Emhoff Makes Appearance At Lakers Game

By
Rachel Stevenson
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1719

Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff made a grand entrance at Thursday night’s Lakers-Warriors game—or at least, that’s probably what they were expecting. The reality? A collective shrug. No standing ovation, no chants of admiration, not even a polite smattering of applause. In fact, if there was any reaction at all, it was the distinct sound of tens of thousands of people not caring.

A video surfaced online showing the former VP and her husband awkwardly making their way to their seats in front of the Lakers broadcast booth, and—perhaps the funniest part of it all—there were still plenty of empty chairs around them. Now, to be fair, Lakers fans are notorious for showing up late and leaving early. But still, you’d think the first female vice president in history and her doting spouse would command a bit more attention. Imagine, for a second, if it were Trump walking into that arena. Even in deep-blue California, there would have been a reaction. Loud boos? Maybe. Roaring cheers? Probably. But something.

Comedian Jeff Dye was at the game and couldn’t help but take a jab at Harris’s lackluster campaign history, noting that she and Emhoff weren’t exactly sitting courtside. “Maybe if she still had some of that billion dollars she burned through during her presidential run, she wouldn’t be stuck in row 58.” Ouch. The joke stings because it’s true. Harris entered the 2020 race as a supposed frontrunner, with the full backing of the media and Democratic elites, yet somehow managed to flame out before the first primary vote was even cast. That takes a special kind of talent.

In the interest of fairness, there was one clip of Harris and Emhoff exchanging a few pleasantries with a couple of Lakers fans, though the interaction felt, shall we say, manufactured. One man made a vague comment about them “still smiling,” to which Emhoff responded, “And the Lakers, man.” Yes, Doug. The Lakers, indeed. That might be the most forced attempt at sounding like a normal person since Hillary Clinton tried to convince people she carried hot sauce in her purse. It was only a step away from, “Hello, fellow sports enthusiasts! What a thrilling game of hoops we are witnessing!”

And let’s talk about the outfit. Harris showed up dressed like she really wanted people to believe she was a longtime basketball fan. You almost have to respect the effort. Almost.

TNT broadcaster and former NBA coach Stan Van Gundy wasn’t as impressed. “I gotta tell ya, I’m a big Kamala Harris fan, but I wish she wasn’t here today,” he lamented. Now, for those unfamiliar, Van Gundy is as left-wing as they come, so this wasn’t a dig at Harris’s political career—it was him saying, in not-so-many words, that he wishes she were in the White House instead. Well, Stan, she’s not. She’s in row 58 at a Lakers game. And nobody cares.

Compare that to the reception President Trump gets at literally any major sporting event. Whether it’s college football, NASCAR, or a UFC fight, the energy is through the roof. Chants break out. The crowd comes alive. Love him or hate him, people react. There’s a reason why when Trump walks into a stadium, it becomes an event. And there’s a reason why when Harris does, it barely qualifies as a footnote.

But hey, at least the Lakers still managed to pull out a win despite the, uh, low-energy atmosphere surrounding Harris’s visit. Final score: 120-112. And in the battle of public enthusiasm, Trump remains undefeated.

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