On Sunday, Vice President Kamala Harris took to Twitter to post a tribute for military veterans in honor of Memorial Day. From the official @VP account, Harris wrote a heartfelt post, where she extended her praise for those men and women who have “risked everything” for the country.
The tweet instantly became a hit amongst the masses, who played an integral role in retweeting and sharing on their platforms. Harris’s recent message was preceded by an earlier tweet that didn’t sit too well with the occasion.
On Saturday afternoon from the same @VP account, Kamala Harris had posted a smiling picture of herself along with the message, “Enjoy the long weekend.” Although that tweet itself garnered several likes and retweets, it also ended up creating havoc among many veterans who felt Harris was missing the real point of the “long weekend.”
Code of Vets, an organization that makes use of social media platforms to help fellow veterans in times of need was one of the first to react to Harris’ insensitive tweet. The account tweeted saying “It is a dedicated time to reflect on our warfighters, those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom.”
Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert also rebuked Harris for being oblivious about the circumstances surrounding the “long weekend.” “Care to mention WHY we’re having a long weekend, Kamala?” remarked Boebert on Twitter.
In addition, Rep. Kevin McCarthy also jumped on the bandwagon and called out the U.S Vice President for being oblivious to the real purpose of the weekend. McCarthy stated how it wasn’t just a weekend, but “a time to remember and express our gratitude to the men and women in uniform who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.”
Post her controversial tweet, social media was in a frenzy as there was a divide between her staunch followers, and people who objected to her usage of words. By the next morning, “Vice President” and “Memorial Day” were trending simultaneously on Twitter. Many of the opposers even took a dig at the Republicans and their failed efforts in investigating the January 6 Capitol riots.
On the other hand, others questioned why Harris was being blamed at all. A Twitter user replied to McCarthy’s objection, pointing out how it was a long weekend and “Republicans need to get over it.” Other users brought out the history of Memorial Day, and how Harris did not acknowledge the significance of the occasion.
Harris’ tweet on Sunday has received a fairly mixed response. While many went on to share the Vice President’s message, several others lashed out by saying it was too late. The same day, President Joe Biden was seen at the Memorial Day commemoration ceremony in New Castle.
