Kamala Harris says her team didn’t wait for a crisis to hit — they planned for it. In her new memoir, 107 Days, the former vice president reveals that her brother-in-law Tony West quietly built a succession playbook — nicknamed the “Red File” — about a year before President Joe Biden exited the 2024 race.
West’s logic, Harris writes, was blunt: with a president in his 80s, not having a plan “would be malpractice.” The Red File laid out the first 24–48 hours after a “traumatic” event — who to call (a dozen world and political leaders), when to release a statement, and the basic rules of a transition. As pressure mounted on Biden to step aside, the dossier grew thicker.
Harris says she didn’t want to dwell on the scenario and left the groundwork to West, who met with four core aides during a family weekend.
“Let’s assume he’s dropping out tomorrow,” he told them.
At least one senior aide waved it off — Biden was meeting Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu that week, so a withdrawal felt far-fetched.
Then July 21, 2024 happened. As Harris’s team prepped for the Democratic National Convention, news broke: Biden was out. Harris says West was the first call she made after hanging up with the president.
His warning was crisp — “If this isn’t handled right, he will crap all over his legacy.”
Minutes later, Biden announced his decision on X; within half an hour, he endorsed Harris.
“You’re gonna do great, kid,” she recalls him saying.
According to Harris, the Red File became the launchpad for her compressed 107-day campaign — everything from the first statement to staffing triage. West formalized into a “chosen committee of advisors” helping on big choices like the running mate shortlist and debate prep.
If the name rings a bell: West is Uber’s chief legal officer and a two-time Senate-confirmed Justice Department alum from the Obama years. He’s married to Maya Harris, Kamala’s sister. In the book, Harris calls him a lifelong “political thinker.” (Biden’s team declined to comment on the memoir.)
The revelations land amid Harris’s media tour and a Democratic family argument over the 2024 loss. Harris has said she regrets not confronting Biden earlier about running — calling it “reckless” — and insists she’s not burning bridges. Some Democrats aren’t thrilled with the relitigation; others say the party needed the uncomfortable conversation.
Politics aside, the Red File episode paints a picture of a campaign that expected the unexpected — and had a laminated checklist when the call came. Harris says she told Biden she’d do him proud. The Red File was designed to make sure the next steps matched the moment.
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