In the EXTENDED cut of Kamala Harris’s interview on Late Night, there was a segment that did not air on television. During this portion, Stephen asked Kamala to reflect on the contrast between the joy and enthusiasm people felt during her campaign and the current moment. Her response was powerful—so meaningful, in fact, that it deserves to be read carefully and thoughtfully, more than once.

“What l look back at is how people realize the commonality and collective strength and collective love of our country. We love our country. And the thing about that experience is exactly what propels me to think about this moment and the future and not look back too much. Which is those same people – they are still here. They still know joy in their hearts. They still know how to have a sense of optimism, faith, and in the future and to believe and to fight for that. And that hasn’t gone away.

I just think it’s really important that we never let a circumstance, situation, or person defeat our spirit. You can’t let that happen. You can’t give up your belief in what can be and what can be better. In spite of that – you know I talked about the day after the election and again I talked about it in the book. That was a rough bleeping day for me and it was important to me in that speech I gave the next day after the election to remind people to not give up.

I am so aware of the joy that was there and the hope and the enthusiasm and I just think we have to remember that it was not just a candidate that gave that. It came from the people who naturally have that and this election cannot take that away but let’s be clear eyed about it. Let’s be clear eyed about what is going on. That is why people are taking to the streets, people are organizing, and people are talking to each other and talking about the issues and they are articulating what we know is wrong and what it should be. So let’s just not be defeated, right. Let’s just not be defeated.”

-Kamala Harris on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert 7-31-25