Vice President Kamala Harris ignited a firestorm online on Tuesday morning after she claimed during an interview with NBC News that the administration has been to the border amid President Joe Biden’s border crisis, which prompted quick pushback from host Lester Holt.
“Do you have any plans to visit the border?” Holt asked.
“At some point, you know, we are going to the border, we’ve been to the border,” Harris claimed. “So this whole, this whole, this whole thing about the border. We’ve been to the border. We’ve been to the border.”
“You haven’t been to the border,” Holt responded.
“And I haven’t been to Europe,” Harris responded.
WATCH:
https://twitter.com/NathanBrandWA/status/1402238336782249999
Below are some of the responses to Harris’ remarks:
Chad Gilmartin: “Looking forward to Vice President Harris’ visit to the U.S.-Europe border!”
Looking forward to Vice President Harris' visit to the U.S.-Europe border!
— Chad Gilmartin (@ChadGilmartinCA) June 8, 2021
Mark Bednar: “‘I haven’t been to Europe.’ – VP Kamala Harris, President Biden’s point person on the border crisis, defending her decision to not go to the southern border.”
"I haven't been to Europe."
– VP Kamala Harris, President Biden's point person on the border crisis, defending her decision to not go to the southern border. pic.twitter.com/bZ7325zK3J
— Mark Bednar (@MarkBednar) June 8, 2021
Ashley Hinson: “VP Kamala Harris said that ‘we’ve been to the border.’ Spoiler alert: She hasn’t. The VP would rather meet with foreign leaders than with border patrol agents who are dealing with these issues on American soil. I will continue to call out her failure to secure our border.”
VP Kamala Harris said that “we’ve been to the border.”
Spoiler alert: She hasn’t.
The VP would rather meet with foreign leaders than with border patrol agents who are dealing with these issues on American soil. I will continue to call out her failure to secure our border. pic.twitter.com/Vpadu6jDIE
— Ashley Hinson (@hinsonashley) June 8, 2021
Jake Sherman: “>@vp can disagree w the point he’s making. But it’s impossible to believe she doesn’t understand it!”
>@vp can disagree w the point he’s making. But it’s impossible to believe she doesn’t understand it! https://t.co/AhpW4HXB0g
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) June 8, 2021
Stephen Lawson: “Between the gaslighting, condescension, and clueless answer, this is a master class on how to blow an interview.”
Between the gaslighting, consdescension, and clueless answer, this is a master class on how to blow an interview. https://t.co/m5x6kOAnxb
— Stephen Lawson (@StephenLawson_) June 8, 2021
Chris Martin: “No wonder Joe Biden tried walking back his decision to put Kamala Harris in charge of the border crisis She’s laughing and comparing it to… Europe?”
https://twitter.com/chrisjdmartin/status/1402244483698237444
Steve Guest: “‘I haven’t been to Europe.’ 500,000 illegal aliens have streamed across the border since Biden and Harris got into office and Kamala still has no good answer about why she hasn’t visited the southern border.”
“I haven’t been to Europe.”
500,000 illegal aliens have streamed across the border since Biden and Harris got into office and Kamala still has no good answer about why she hasn’t visited the southern border. https://t.co/XysoajHVev
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) June 8, 2021
Matt Whitlock: “I genuinely can’t get over this exchange. HARRIS: We’ve been to the border. We’ve been to the border. HOLT: You haven’t been to the border… HARRIS: And I haven’t been to Europe. (She wasn’t named ‘Europe Czar,’ she was named ‘border czar’ and this is such absurd messaging)”
I genuinely can’t get over this exchange.
HARRIS: We've been to the border. We've been to the border.
HOLT: You haven't been to the border…
HARRIS: And I haven't been to Europe.
(She wasn’t named “Europe Czar,” she was named “border czar” and this is such absurd messaging) https://t.co/lTcVqnYG5G
— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) June 8, 2021
Andrew Clark: “Cringe. Kamala Harris doesn’t get it. Holt: ‘Do you have any plans to visit the border?’ Harris: ‘We’ve been to the border. We’ve been the border.’ Holt: ‘YOU haven’t been to the border.’ Harris: ‘…..and I haven’t been to Europe. I don’t understand the point you’re making.'”
Cringe. Kamala Harris doesn't get it.
Holt: "Do you have any plans to visit the border?"
Harris: "We've been to the border. We've been the border."
Holt: "YOU haven't been to the border."
Harris: "…..and I haven't been to Europe. I don't understand the point you're making." pic.twitter.com/fFXMf8X0b6
— Andrew Clark (@AndrewHClark) June 8, 2021
PARTIAL TRANSCRIPT:
LESTER HOLT: Why will it be successful this time if it wasn’t in the past?
KAMALA HARRIS: Well, I think there was success about what happened in the past. And again, when you look at what we’re doing now you’re seeing progress. And so let’s not overlook progress.
HOLT: Let me just quickly put a button. Do you have any plans to visit the border?
HARRIS: At some point, you know, we are going to the border. We’ve been to the border. So this whole thing about the border. We’ve been to the border. We’ve been to the border.
HOLT: You haven’t been to the border.
HARRIS: And I haven’t been to Europe. And I mean, I don’t understand the point that you’re making. I’m not discounting the importance of the border.
HOLT: Well, I mention it because I know Republicans have certainly come at you on this. But Democratic Congressman Cuellar, has a border district, has said to you and president, “Come. You need, you need to see this.
HARRIS: I care about, listen, I care about what’s happening at the border. I’m in Guatemala because my focus is dealing with the root causes of migration. There may be some who think that that is not important, but it is my firm belief that if we care about what’s happening at the border, we better care about the root causes and address them. And so that’s what I’m doing.