Kamala Harris' Awkward Moment, Suffers Biden-Style Gaffe on Stage at Arizona Rally

During a rally in Phoenix, Arizona, Vice President Kamala Harris experienced an awkward moment similar to POTUS Joe Biden's infamous gaffes. As she ascended the stairs to the stage, Harris stumbled, briefly losing her footing before regaining her balance. The incident occurred as Harris was preparing to address a crowd of 15,000 supporters alongside her newly announced running mate, Minnesota Governor, Tim Walz. Despite the minor setback, Harris recovered, maintained her composure, and continued to climb with a smile, waving to the audience.

Biden, 81, has had his share of gaffes— nearly falling while boarding Air Force One and stumbling during varied events. Harris, 59, is now seeking to succeed Biden as the Democratic presidential contender in 2024 and perhaps is following in his footsteps too literally. The event in Arizona was one of her first major appearances with Walz.

During her speech, Harris addressed key issues facing Arizona voters, including border security and immigration. "We know our immigration system is broken and we know what it takes to fix it— comprehensive reform," she cited. "That includes strong border security and an earned pathway to citizenship." The Vice President slammed her Republican opponent, Donald Trump, accusing him of lacking genuine interest in solving immigration problems. "Donald Trump does not want to fix this problem," Harris asserted. "Be clear about that. He has no interest or desire to actually fix the problem. He talks a big game about border security, but he does not walk the walk."

She went on to detail her own strategy for the same and proposed "hir[ing] thousands more border agents and crack down on fentanyl and human trafficking." Despite the enthusiasm of her fans, Harris reminded them that they have an uphill struggle in the forthcoming election. "We are the underdog," she said, encouraging her supporters to stay dedicated to the campaign.

After Biden dropped out of the race, Harris's campaign team quickly jumped to leverage social media trends to connect with young voters. Although the strategy comes with risks, the digital efforts have been successful so far. Their videos are getting millions of likes. Christian Divyne, a TikTok creator, told The Hill, "It's working. It's just making people like Kamala Harris."

However, one wrong move could turn excitement into mockery. Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign faced such a problem. Her 'Pokémon Go to The Polls' comment became a moment of cringe, as per The Cut. Experts say it's all about understanding internet culture. Danielle Butterfield from Priorities USA, explained, "A good social media campaign understands the ideal target audience and can speak credibly to that audience based on the message, messenger, tone, delivery, etc."

Harris's team recently used Charli XCX's Brat album in their posts. But they're not overdoing it. Christian Divyne noted, "I think if she engages with it too much, it might become more cringy. It has to remain in this way where it seems like the sort of goofy, fun part of it is the part that her people are doing."