WASHINGTON – Vice President Kamala Harris, in one of her final public appearances in that role, signed her ceremonial desk drawer at the White House on Thursday, a tradition that dates back nearly a century.
As a crowd of current and former employees gathered in Harris' official office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, she thanked them for their “extraordinary commitment” to public service and prioritizing the hopes and dreams of the American people.
“Each of us has embraced a life and a calling that involves working in the service of others in a way that is driven by ambition, even by a sense of almost stubbornness, because we don't “hear and know that we can make a difference,” Harris said.
Signatures of Kamala Harris and other vice presidents on a desk drawer in Harris' office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.
(Susan Walsh/Associated Press)
Then, as second gentleman Doug Emhoff took photos, Harris signed her desk drawer with a sharpie, a tradition that dates back to the 1940s and has continued since the Ford administration. The vice president noted that, with the exception of Presidents Eisenhower and Truman, she has met every one of her predecessors who signed the letter.
As the crowd chanted, “MVP! MVP!” Harris, who unsuccessfully ran for the White House against President-elect Donald Trump in 2024, was asked what she plans to do next. Speculation was rife about whether she would run for governor of California.
“I’ll keep you updated,” she said, smiling.