Vice President Kamala Harris has been facing criticism for her reaction to a Climate Defiance protester during a business trip to Martha’s Vineyard. The protester sought to raise awareness of the ongoing Hawaiian forest fires, which have killed scores and displaced thousands, but instead of providing an appropriate response, Harris merely laughed.
Harris’ behavior seems to suggest that Democrats are not as serious about tackling climate change as they appear to be. Climate change was lauded as one of the most important issues during the 2020 election, and, though certain steps have been taken by the White House since, an incident like this discredits the progressive message of environmental safety altogether.
It is not only Harris who has come under scrutiny, however. Climate Defiance, the group behind the disruption, is funded in part by the Climate Emergency Fund—a nonprofit that, according to news sources, has ties to Hollywood writer Adam McKay and disgraced sexual predator Harvey Weinstein. This prompts questions concerning the supposedly altruistic motives of progressive activists and their sponsors.
The Twitter account of the Climate Defiance group has described Harris’ reaction as “horrendous”and it is difficult to argue in contrast. While this behavior can also be seen as an illustration of the inadequacy of the Biden administration’s climate policies, it is an unfortunate reflection on the Democratic party in general and its attitude towards voters.
I think the real joke here is that anyone believed that the Biden-Harris administration had actually planned to follow through with any of their campaign promises.
BIG NEWS: we profoundly disrupted a speech by United States Vice President Kamala Harris.
As we cried out about the tragic deaths in Hawaii and condemned her fossil fuel crimes, Kamala stood there and laughed.
Horrendous.
We deserve – and we need – actual climate leaders. pic.twitter.com/W0ALJ2LErm
— Climate Defiance (@ClimateDefiance) August 14, 2023
What happened to Kamala Harris in the incident is indicative of something greater than just one poor reaction. The actions of Climate Defiance might not be voluntary, as the anger of citizens fuels protests that underpin progressive movements. Democrats need to be more proactive in their approach to climate change, taking into account the wants and needs of citizens, or else suffer the eventual consequences.