After nearly two weeks of running a de facto basement campaign, Vice President Kamala Harris finally made an unscripted public appearance, and it went as badly as you probably expected.
Late Thursday evening, President Joe Biden and Harris greeted three Americans who were held hostage in Russia at Andrews Air Force Base. The White House made a point to broadcast it live on social media.
Happening Now: President Biden and Vice President Harris greet Americans freed from Russia at Joint Base Andrews. https://t.co/Z1gP6RUAIW
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 2, 2024
It was bizarre to watch, especially when Biden initially addressed the media, looking vacant as usual, as Kamala stood in the background, waiting to pounce and make it her moment. When she did, it was pretty bad.
“This is just an extraordinary testament to the importance of having a president who understands the power of diplomacy and understands the strength that rests in understanding the significance of diplomacy and strengthening alliances,” she told reporters.
KAMALA — UNSCRIPTED FOR THE FIRST TIME:
“This is just an extraordinary testament to the importance of having a president who understands the power of diplomacy and understands the strength that rests in understanding the significance of diplomacy.”
WHAT? pic.twitter.com/lxlhhG1xhT
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 2, 2024
And now you see why Kamala has avoided unscripted moments since becoming the presumptive nominee for the Democratic Party.
This is um weird.
Greet families for a couple of minutes, then turn towards reporters, then stop talking and Kamala interrupts him.
Who is president right now? https://t.co/o6tZAdhKZ7
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) August 2, 2024
It’s hardly shocking that her first unscripted moment since becoming the presumptive nominee was a disaster, and it no doubt casts an ominous cloud over the future of her campaign. Harris has no public events on Friday.
AWOL: Biden just left for a weekend in Delaware and Kamala is doing absolutely nothing today. pic.twitter.com/UwEgbxxyzH
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 2, 2024
It looks like Harris is once again going to avoid scenarios where she may have to go unscripted. Shortly after Biden dropped out, unflattering stories about her started leaking, including details about her tumultuous tenure as vice president, including a ridiculously high turnover rate and how she has been “cautious and reluctant to participate in events that weren’t tightly controlled.”
A report from Axios detailed how in 2022, the White House pushed for Harris to headline the traditional Gridiron Dinner in D.C., but she declined; Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo took her place. In April of that year, she did attend a dinner at the home of D.C. news mogul David Bradley, an event known for its salon-style interaction with journalists and newsmakers. Harris was so anxious about the dinner that her staff conducted a mock dinner beforehand with staffers role-playing as participants. They even contemplated including wine in the practice to simulate the actual event but ultimately chose not to.
Clearly, nothing has changed.
