It looks like Vice President Kamala Harris has tried her hand at a new tactic to avoid those pesky reporter questions, but let’s just say the execution left a lot to be desired. In a clip that’s making the rounds on social media, Harris is seen stepping out of her vehicle, phone in hand, earpieces firmly in place, as she makes her way to a plane bound for Michigan. A quick wave to the press and a brief salute to the man in uniform, and then—like magic—she’s conveniently too “busy” to engage with the reporters gathered nearby.
Now, whether or not this little performance was intentional, one thing’s for sure: Harris didn’t exactly fool anyone. The video, shared by C-SPAN comms director Howard Mortman, has sparked plenty of online chatter, with folks pointing out that the Vice President seemed more interested in avoiding questions than actually listening to whoever was on the other end of that supposed phone call. If she was even on a call, to begin with.
One user on X nailed it with their comment: “Wow. She’s pretending to be on the phone … It’s an avoidance tactic.” Another user quipped, “‘Remember to pretend to be on the phone as to avoid talking to anyone, and keep it moving.’” And, of course, the jokes kept coming, with one clever observer lamenting, “We’ll never know what kind of ice cream she fancies,” a not-so-subtle jab at the softball questions Harris tends to get from the media.
Kamala is now wearing headphones & pretending to be chatting away to avoid press questions
Dumbest trick in the book – and she’s a terrible actress pic.twitter.com/vbTDCXXwDF
— Monica Crowley (@MonicaCrowley) September 2, 2024
This one is classic.
Kamala Harris wears headphones to avoid answering questions from reporters, then holds her phone up to her ear pretending to be on it while her headphone is still in pic.twitter.com/fLdvvQZiPG
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) September 3, 2024
One more…it’s so obvious.
I really can’t get over Kamala using old-school Apple headphones to avoid talking to the Press.
We’ve seen a lot of shenanigans from this lady, but this might be the most pathetic to date!
Feels like her campaign specifically had her use those old-school headphones instead to… pic.twitter.com/AZoUdwnyCB
— Tomi Lahren (@TomiLahren) September 2, 2024
This little stunt follows a rather rough patch for Harris, who has been doing her best to stay out of the spotlight, limiting her public appearances to highly scripted environments where she can control the narrative. Just last week, her much-hyped interview with CNN’s Dana Bash fell flat, leaving many to wonder why her handlers are so desperate to keep her hidden from the public eye. It seems the plan is to shield Harris from anything resembling a tough question or an unscripted moment—and if that means faking a phone call or two, so be it.
But here’s the problem: this incident is just one more piece in a larger pattern of avoidance and obfuscation. Harris’s reluctance to engage with the press, her reliance on teleprompters, and her campaign’s clear strategy to keep her out of unscripted situations all point to a candidate who’s not exactly eager to be tested in the public arena.
As the November election looms, voters are sure to take notice of this pattern. If Harris can’t even handle a few questions from the press without pretending to be busy, one has to wonder how she plans to handle the much bigger challenges that come with leading the nation.
The American people deserve a candidate who isn’t afraid to face the tough questions and engage with the issues head-on. And come November 5, they’ll have a chance to decide if Kamala Harris is that candidate—or if they’ll reject what’s increasingly looking like a fraudulent campaign.
