the importance of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and cloud-based systems in transforming mission operations.
He also cited key milestones achieved since the previous conference, including space docking experiments, the Chandrayaan-3 mission, and the Aditya-L1 solar mission, noting that each required advanced operational strategies.
On human spaceflight, he described the Gaganyaan programme as a "defining step" for India’s ambitions.
He added that preparations were progressing towards the first uncrewed mission.
Speaking to reporters later, Narayanan reiterated the long-term nature of mission operations and its significance across mission lifecycles.
"A launch vehicle works only for about 20 to 25 minutes, but mission operations must continue for a long time," he added.
Narayanan explained that communication satellites require continuous monitoring for up to 15 years, while interplanetary missions demand sustained operational control over several months.
He said the SMOPS-2026 conference would focus extensively on advancements in this domain.
"Around 400-plus papers will be presented and discussed. This will be useful for the student community, startup companies, and engineers working in this field," the ISRO chief said.
Responding to queries on the Gaganyaan programme timeline, Narayanan said ISRO was proceeding in a phased manner.
"Before proceeding with the crewed mission, three uncrewed missions are planned. At present, we are working on the first uncrewed mission," he said.
Narayanan said further details would be announced at an appropriate time. On the challenges involved, he pointed to the complexities of developing human-rated systems and integrating numerous technologies.
"We have to human-rate the launch vehicle. There are also many new developments involved, such as the crew escape system, environmental control and life-support systems, and the interface between humans, machines, and software," he said.
Narayanan described the programme as a "coordinated national effort" involving multiple laboratories.
When asked about the procurement of critical systems, he said, "The process is underway."
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