Harris reveals 'Stars Project' mentoring in new memoir, spotlighting Jasmine Crockett

Vice President Kamala Harris reveals in her new memoir that she ran a secret mentoring program called the Stars Project to cultivate rising Democrats, including Rep. Jasmine Crockett. The memoir, 107 Days, recounts the 2024 White House bid and Harris’s planning for the Democratic National Convention, where she says the party should highlight its stars while keeping the event entertaining. "When I became VP, I had a secret project – I called it the Stars Project – that only my senior team knew about. We’d brainstorm about the younger talents in the party and then, on Friday afternoons, I’d invite one or another to visit my office in the West Wing or the residence," Harris writes. Many were nervous, but Harris recalls telling them, "No, I think you’re very talented. What are you working on, and how can I help you?" The memo lists several who went on to speak at the convention, including Crockett, Underwood, Garcia, Alsobrooks, Simon, Frost, Neguse and Hidalgo.

The reference to Crockett came after conservatives had criticized her for past positions, including comparisons of ICE to slave patrols and support for defunding police. Crockett later referenced the passage in a post tied to her DNC speech, where she described having first met Harris during a difficult period in Congress and Harris offering personal support. "When I first got to Congress, I wasn't sure I made the right decision. The chaos caucus couldn't elect a speaker and the Oversight Committee was unhinged. I was going through all of this when I visited the vice president's residence for the first time. As I approached Vice President Harris for our official photo, she turned to me and asked, ‘What's wrong?’" Crockett recounted. "Mind you, we'd never met. But she saw right through me. She saw the distress. I immediately began crying, and the most powerful woman in the world wiped my tears and listened." Crockett’s comments at the DNC have been cited by supporters as evidence of Harris’s mentoring influence.

Crockett has also drawn attention for remarks on Charlie Kirk and a subsequent backlash from some White House supporters who criticized Republican and some Democratic lawmakers for honoring Kirk. Fox News Digital reported conservative pushback as part of the broader debate over Crockett's rhetoric and the messaging around the convention. Fox News Digital reached out to Crockett for comment on Harris's book excerpt and her DNC speech.

To place this excerpt in context, Harris’s memoir covers the 2024 presidential bid and the early aftermath, with the title referencing the roughly 107 days from the start to the end of the campaign. The book’s release has drawn interest because it reveals internal planning on issues such as the convention, messaging and the cultivation of potential future leaders within the Democratic Party.

Elizabeth Elkind, a politics reporter for Fox News Digital, provided the report on the memoir excerpt and Crockett's remarks, highlighting the broader narrative around Harris’s leadership approach and the party's star power strategy ahead of elections.