Vice President Kamala Harris has experienced her share of awkward moments since entering office in 2021, many of which have come as a result of her own nearly unintelligible remarks about various topics.
During a trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico, last week, however, a viral clip emerged of Harris clapping along with local musicians, clearly without understanding what they were singing.
According to reports, the vice president and her aides visited a community center in U.S. territory’s capital city and toured the facility before encountering a group of demonstrators — at least one of whom carried a sign describing her as a “war criminal.”
The protesters were critical of both the U.S. and Israel regarding what some dubbed a “genocide” in Gaza following the Hamas attack on Israel in October. Such leftist criticism has been aimed at the Biden administration in recent months due to the belief by pro-Palestinian activists that the White House has been too supportive of Israel.
A band in the community center’s courtyard performed music as Harris arrived, including one song featuring a singer and pianist that inspired the vice president to nod her head and clap her hands. A short time later, however, an aide apparently translated the lyrics to Harris, prompting her to abruptly stop moving to the beat.
According to a subsequent translation provided by the Republican National Committee, the lyrics asserted: “We want to know, Kamala, what did you come here for? … Long live free Palestine and Haiti too.”
Kamala Harris claps along to a protest song in Puerto Rico — but stops after an aide tells her what it means: "We want to know, Kamala, what did you come here for? … Long live Free Palestine and Haiti too!" pic.twitter.com/ruXTB2Y5tP
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 24, 2024
Harris’ trip also included a tour of a home that had been damaged by Hurricane Maria and was subsequently repaired and updated with funds distributed by the federal government.
Appearing alongside local and federal officials, she attempted to portray the progress as a win for the Biden administration.
“What we all need to do then is just supply the community and the talent here with the capacity and the resources,” she asserted. “And so President Joe Biden and I have been very intentional about what we are doing for the leaders and the people and the families of Puerto Rico. So far, our administration has invested over $140 billion in Puerto Rico.”
