Well, it looks like Kamala Harris is in yet another mess, and this time, it’s her publisher scrambling to clean it up. Just hours after conservative commentator Christopher Rufo dropped the bombshell that Harris allegedly plagiarized multiple sections of her 2009 book Smart on Crime, Rufo got his hands on a little gift from Chronicle Books—an internal email showing they’re in full-blown damage-control mode. Oops.
In a post to X (formerly known as Twitter), Rufo shared the slip-up, saying, “BREAKING: Kamala Harris’s publisher, Chronicle Books, is in damage control mode.” According to the email, sent by accident to Rufo’s team, Chronicle’s VP Lauren Hoffman was instructing employees to send any inquiries about the plagiarism allegations straight up the chain of command. You know, because nothing screams “innocent,” like trying to funnel all questions through the higher-ups.
The email, hilariously titled “publicity,” stated: “Please do not respond or comment on any inquiries regarding Smart on Crime, and please continue to forward them directly to me. Really appreciate your help on this; it is a sensitive topic.” Yeah, I bet it’s sensitive. When your VP author is accused of lifting passages from Wikipedia, you’re not exactly eager to chat about it.
BREAKING: Kamala Harris’s publisher, Chronicle Books, is in damage control mode. The company accidentally sent my team an internal communication indicating that VP Lauren Hoffman is requiring that all inquiries about Harris’s plagiarism go through the higher ups. pic.twitter.com/seiF3bu0R2
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) October 14, 2024
Mainstream media, predictably, rushed to Harris’s defense—but not without some good old-fashioned spin. The New York Times headline read, “Conservative Activist Seizes on Passages From Harris Book.” Ah, yes, the classic “Conservatives Pounce” narrative. They even dragged out a “plagiarism expert” to downplay the accusations, saying that the lifted passages were “not serious.” Because apparently, plagiarism is only a big deal when it’s not a Democrat doing it.
JUST IN: Kamala Harris accused of plagiarizing entire sections of her Smart on Crime book in an exclusive report by @realchrisrufo.
The book was published in 2009 and features entire sections that were copied from sources including Wikipedia.
“The investigation was conducted… https://t.co/LBMGDXvxwQ pic.twitter.com/NuDCvp7fU9
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) October 14, 2024
Rufo, never one to miss an opportunity, mocked the Times’ coverage with a jab, saying, “Somebody hang this in the Louvre. The New York Times admits Harris plagiarized, but then calls noticing it ‘racist.’” The paper’s predictable contortions to defend Harris were, frankly, embarrassing. As if copying from Wikipedia somehow becomes a “fiery but mostly peaceful” form of plagiarism when it’s Harris involved. The Trump War Room account couldn’t help but pile on, saying, “The spin is already on from Kamala’s media lapdogs. It was a fiery but mostly peaceful plagiarism!”
Somebody hang this in the Louvre. The New York Times claims that I “seize[d] on” Kamala Harris’s serial plagiarism. Admits later in the story that it is, in fact, plagiarism. And then calls noticing that fact “racist.” pic.twitter.com/igfEpwP1h7
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) October 14, 2024
Andrew Walker, nailing the absurdity of it all, pointed out, “The New York Times consults a plagiarism expert who confirms Kamala Harris plagiarized but says it was harmless and ‘amounts to an error and not an intent to defraud.’” Oh, so it’s just a cute little “error” now. Imagine if it were a Republican caught lifting passages—there’d be wall-to-wall coverage and demands for resignations.
The spin is already on from Kamala’s media lapdogs at the New York Times.
It was a fiery but mostly peaceful plagiarism! https://t.co/fhqHtwpcWv pic.twitter.com/DxtVFxLoYC
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 14, 2024
EXCLUSIVE: Kamala Harris plagiarized at least a dozen sections of her criminal-justice book, Smart on Crime, according to a new investigation. The current vice president even lifted material from Wikipedia.
We have the receipts. 🧵
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) October 14, 2024
Not to be left out, GOP Senator JD Vance (who, by the way, actually wrote his own book) couldn’t resist getting in a dig: “Hi, I’m JD Vance. I wrote my own book, unlike Kamala Harris, who copied hers from Wikipedia.”
Hi, I’m JD Vance. I wrote my own book, unlike Kamala Harris, who copied hers from Wikipedia. https://t.co/tkZvK8LrI3
— JD Vance (@JDVance) October 14, 2024
So here we are, folks, watching another Democratic figure get caught red-handed yet again, only to have the media leap to their defense, downplaying it as “not serious.” But don’t worry—if anyone dares to call it out, they’ll just be labeled a “racist” for noticing. Business as usual.
