New York: In her first message after her concession speech, subdued and sad-sounding US Vice President Kamala Harris told her supporters to safeguard their power. As the nation awaits her next act, she said in a video message, “I just have to remind you, don’t you ever let anybody take your power from you.” “You have the same power that you did before November 5, and you have the same purpose that you did, and you have the same ability to engage and inspire,” said Harris, adding, “So don’t ever let anybody or any circumstance take your power from you.”
Harris went on vacation to Hawaii after her defeat, avoided public appearances after the November 6 speech, accepted her defeat, and returned to her home base, San Francisco, on Monday. The Democratic Party, which released the 29-second video message on Tuesday on X and TikTok, did not say when or where it was recorded.
The video lacked a professional touch and showed her wearing a brown jacket, seated with a partial view of the US flag in the background. She appeared tired and, at times, on the verge of tears as she spoke, making hand gestures for emphasis.
Harris will not be in want after leaving office. Although the Vice President does not get a pension for the position, her role as President of the Senate during the vice presidency and her prior service on the Senate entitles her to a pension. She will also be getting pensions from jobs she had held in California.
She can, however, expect to make more money from speaking fees – that can run to tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands per engagement – and royalties for books. Former Vice President Mike Pence received an advance of $1.4 million for his memoir, and during 16 months from January 2022 alone he made $3.4 million in fees for 31 speeches, according to his filing when he was contemplating a run for President that was obtained by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.
Before becoming the Vice President, Harris had earned $450,000 in royalties for her memoir, “The Truths We Hold.” Forbes estimated the net worth of her and her husband, Doug Emhoff, at $8 million A big question mark hangs over her future when she leaves office on January 21. In her speech on November 6, conceding defeat, she said. “I will never give up the fight for a future where Americans can pursue their dreams, ambitions, and aspirations.” Her professional bio is made up entirely of government jobs, starting as a deputy district attorney – or prosecutor – in a California county and rising in the ranks to become the state’s elected attorney general.