Montel Williams Says Timing Hurt Kamala Harris’ 2024 White House Bid

Montel Williams says the short length of Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign was a major reason she lost the election to Donald Trump.

Speaking on the On Par With Maury Povich podcast, Williams said he did not expect Harris to win after she became the Democratic nominee just 107 days before Election Day, following President Joe Biden’s decision to end his reelection campaign in July 2024.

“I didn’t think it was gonna work out,” Williams said, adding that the late start “really, really, really hurt her.”

Williams, who briefly dated Harris in 2001, also praised her, calling her “one of the smartest people” he has ever met. He said he believes she would have done “a good job” as president but argued that the campaign’s timing and public misconceptions about her worked against her.

Williams also expressed doubt that the United States will elect a woman president in the near future, saying he does not believe it will happen within the next four or five years.

Harris has indicated she may consider another presidential run. In a 2025 interview with the BBC, she said she is “not done” with public service, and her memoir about the 2024 campaign, 107 Days, reflects on her bid for the White House.