Vice President Kamala Harris once again ventured into abstract territory, delivering a confusing and meandering response that touched on constellations while discussing crime. This latest incident led to the vice president being dubbed “Galileo Harris” by some observers.
During an interview with Roland Martin on Black Star Network, Harris was asked about Donald Trump’s repeated focus on crime in cities governed by Democrats. Her response took an unexpected turn, as she attempted to connect her point to an analogy about stars in the sky.
“I talked with somebody once who said, ‘You know, if you just look at, where the stars are in the sky. Don’t look [at] ’em as just random things, if you just look at ’em as points,’” Harris explained. “‘Look at the constellation — what does it show you?’”
She continued, “So you just outlined it, Roland, what does it show you? That the cities that he picks on in terms of black population or black mayor or both. C’mon.”
The unusual metaphor quickly caught the attention of the Trump campaign, which clipped and shared the remarks online. This led to a wave of reactions on X (formerly Twitter), where users criticized Harris for her verbosity and apparent detachment from the issue at hand.
“THIS is talking ‘black agenda with Roland?’” one user questioned in disbelief.
Another user mocked her, writing, “Space cadet? Yes she is LOL.”
Some commenters speculated that Harris might have been under the influence of marijuana, with one quipping, “Me after eating 250mg of THC,” while others took the opportunity to critique the Democratic Party’s alleged tendency to prioritize candidates based on identity factors rather than merit.
“‘You know, if you just look at, where the stars are in the sky. Don’t look [at] ’em as just random things, if you just look at ’em as points,’” Harris said. “‘Look at the constellation.’”
Mike Davis, the founder of a conservative legal advocacy group, responded by saying, “This is what happens when you pick leaders solely based on their skin pigment…”
Other users joined in the mockery, branding Harris as “Galileo Harris,” a play on her role as chair of the National Space Council and the name of the famous astronomer. One warned, “Meanwhile, Xi and Putin lick their chops.”
During the interview, both Harris and Martin accused Trump of focusing his rhetoric on cities with large Black populations, particularly Detroit, Milwaukee, and Atlanta, where he alleged voting irregularities in the 2020 election.
“He’s singling out cities where there are significant African Americans, and that’s who he’s talking about: black people,” Martin noted.
“Yes,” Harris affirmed.
Last week, the Harris campaign released ads that highlighted Trump’s remarks about the decline of the American auto industry. Trump had previously warned members of the Detroit Economic Club that the country was on a downward trajectory.
“The whole country will be like — you want to know the truth? It’ll be like Detroit,” Trump said on Thursday. “Our whole country will end up being like Detroit if she’s your president.”
During his 2020 re-election campaign, Trump blamed Democrats for the rising crime rates in major urban areas. He told Sean Hannity of Fox News that his comments weren’t motivated by racial prejudice.
“Take a look at Detroit, take a look at what’s happening in Oakland, take a look at what’s happening in Baltimore, and everyone gets upset when I say it. They say, ‘Oh, is that a racist statement?’ It’s not racist,” Trump explained.
“Frankly, black people come up to me, say, ‘Thank you, thank you, Sir, for saying it.’ They want help, these cities — it’s like living in hell,” Trump said.
In 2020, crime surged across major cities, with many seeing double-digit increases in violent incidents. New York City, for example, recorded a staggering 97% rise in shootings, with 1,531 incidents in 2020 compared to 777 in 2019. The city also experienced a 44% spike in homicides, with 462 killings in 2020 compared to 319 the previous year, according to NYPD data.
Harris’ remarks on “#RolandMartinUnfiltered” came as her campaign intensified its efforts to connect with Black voters.
Political analysts, pollsters, and even former President Barack Obama have expressed concern about lower levels of excitement among Black voters in the 2024 election cycle compared to previous years.
“We have yet to see the same kinds of energy and turnout in all corners of our neighborhoods and communities as we saw when I was running,” Obama told a crowd at a “Black Voters for Harris” event in Pittsburgh on Thursday.
{Matzav.com}