I asked Kamala to be the last voice in the room, to always tell me the truth...

'Kamala Harris Phenomenal Woman' chronicles Kamala’s life, her rise to candidature, the struggles and triumph in a messy, hard-won election despite coming from a ‘non-traditional’ background  and delivers an inspirational story of a phenomenal woman. Here's an excerpt.

Biden’s pledge to treat Kamala as a full governing partner has translated well in practice, at least in the early weeks of the new administration. In Biden’s considered view, veeps must be ready right from day one to sit at the Resolute Desk. In a CNN interview, he made it clear he would rely on his veep for help with whatever is the ‘urgent need of the moment’. The forty-sixth president likes to tell the story of his own role as Obama’s VP for eight years and has often explained it in the context of Kamala’s role, which is still evolving. When Biden appeared with Harris for the first time after selecting her as his running mate, he recalled what he had said to Obama when he chose him as his vice-presidential running mate, ‘I told him I wanted to be the last person in the room before he made the important decisions. That’s what I asked Kamala,’ Biden said. ‘I asked Kamala to be the last voice in the room, to always tell me the truth, which she will. Challenge my assumptions if she disagrees. Ask the hard questions. Because that’s the way we make the best decisions for the American people.’15 Kamala ran with it, saying she would be the ‘first and the last in the room’.

The president has kept his word. Throughout the transition period, Kamala remained closely involved with all of Biden’s biggest decisions. She joined for every single one of his meetings on cabinet picks, the Covid-19 relief bill, and the economic crisis. In fact, in the run-up to the inauguration, Kamala was often the first speaker at public events – a small but telling ritual that began right from the night of 7 November, at their victory speech. The two spoke over the phone nearly every day until they took over. They start their workday receiving the president’s daily brief – a top-secret national security update – in the Oval Office each morning.

Proof of Kamala’s sway shows up in moments both humdrum and significant. During the transition and after 20 January, White House communications include Kamala’s name and comments in almost every dispatch, unless it’s the text of an executive order from Biden. There’s a certain professional levelling and dignity that was missing from the Trump–Pence White House. At Biden’s first big foreign policy speech, Kamala went first, and followed that up with remarks at the Pentagon, the country’s military headquarters that has long been a male preserve.

She spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and French President Emanuel Macron in her first outreach with foreign leaders, typically the exclusive domain of the president. A couple of weeks later, she joined Biden on his first bilateral meeting with Trudeau in the Roosevelt Room. She called the director general of the World Health Organization the day after the inauguration. At least once a week, Kamala lunches with Biden, mostly Thursdays or Fridays; there’s also a weekly lunch with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Clearly, Kamala is wading deep into foreign policy, with Biden’s blessings.

All the evidence suggests Kamala will be the most consequential and powerful veep in US history.

Excerpted with permission from KAMALA HARRIS by Chidanand Rajghatta, HarperCollins India.