Kamala Harris Faces Criticism After Awkward Interview

Vice President Kamala Harris once again delivered an awkward two-minute "word salad" during an interview with Oprah Winfrey on Thursday, leaving the audience in stunned silence.

The interview included odd moments, such as when Harris commented about being prepared to shoot anyone who breaks into her home. The event culminated with the vice president's long-winded and puzzling speech.

"We love our country. I love our country. I know we all do. That's why everybody's here right now. We love our country. We— we take pride in the privilege of being American, and this is a moment where [pause] we can and must come together as Americans, understanding we have so much more in common than what separates us. Let's come together with [pause] the character that we are so proud of about who we are, which is we are an optimistic people," she started.

"We are an optimistic people. Americans by character are people who have dreams and ambitions and aspirations. We believe in what is possible, we believe in what can be, and we believe in fighting for that," Harris continued.

"That’s how— that’s how we came into being because those before us understood that one of the greatest expressions [pause] of the love of our country, one of the greatest expressions of patriotism is to fight for the ideals of who we are, which includes the freedom to make decisions about your own body, freedom from gun violence, freedom to access the ballot box, and the freedom to love who you love, openly and with pride. Freedom to just be," she added.

Following this lengthy statement, the host responded with a simple: "Hmmm..."

Harris wrapped up by saying, "And that's who we are; we believe in all that, and so this is a moment where we stand knowing what we are fighting for. We're not fighting against, it’s what we’re fighting for."

Mediaite noted: "Throughout the monologue, Winfrey could be seen looking away from Harris and around the room."

Harris finally agreed to an interview at the end of last month, over 35 days after essentially being chosen as the Democratic Party's presidential candidate by Joe Biden. However, even in the comfortable environment of CNN, she still struggled with her answers.

Conservative commentators quickly took to X to discuss a clip from Harris’s interview with CNN host Dana Bash. The clip showed Harris discussing her shifting policy positions since taking the Democratic presidential nomination.

In the interview, which aired Thursday night on CNN, Bash asked, “Generally speaking, how should voters view some of the changes you’ve made? … Is it because you now have more experience and have learned more? Was it due to the Democratic primary? And should voters feel confident that what you’re saying now will be your future policy?”

“Dana, I believe the most important and significant aspect of my policy perspective is that my values have not changed,” Harris responded. “You mentioned the Green New Deal. I’ve always believed, and I’ve worked on it, that the climate crisis is real and urgent. We should use metrics and deadlines to address it. We did this with the Inflation Reduction Act.”

"Gobbledygook," conservative commentator Steve Guest posted on X. “A deadline, by definition, is 'the latest time or date by which something must be completed'."

Noah Rothman, a senior writer at National Review, described her response as "rambling."