The 119th Congress got underway on January 3, 2024, and Vice President Kamala Harris was on hand to perform her constitutional duty of swearing in the new batch of U.S. Senators. For someone who’s been largely MIA since losing the 2024 election to Donald Trump, it was a rare public appearance. One can only imagine how thrilled she was to play the part. Among the day’s more amusing moments was her interaction with Senator JD Vance, who took the opportunity to have a little fun at her expense. Vance, no stranger to trolling, seemed to relish the occasion, knowing his party was poised for more wins in the coming weeks.
Things took a turn for the cringe-worthy when it came time for Harris to lead the Senate in the Pledge of Allegiance. What should have been a routine, almost ceremonial task turned into an awkward stumble. Harris managed to forget the phrase “the flag”—a central element of the pledge itself. The irony wasn’t lost on anyone. Social media quickly pounced, turning the gaffe into a meme factory. The incident was another entry in the long list of moments that make one wonder if Harris’s political trajectory has been powered more by optics than competence.
This little episode might seem like a minor blunder, but it serves as a microcosm of Harris’s political career. Her rise to power was famously jump-started by her relationship with Willie Brown, one of California’s most controversial political figures. Thanks to Brown’s influence, Harris landed cushy appointments that he later admitted were designed to help her climb the ladder. From there, she leveraged California’s Democrat machine to secure her spot in the political arena. But her record as San Francisco’s District Attorney and California Attorney General was checkered at best, with critics accusing her of prioritizing ambition over effective governance.
Harris eventually made it to the U.S. Senate, where she quickly became a partisan lightning rod, particularly during the Brett Kavanaugh hearings. Her sharp questioning and dramatic flair earned her glowing media coverage, but substantial accomplishments remained elusive. Despite a lack of a strong legislative track record, Harris launched a presidential campaign with high expectations and significant resources. Yet, her bid fizzled out before the Iowa caucuses, a testament to her inability to connect with voters beyond the elite circles that initially championed her.
Her political obituary might have been written then and there, but Joe Biden had other plans. Needing a running mate who ticked certain demographic boxes, Biden tapped Harris for the vice presidency. Her tenure since has been marked by high-profile gaffes and a tendency to disappear during critical moments. The botched Pledge of Allegiance is just the latest reminder of a political career long on media adulation and short on substance. For someone once heralded as the future of her party, Harris’s public missteps continue to highlight why that future seems increasingly unlikely.
Kamala Harris not knowing all the words to the Pledge of Allegiance is her political career in a nutshell.pic.twitter.com/Kd6M3i9ydz
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) January 3, 2025
