Vice President Kamala Harris went viral Tuesday for comments she made in Highland Park, Illinois, following the horrific massacre at the Independence Day parade. Just one day after the mass shooting that left seven dead and more than 30 injured, Harris visited Chicago’s north suburbs to meet with local law enforcement. He made brief remarks to the grieving city. “We have to take these things seriously, just as you have to take them seriously,” Harris told the press and Highland Park residents. HIGHLAND PARK SHOOTING: HARRIS CALLS ON CONGRESS TO BAN ASSAULT GUNS, ‘END THIS HORROR’ OF GUN VIOLENCE “The whole nation needs to understand and have a level of empathy to understand that this could happen anywhere [to] any people in any community. And we need to stand together and talk about why it needs to stop,” Harris added before walking away. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a surprise visit to the scene of a shooting that left seven dead in Highland Park, Illinois, on July 5, 2022. (KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP Photo) (KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP Photo via Getty Images)
The clip, shared by Chicago Tribune reporter Jake Sheridan, drew attention on social media with critics mocking the vice president as the “Queen of Word Salad.” “THE[]okay,” countered Vulture writer Rachel Handler. “She’s stunningly bad at it,” National Review contributor Pradheep J. Shanker tweeted. “[E]Her very new quote makes less and less sense as a complete sentence,” sports editor Whitney McIntosh wrote. HIGHLAND PARK SCOTTISH: LIVE UPDATES “Okay, so she didn’t always sound so incoherent when she was put on the spot, right? Am I misremembering? It’s getting weird,” writer Ashley Reese similarly opined. “Okay, I give up. THERE ARE some jobs you shouldn’t be allowed to drink on the clock,” screenwriter Josh Olson quipped. John Ashbrook of the “Ruthless” podcast mocked the visuals in the clip, tweeting, “Wearing the lantern like a hat.” “Seriously @VP doesn’t know how to talk,” said Mediaite writer Jackson Richman. Harris has a long history of making puzzling observations. At a White House event alongside Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness in March, Harris was criticized for her “word salad” while touting US relations with the nation. “We also recognize, just like in the United States, for Jamaica, one of the issues that has come up as an issue that is economic in its impact has been the pandemic,” Harris said in March. “To that end, we are also announcing today that we will assist Jamaica in its recovery from COVID, assisting with the recovery efforts in Jamaica that have been essential, I believe, to what is necessary to enhance not only the public health issue but and the economy”. HIGHLAND PARK FOURTH OF JULY SHOOTING: A TIMELINE OF EVENTS Earlier that month, Harris was criticized for appearing to ask Polish President Andrzej Duda for help when faced with a difficult question during a joint press conference, joking to him, “A friend in need is indeed a friend,” before laughing for several seconds.
US Vice President Kamala Harris (C) walks alongside Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering (R) as she makes a surprise visit to the scene of a shooting that left seven people dead in Highland Park, Illinois, on July 5, 2022. (Photo by by KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / AFP) (Photo by KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
The vice president was mocked for her response during an interview with “Today” in March about why the Biden administration was still buying oil from Russia during the war with Ukraine, telling NBC News: “Let’s do this one step at a time, understanding that right now on energy, our allies have stood firm and united in a way that many of the experts did not foresee would happen, to ensure that we are united in our approach to this issue”. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP During a radio interview, Harris raised eyebrows for her explanation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, slowly telling listeners: “Ukraine is a country in Europe. It exists next to another country called Russia. Russia is a bigger country. Russia decided to invade a smaller country called Ukraine, so basically that’s wrong.” In November, Harris was criticized for appearing to use a “French accent” in front of scientists during a visit to a Paris laboratory. Joseph A. Wulfsohn is a media reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on Twitter: @JosephWulfsohn.