Vice President Kamala Harris accidentally let slip her apparent confusion over her political opponents during a recent press event at Joint Base Andrews. While advocating for an opportunity to debate her rivals in the upcoming presidential election, she mistakenly referred to the former president, Donald Trump, as “the former vice president.” This kind of verbal misstep is becoming almost as commonplace as her coffee breaks.
Harris strolled up to reporters, ready to discuss the urgency of another debate, stating the need for the “former vice president” to accept her invitation. One cannot help but wonder if she has spent so much time tiptoeing around Biden’s cognitive state that she has lost track of who is actually running against her. What other vices are left unexamined? Clearly, the struggle to keep track of simple political titles is becoming a routine ordeal for the vice president.
OMG…Kamala just said "As you've heard I would like another debate…so hopefully the former Vice President will agree to that"
You down @Mike_Pence 🤭😅😂🤣 pic.twitter.com/nsaUpox6Ne
— AɯƙɯαɾԃMαɱα™® (@AwkwardMamaNews) September 22, 2024
To salvage her credibility (not that it was in great shape to begin with), the White House quickly edited the transcript to clarify that Harris was indeed looking for a showdown with Trump. Social media users didn’t waste time poking fun at her gaffe, with one particularly sharp observer questioning which vice president she was addressing. Is it too much to ask for her to remember who’s running against her and not just focus on who was on her team in the past?
Adding to the farce was the Trump War Room, which capitalized on the slip by quipping whether Harris thought she was gearing up for a debate against Mike Pence, Dick Cheney, or even Dan Quayle. Each of these gentlemen had their time in office but sadly hasn’t been in the limelight for a while. The tweet poked at Harris, suggesting the prolonged cover-up of President Biden’s declining faculties may have finally started to spill over into her cognitive functions. The implication gathered quite a following on social media, sparking even more questions about the veracity of her claims.
Yet, Harris doubled down on her enthusiasm for another debate, insisting that voters deserve to hear their candidates discuss the crucial issues to be addressed before Election Day. This comes on the heels of an invitation she begrudgingly accepted for a second presidential debate on October 23, facilitated by CNN. Meanwhile, Trump’s response was as pointed as residents of Wilmington might have expected, essentially saying it was too late for further discussions since she passed on opportunities earlier in the race. With the clock ticking down closer to election day, candidates would do well to remember that the stakes are high, and potential slip-ups might display their readiness—or lack thereof—for the grand stage.
While it looks like Harris is trying to revive her chances of engaging on the debate stage, it isn’t likely to fare well given the scramble her campaign has made thus far. The former president, now a seasoned debate veteran, seems unperturbed by her attempts and has made it clear he’s evaluating whether it’s worth his time at this late juncture. With his past dealings, turning down just about every invitation for a proper tête-à-tête, it’s a wonder how Harris thought she would pull this off. As it stands, her once-enthusiastic calls for discussion seem more like a desperate cry for relevancy in a crowded electoral landscape.