In her newly released memoir, “107 Days,” published Tuesday, former Vice President Kamala Harris details her abbreviated 2024 presidential campaign, shedding light on a discreet initiative dubbed the “Stars Project.”
Harris describes how, as vice president, she quietly mentored promising young Democrats, including Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, to elevate their profiles within the party.
The project, known only to her senior staff, involved inviting rising talents to her West Wing office or the vice president’s residence on Friday afternoons for guidance and support.
“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 wrote.
Her goal was to spotlight these figures at the 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC), making it both strategic and engaging, as she noted it was “in the party’s interest to highlight our stars, while we make it as entertaining as possible.”
Crockett’s DNC Moment and Harris’ Influence
Among those mentored were Reps. Lauren Underwood, Robert Garcia, Maxwell Frost, Joe Neguse, Maryland Senate candidate Angela Alsobrooks, California congressional candidate Lateefah Simon, and Texas official Lina Hidalgo, alongside Crockett.
Many of these figures earned speaking slots at the DNC, amplifying their voices.
Crockett, in her 2024 DNC speech, recounted a pivotal encounter with Harris at the vice president’s residence.
Feeling overwhelmed by congressional chaos, Crockett recalled, “As I approached Vice President Harris for our official photo, she turned to me and asked, ‘What’s wrong?’ 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.”
Harris reassured her, saying, “You are exactly where God wants you. Your district chose you because they believe in you. And so do I.”
Crockett credited this moment with giving her the confidence to find her footing, stating, “The next month I went viral for the first of many times to come for hitting Republicans with a dose of their own medicine. That brief but impactful interaction gave me my legislative legs and I’ve been running ever since.”
Social Media and Political Reactions
Crockett appeared to confirm her involvement in the Stars Project via a cross-posted Instagram message from the Texas-based account “howdypolitics.”
The post highlighted Harris’ mentorship, noting, “Kamala Harris had a secret project only known to senior staff called the ‘Stars Project,’ to privately mentor rising stars in the party. She made sure that many of them received speaking slots during the convention.”
However, Crockett has faced criticism for controversial statements, including comparing ICE agents to “slave patrols” and advocating for defunding the police, which have drawn ire from conservatives.
She also sparked backlash recently for remarks following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, declaring, “And to be clear, you can wave all the flags you want to, but I am telling you right now that the most unpatriotic people that we have in this country are MAGA and this president. We are the real patriots. And it is time for us to take our flag back and show people what America is about.”
