Harris’s 107 Days Memoir Highlights Limited Mentions of Michelle Obama
Book centers on endorsement timing and DNC planning, with only three references to the former first lady
Former Vice President Kamala Harris’s 2024 memoir, 107 Days, depicts a campaign season in which Michelle Obama is mentioned sparingly. A Fox News Digital review found that the former first lady’s name appears only three times across the 300-page book, with two mentions tied to the timing of the Obamas’ endorsement for Harris as the Democratic nominee. The book charts a sequence in which Joe Biden’s withdrawal set off a rapid reconsideration of endorsements among top Democrats.
Harris recounts a July 2024 exchange with Barack Obama, in which he urged patience and said Harris would need to earn the moment. "Saddle up! Joe did what I hoped he would do. But you have to earn it," Obama told her, according to Harris’s notes. In a follow-up section, Harris writes that on July 26, 2024, the Obamas endorsed Harris through a video message after delaying an endorsement since July 21, 2024. "The big news of the day for my campaign wasn’t news to me. Barack and Michelle Obama had decided the time was right to endorse me. They’d wanted to make a film of them calling me, and it was now up on social media," she writes. The book also notes that Harris’s husband, Doug Emhoff, was moved up the speaker roster at the Democratic National Convention, delivering a prime-time address the same evening as the former first couple. In a final mention, Emhoff learns that "Barack and Michelle. You three are the prime-time package."
Beyond Michelle Obama, the memoir highlights other Democratic figures: Hillary Clinton is mentioned 14 times, Jill Biden five times, and Barack Obama nine times. By contrast, former first lady Melania Trump and former first lady Laura Bush are not named in similar personal terms, while former President George W. Bush is referenced four times. The review notes that Michelle Obama publicly stumped for Harris on the campaign trail, including a DNC appearance in Chicago where she lauded Harris as prepared, qualified, and dignified. The book also quotes Michelle Obama’s DNC remarks, in which she said, "My girl, Kamala Harris, is more than ready for this moment."
Fox News Digital reached out to Michelle Obama’s office and Harris’s office for comment but did not receive an immediate reply.
Overall, the memoir’s treatment of Michelle Obama sits within a broader mosaic of mentions and cross-references to top Democrats, reflecting the careful balance in Harris’s narrative between personal recollection and political strategy. The absence of more extensive personal mentions of the former first lady, despite public campaigning in support of the ticket, underscores the book’s emphasis on endorsement timing and campaign mechanics over intimate portraits. Fox News Digital noted the lack of additional references when scanning for terms such as "first lady" or "the Obamas" elsewhere in the text, and there was no immediate comment forthcoming from the parties involved.
In context, the episode reflects how 2024’s high-stakes primary and general-election cycle shaped narrative beats around endorsements, timekeeping, and visibility at the Democratic National Convention. The book’s emphasis on the sequence of endorsements and prime-time appearances provides a record of how the Harris campaign navigated expectations and coalition politics within the party. The reporting on Michelle Obama’s occasional references, contrasted with broader mentions of Clinton, Biden, and Bush-era figures, contributes to a nuanced portrait of a year defined by strategic timing rather than routine personal anecdotes.
