When Kamala Harris Spent Over $500 on Cookware in a Parisian Shop Amid U.S. Economy Crisis

In 2021, Kamala Harris sparked online debate when she splurged on costly kitchenware in Paris amid U.S economic uncertainty. The vice president allegedly spent more than $500 on cookware at E Dehillerin, a high-end boutique selling kitchenware. Harris referred to her husband Doug Emhoff as her 'apprentice' in the kitchen and informed reporters that the kitchenware was purchased before Thanksgiving.

As reported by Fox News, Harris left with a $375 serving dish, a $160 frying pan, and a ton of other culinary goods, such as a porcelain egg dish and a copper cleaner. The shop is located outside the renowned Louvre Museum that houses the Mona Lisa. The purchase outraged citizens back home as the vice president was in France on a four-day diplomatic visit following the 2021 controversy surrounding Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States military alliance.

The Biden administration used the trip as a chance to further two of its top foreign policy objectives— mending ties and reviving the multilateral approach to addressing shared problems. After making a mistake on her first overseas trip to Mexico and Guatemala the same year in June, Harris used the trip as a chance to make her debut as vice president on the European diplomatic scene. 

Citizens slammed Harris online as they felt that the vice president was disconnected from the hardships faced by common Americans. Seizing on the opportunity, The Republican Party posted on X, "While Americans are struggling to pay more than EVER for the holidays, Kamala Harris is out buying a $375 pot." Many like George Takei, a prominent member of the LGBTQ+ community and star of the Star Trek franchise, defended Harris.

He quipped on X, "Vice President Kamala Harris would have to buy one Le Creuset pot a month for 27 years to equal one hush money payment to Stormy Daniels. Just saying." Takei's remarks alluded to the $130,000 that Donald Trump's attorney Michael Cohen gave to adult film actress Daniels (Stephanie Clifford) during the 2016 election. Echoing similar sentiments, one user commented, "While Americans are struggling to overcome inflation caused by Trump's failed trade war and botched COVID response, the GOP is paying a so-called billionaire's legal fees."

In 2021, gas and energy costs were rapidly growing. The Biden-Harris administration temporarily opened the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to slow the increasing fuel prices. America was also dealing with a supply chain crisis and a labor shortage that was deteriorating with each day. Additionally, costs were up by 14% from the previous year, and Thanksgiving that year was predicted to be the most expensive in over thirty years.

A senior economist, Veronica Nigh, told CNN at the time, "These include dramatic disruptions to the US economy and supply chains over the last 20 months; inflationary pressure throughout the economy; difficulty in predicting demand during the COVID-19 pandemic and high global demand for food, particularly meat."