Harris Says Democrats Need More Justices on the Supreme Court

Former Vice President Kamala Harris said in an interview with actress and podcast host Keke Palmer that the Supreme Court needs more justices. She also spoke about the popular vote and backed statehood for Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.

Fox News said the interview took place Tuesday, on Palmer's show, "Baby, This is Keke Palmer," Fox News reported. Fox framed the remarks as what Democrats can do "when they win back Congress." Whether Harris tied her comments to winning Congress in those words has not been confirmed. TheGrio says Harris leads in 2028 presidential polling, and that her stated focus is the 2026 midterms.

Some caution is in order. Patriot Daily Wire has not reviewed the full episode, a clip or a transcript, and the accounts so far rely on excerpts. Several details, including how Harris would carry out these ideas, have not been confirmed.

What Harris Said About the Court

The clearest line in Fox's reporting was this one:

"We need more justices on the Supreme Court so that we can have a court that actually reinforces the spirit and principles behind the Constitution of the United States."

Fox described the remarks as a call for Supreme Court expansion. The headline on the New York Post story uses the word "packing." Patriot Daily Wire could not read the Post's text, and it is not confirmed that Harris used that word. Nothing we have seen says how many seats she would add or on what timeline.

In the same interview, Harris criticized the Supreme Court's Callais decision. According to TheGrio, she said it "gutted" the Voting Rights Act and that Southern states are depriving people of representation as a result. TheGrio attributes that characterization to Harris and to unnamed experts. This publication has not verified the ruling or that description of it.

The Popular Vote and Two New States

On presidential elections, the one quote available from Fox's excerpts is that "the popular vote has to matter, right?" Fox describes Electoral College "changes" or "reform" in its framing, and the Post headline says "changing" the Electoral College. Patriot Daily Wire has not confirmed that Harris said anything specific about the Electoral College, and nothing we have seen describes a proposal or a plan.

She also backed statehood for Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia "if the folks there want it," according to Fox. Yahoo's syndicated copy of the Fox story adds that she named restoring affordable child care as a goal.

The Criticism So Far

Fox quoted a critic whose name we could not see. The critic said nine justices has been the number since 1869 and that Franklin Roosevelt's court-packing attempt met pushback from his own party.

David Scharf, chairman of Morrison Cohen LLP and head of its government strategies and controversies practice, told Fox News Digital that Harris's proposed changes could set a "dangerous precedent."

Fox also linked a related story reporting that California Gov. Gavin Newsom has expressed "openness" to packing the Supreme Court and has called the Electoral College "perverted."

What We Don't Know Yet

The criticism available so far comes from Fox and the legal voices it quoted. We have found no response from Harris or her team, Democratic leaders, the White House or Republican leadership. Exactly what Harris said about timing, and whether she mentioned Congress at all, will have to be settled from the full recording.

Next, watch for reaction from Republicans and the White House and for any clarification from Harris or other Democrats. The midterm elections are set for Nov. 3, though we could not confirm that date from the sources reviewed.