Kamala Harris is quietly meeting with the Democratic Party's left wing, and it comes across as a cynical rebrand rather than a real change of heart.

• New reporting says Harris has been meeting privately with figures like New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist critical of Israel.
• She has also reached out to pro-Palestinian activists and Arab-American leaders — the same groups she brushed off during her 2024 campaign.
• The move looks like a 2028 positioning play, as establishment Democrats who backed Israel keep losing primaries to insurgent progressives.
• The pitch rings hollow because as vice president she said she "wouldn't change anything" about Biden's Gaza policy.

Outlook: Expect Harris to keep courting the progressive and Arab-American base ahead of a likely 2028 bid, but with deep skepticism about whether she means it.