Vice President Kamala Harris appeared to struggle with her remarks, repeating the phrase “work together” five times in under 30 seconds while speaking at the US-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Nations) Special Summit in Washington, D.C.
Video of her comments from the summit circulated in a tweet posted by the official U.S. State Department account, quickly prompting a number of responses.
.@VP at #USASEAN45: Our world is more interconnected and interdependent. That is especially true when it comes to the climate crisis, which is why we will work together and continue to work together to address these issues. pic.twitter.com/pmo6JmFNH5
— Department of State (@StateDept) May 13, 2022
“I often note, and I’ve talked with many of you, about our shared belief that our world is increasingly more interconnected and interdependent. That is especially true when it comes to the climate crisis,” she said.
“Which is why we will work together, and continue to work together, to address these issues, to tackle these challenges, and to work together as we continue to work operating from the new norms, rules, and agreements, that we will convene to work together … We will work together,” she added once more.
“I need someone to diagram this sentence,” @opinion8dkellie tweeted in response.
Former Missouri gubernatorial candidate Saundra McDowell added, “Oh how far we have come from the eloquent speeches of people in high office like Abraham Lincoln or Ronald Reagan.”
“Truly one of the greatest orators of all time,” Donald Trump Jr. weighed in as well.
Greg Musselwhite added, “I’m a welder … and I have heard better speakers during safety meetings.”
“It looks like Kamala Harris is reading from prepared remarks,” Steve Guest, communications advisor for Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), remarked. “How did this make it through the approval process? Do they even have an approval process?”
“Kamala Harris out here turning 100 words into 500 words to make the word minimum on her 8th grade research report,” radio host Clay Travis quipped.
“I don’t know how many times I’ve said this, but every policy answer from Kamala Harris sounds like someone delivering a book report on a book they haven’t read,” popular Twitter used @AGHamilton added.
Harris has often been criticized for giving rambling and sometimes nonsensical statements either as part of prepared remarks or in answer to questions.
Several weeks ago, she explained space — to grown-adult, sworn-in members of the United States Space Force — as if they were preschool children.
“I think everyone here recognizes how extraordinary space is,” Harris said. “Whether it is satellites that orbit the earth, humans that land on the moon, or telescopes that peer into the furthest reaches of the universe, space is exciting! It spurs our imaginations. And it forces us to ask big questions.”