You may have already repressed the memory — and we definitely wouldn’t blame you for trying — but we need to talk about The Kiss. You know the one. The one where First Lady Jill Biden and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff locked lips before the State of the Union address on Tuesday night.
This one:
Why did Jill Biden kiss Doug Emhoff on the mouth? #SOTU pic.twitter.com/bj3hqpwGAT
— Arthur Schwartz (@ArthurSchwartz) February 8, 2023
Before you pick up your torches and pitchforks and come for our heads, please understand that we didn’t just post that photo for no reason. It’s actually really important that you see it in all its disturbing and nauseating glory in order to fully appreciate Vice President Kamala Harris’ response to a request for her comment on it:
Asked about her husband appearing to kiss the First Lady, Kamala Harris came up with… this
“I know that the first lady and the second gentleman are working arduously with what we are doing with my husband against antisemitism.” https://t.co/aJ6ICuEvBx
— Arthur Delaney 🇺🇸 (@ArthurDelaneyHP) February 10, 2023
Seemingly caught off guard, Harris laughed.
“I haven’t seen the video,” Harris appears to say over the Spanish translation. “I know that the first lady and the second gentleman are working arduously with what we are doing with my husband against antisemitism.”
Harris continued to praise the work of Emhoff, who is Jewish, to fight hate, noting his recent visit to Auschwitz in Poland and emphasizing that the issue is close to the hearts of both Emhoff and Jill Biden.
The video of Harris’ response is even weirder:
.@VP Kamala Harris responds to Univision correspondent Edwin Pitti's question about The Kiss: "I haven't watched the video." pic.twitter.com/9nrrwh7b1R
— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) February 8, 2023
Journalist: What was up with your husband kissing Jill Biden on the mouth?
Kamala Harris: Antisemitism is bad.
That’s not verbatim, of course, but it might as well be.
Believe it or not, people are actually angry about HuffPost mentioning the exchange at all:
Ask a stupid question…
— Matt Robinson (@MattR644) February 10, 2023
Was it a stupid question? Would it have been a stupid question if this were a Republican administration? Melania Trump got caught scowling on camera and it inspired tons of memes and breathless speculation. The First Lady kisses the vice president’s wife and we’re not allowed to have a little fun with it?
You dweebs are way too comfortable disrespecting the Black Lady on a consistent basis. At this point it's a feature and not a bug
— Eric T. (@ERIC_in_RVA) February 10, 2023
Asking her about her husband kissing her boss’ wife on the lips is racist, apparently. Good to know.
attention to this moment – and pretending that a completely-innocuous greeting is somehow salacious – represents political bullshit at its dumbest https://t.co/ZTf9e89eAN
— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) February 10, 2023
John Harwood feels violated on Harris’ behalf! He’s such a devoted white knight, isn’t he?
some people … YOU … have way too much time on your hands. Why don't you go write about George Santos?
— Just Another Emily (@MeAndMyDogToo) February 10, 2023
Plenty has been written about George Santos, actually. And understandably so. But this Kamala Harris story is a nice change of pace. It’s important to have a little variety in our political diet.
Trying to make this a scandal is pathetic. There are a million horrible things going on in this country and the world and reporters are salivating over this. https://t.co/molKrDRoFb
— MB (@sugarcubedog2) February 10, 2023
I swear….. The press can be stupid as hell. https://t.co/W7q7jzEQvk
— NewDemocrat4Life (@reesetheone1) February 10, 2023
OK, that’s totally fair. The press can be and almost always is stupid as hell.
That said, we’re not the press, and if we think Kamala Harris’ response is awkward and baffling, we can talk about it, dammit!
Her answer is about…antisemitism? Wait, what? https://t.co/3XyHoe44HC
— Christian Schneider (@Schneider_CM) February 8, 2023
Did something get lost in translation? Or is this just Kamala Harris being Kamala Harris?
Lmaoooo https://t.co/3jRXhIhTG4
— Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) February 8, 2023
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Related:
Vice President Kamala Harris almost makes it through a speech without cackling
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