Vice President Kamala Harris received much criticism on Tuesday after her awkward response to questions surrounding the current border issue. Her laugh after being asked whether she would visit the border is said to make light of the crisis.
Harris was asked questions about the border, which was prompted by the fact that she has been overseeing the border crisis as designated by President Joe Biden in March.
Harris remarked there is no "quick fix" to stem the migrant surge. Harris chuckled during an NBC News interview on Tuesday, mere hours before she was meeting with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
'I've Been To the Border and I'll Go Again'
Harris met with reporters amid a Mexico briefing on Tuesday. A reporter asked if she would go to the border for her to see the "full complexity" of the situation as Harris took a number of questions after a bilateral meeting with the Mexican president. Harris responded with an awkward chuckle, "Listen, I've been to the border before and I'll go again," reported Daily Mail.
The VP claimed they have been to the border, appearing to refer to other administration officials. NBC's Lester Holt responded that Harris, particularly, has not been to the border. Harris then responded while laughing, "And I haven't been to Europe. I mean, I don't understand the point you are making," reported Fox News.
Harris added, "And I mean, I don't -- I don't understand the point that you're making," she said. She then insisted, "I'm not discounting the importance of the border," reported The Sun.
She also said when she believes they should have a conversation regarding what is transpiring in Guatemala since she was in the country to discuss the root causes of the border crisis. The VP was apparently unamused by the border being brought up during her trip on Monday to Guatemala and then brought up again on Tuesday in Mexico.
Harris was criticized on social media after her response. Some, including Republican members of Congress, said that the issue was not a joke to poke fun of and criticized the Vice President for making light of the situation. Others noted the inability of Harris to respond to the question, pointing out that the discussion was surrounding a crisis and not a "vacation."
This is like a clip from Veep… and really, really uncomfortable. https://t.co/kYh6coJjjR
Telling Holt that there is not going to be a quick fix for the crisis at the border, she added they are not going to see an immediate return. She stated the real work is going to take time to manifest and added it will be worth it.
Vice President Kamala Harris held bilateral talks with Lopez Obrador on her Mexico trip on Tuesday. The duo discussed how to halt the mass immigration from Central America by migrating through Mexico.
