(Headline USA) Vice President Kamala Harris was greeted by a chorus of boos from March Madness fans at her alma mater, Howard University.
Harris and her husband, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, attended the first-round game at Howard University on Thursday. When they were introduced over the loud speaker, the crowd’s boos could be heard clearly above any applause.
Howard University went on to lose the game to the University of Kansas, 96-68.
After the embarrassing loss, Harris and Emhoff went down to the locker room to meet with Howard’s players.
“You guys are so good, you guys are so good,” Harris said as she met the team. “You played hard, you played to the very last second, you made all us Bisons so, so proud.”
"You made all us Bison so proud." ❤️@VP Kamala Harris delivered a postgame message to @HUMensBB 👏 #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/zwQFcwlWYX
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 16, 2023
“You are smart. You are disciplined. You put everything you had into the game,” Harris said. “And you know that’s what it’s about, right. Until the last minute, you guys did that, you didn’t stop until the last second, you did not stop, and that is so inspiring. So you keep playing with chin up and shoulders back because you showed the world who Bison are.”
The vice president then offered the players a tour of the White House when they are in Washington, D.C.
“You make us so proud, so I know you might not be feeling great right now, OK, but know who you are: You are excellence, you are hard work, you are powerful and you are winners,” she said.
Unsurprisingly, Harris also used the game as a political opportunity to push for increased funding of historically black colleges, like Howard.
“These sports programs need to be well resourced because when you look at the coaches like the coaches on the two teams that are here, they are investing in these students as a whole person, so yes it is about helping them be their best and most talented on the court. But, also off the court,” she said.
