Vice President Kamala Harris addressed the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's 2024 Phoenix Awards Dinner in Washington, D.C. Her speech, however, sparked online commentary, with users noting her use of what they perceived as a "new accent."
> "Hello to all of my Divine Nine brothers and sisters," Harris said at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Phoenix Awards Dinner in Washington, D.C. "And to all my HBCU brothers and sisters."
A user named Paul A. Szypula, responded to Harris's speech:
> "New? Or is it her old fake black accent? Either way, it’s incredibly insulting to black people. Shame on Kamala."
Another user, Collin Rugg, also commented on Harris's speech:
> "NEW: Kamala Harris brings out her new accent at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 2024 Phoenix Awards Dinner in Washington D.C. 'Hello to all my divine… brothas and sistas… am my soro…' Kamala has brought out this new accent throughout the campaign at different times."
In other news, Harris faced former President Donald Trump in a recent presidential debate. During the debate, Trump attempted to reclaim Harris's "I'm speaking" line from the 2020 vice presidential debate with Mike Pence.
> "I’m talking now, if you don’t mind, please," Trump said, to which Harris responded by continuing to voice her arguments.
Observers noticed a shift in the dynamics of the debate, noting how Harris was able to use the power imbalance to her advantage. She managed to bait Trump on several occasions, including when she mentioned the crowd size at his rallies.
Trump's attempts to silence Harris during the debate met with criticism. At one point, he said:
> "Quiet, please," as Harris tried to interject with an answer.
This sparked discussion about the perception of women in politics. GOP pollster Frank Luntz posted:
> "If she wants to win, Harris needs to train her face not to respond. It feeds into a female stereotype and, more importantly, risks offending undecided voters."
However, some voters seemed to appreciate Harris's debate performance. A Georgia swing-state voter told Sarah Longwell for The Atlantic:
> "I was actually pleasantly surprised at Harris. She addressed most of the issues pretty well, and she gave Donald Trump what other candidates couldn’t. She was a little bit sarcastic, talking back with him, which I appreciated."
Moving forward, Harris is set to meet with members of the National Association of Black Journalists in Philadelphia and attend a live-streamed rally involving groups like "Win with Black Women," "White Women: Answer the Call," and "South Asians for Harris," according to the Associated Press.