On Friday, Vice President Kamala Harris found herself in a cringe-worthy situation during her visit to Puerto Rico. As she stood in San Juan, Harris was greeted by a lively band singing in Spanish and clapping along, unaware of what the lyrics actually meant.
Despite Harris’ visit being intended as a fundraiser and a demonstration of the federal aid Puerto Rico has received since Hurricane Maria, she was met with a small group of protesters criticizing the Biden administration’s stance on Israel’s conflict with Hamas. However, Harris seemed unaware of the political turmoil as she gleefully clapped and swayed along to the music.
In a particularly uncomfortable moment, a woman accompanying Harris, Mariana Reyes, was forced to explain the true meaning of the fun-loving song to the clueless vice president. As the lyrics spoke about the federal government’s handling of Puerto Rican finances and called for a “free Palestine” and “and also Haiti,” Harris’ face quickly turned to stone.
It was an explicit insult delivered directly to Harris, and she was left embarrassed and stunned after being informed of the true meaning behind the catchy tune. This cringe-worthy moment could easily be dismissed as a case of an “ugly American” unaware of the local language and customs, but there are two significant problems with this interpretation.
Firstly, Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, and its citizens are American citizens. The fact that a vice president of the United States was being mocked by its own citizens is a major issue that the establishment media would undoubtedly seize upon if the vice president in question were a Republican.
Secondly, Harris, a former district attorney and attorney general who has had numerous opportunities to pick up some Spanish, should have been aware of what was being sung about. If she had, this whole awkward situation could have been avoided.
It is evident that the Biden administration is not as popular as it believes, and its leftist base that supports Hamas over a democratic ally like Israel is a more significant issue than it realizes.
This awkward moment for Harris serves as a reminder of the current state of the Biden presidency, especially as he continues to fall behind in polls compared to former President Donald Trump. Both the factors of the administration’s dwindling popularity and the outspoken leftist element within its base could prove to be crucial come election time in November.
As this cringeworthy moment shows, Harris and the Biden administration have a lot of work to do before they can claim to be “popular” or in touch with their constituents. Until then, they may continue to face embarrassment and ridicule, both at home and abroad.