(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Vice President Kamala Harris seemed to embody the Tucker Carlson-appointed nickname “Carmela Harris” on Tuesday, debuting an apparent new accent during a speech.
On Tuesday afternoon, Harris came under scrutiny from social media critics who noticed what appeared to be a Hispanic accent while speaking to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
“We Love you!” a woman shouted to Harris, who replied, “I love you back,” with an exaggerated and drawn-out emphasis on the phrase “I Love You,” pronouncing it more like “Aye Luh U.”
Critics quickly called out Harris’s unusual enlargement of the vowel sounds, with journalist Greg Price calling this “her most cringe accent yet.” Trending Politics co-founder Collin Rugg agreed, adding, “Harris has pulled out multiple accents on the campaign trail however this one is one of the most interesting to date.”
Harris’s latest accent comes as she faces questions about her racial identity and the authenticity of her exchanges with supporters. The vice president, currently running for president, switched her accent during a campaign rally in Atlanta, Georgia, last month.
“You all helped us win in 2020 and we gon’ do it again in 2024,” Harris exclaimed to Atlanta voters, notably dropping the “g” in “going” to produce “gon,” and slurring “2024” as “twenny-foh.”
She revived the same tone during the 2024 Phoenix Awards Dinner. “Hello to all my Divine Nine brothers and sisters, my sorors, and all my HBCU brothers and sisters,” Harris said, alluding to her sorority membership during her time at Howard Universit.
This time she tellingly emphasizing “Divine Nine” as “Dee-vahhn Nahhn” and pronounced “brothers and sisters” as “bruh-thuhs and sih-stuhs,” prompting many to question whether Harris was mocking a Southern accent. These are just some of the examples.
MADAM VP, IS THAT YOU? @seanhannity says Vice President Harris debuted a new "accent" this week on the campaign trail, marking her "fifth or sixth" one that has emerged since her campaign kicked off. pic.twitter.com/dgAoN59lqn
— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 19, 2024
President Donald Trump appeared to take note of Harris’s shifting identity, remarking during a Q&A that she had previously emphasized her Indian heritage before later focusing on her Black background.
Early in her career, several news outlets described Haris as Indian-American. During her Senate career, Harris appeared to fully embrace her Black identity, pointing to her Jamaican-born father.
Others have suggested that Harris’s changing tone during speeches is an example of “code switching,” the practice of alternating one’s tone depending on the environment.
