Kamala Harris approaches the left and supporters of Palestine in preparation for the 2028 race policy

Kamala Harris, former US Vice President, is moving on more than one front to rebuild bridges of communication with the progressive wing within the Democratic Party, in a move that a news report published by Axios considers a possible preparation for running in the 2028 presidential elections.

The website says that last week, Harris had a private call with New York City Mayor Zahran Mamdani, during which they discussed the future of the Democratic Party and agreed to hold a longer meeting at a later time. This came just two days after Mamdani-backed candidates won three congressional races in New York, which strengthened his position within the party’s progressive trend.

Harris’s openness is not limited to Mamdani, as Axios notes that over the past months, she has held lengthy meetings away from the spotlight with progressive figures, including pro-Palestine activists, and some leaders of the “Non-Committed” movement that arose in protest against former President Joe Biden’s policy toward the war launched by Israel in the Gaza Strip.

Actions after criticism

In this context, Harris met in Detroit with Abbas Al-Allawi, one of the founders of the movement and currently running for the Michigan State Senate, who said that during the meeting he repeated his position rejecting the use of “American taxpayer money to target civilians or destroy entire communities.” He also informed her that families in his constituency had lost relatives in the Gaza Strip as a result of the American-backed Israeli raids.

Harris also contacted James Zogby, a veteran member of the Democratic National Committee and one of the most prominent advocates for Palestinian rights, in addition to former officials and Democratic experts, to discuss issues that go beyond the Middle East, such as China, artificial intelligence, and Venezuela.

Axios points out that these moves come after criticism faced by Harris during the 2024 campaign, when she refused to move away from Biden’s position in support of Israel, which led to a cooling of her relationship with broad sectors of Arab and progressive voters.

“Why should we trust her[Harris]now? If this change is real, she has a chance to prove it, and even then the skepticism is not only understandable, but justified,” says Palestinian-American political strategist Rania Patrice.

Justified doubts

But Harris revealed in her 2025 book, “107 Days,” that she “begged” Biden to show more sympathy for Palestinian civilians, stressing that he could not do so, and that his statements regarding Palestinian victims seemed “insufficient and artificial.”

Despite this openness, the report conveys skepticism from some pro-Palestinian voices. “Why should we trust her now? If this change is real, she has a chance to prove it, and even then the skepticism is not only understandable, but justified,” says Palestinian-American political strategist Rania Patrice.

Axios concludes that Harris is still leading or competing for the top spot in early opinion polls for Democratic Party candidates in the 2028 elections, but she faces challenges within the party due to the volatility of her political positions, as well as widespread doubts about her ability to win in the general elections, despite her continued great popularity among Democrats in the states of the American South.