Vice President Kamala Harris caught people's attention when she appeared to switch up her accent again during a speech at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation on Saturday night.
Harris, 59, appeared to briefly change tone at the start of her remarks as Biden, 81, received a Lifetime Achievement Award at a glitzy gala in Washington, DC.
“Greetings to my nine sacred brothers and sisters…” Harris said with a laugh. — A reference resource for major fraternities and sororities at historically black colleges and universities.
(Harris herself was a graduate and sister of Alpha Kappa Alpha at Howard University.)
She then returned to her normal speech for most of her speech at the Phoenix Awards banquet, except for a few excited moments.
Critics were quick to slam Harris for her shifting accent, accusing her of pandering to different constituencies, particularly by altering her accent when speaking at events with predominantly black audiences.
“Kamala Harris showed off her new accent at the Congressional Black Caucus' 2024 Phoenix Awards ceremony in Washington, DC,” Trending Politics co-owner Collin Rugg wrote on X.
“Kamala has shown off her new accent on various occasions throughout the election.”
“Kamala said, 'Hello my nine sacred brothers and sisters,' in a fake accent, then burst out laughing.” Written by the Trump campaign's War Room.
“Kamala Harris is speaking in front of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, so of course she's suddenly got this weird accent…” Conservative commentator Posted by Benny Johnson on X
“Last night, Kamala Harris showed off a new accent at the Congressional Black Caucus dinner. Despite having spent her childhood in Berkeley, California, and Montreal, Canada, Kamala has a variety of accents, including a Detroit accent, a Southern accent, and a French accent,” a conservative influencer said. Steve Guest wrote on X A montage shows Harris in various attitudes.
“Kamala Harris can be whoever you want her to be depending on what audience she's speaking to. She never says anything incomprehensible, but I think it's great that she can change her accent to suit a wide range of audiences!” User George wrote in X.
Earlier this month, internet users accused Harris of using a “fake accent” while speaking to teachers union members in Michigan.
In July, Harris appeared to speak with a Southern accent at a rally in Atlanta, and in 2021, she appeared to imitate a French accent.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre bristled at a question about Harris' accent earlier this month.
“I'm not even going to be questioned about that. It just sounds so ridiculous when you hear it,” Jean-Pierre retorted when questioned by a Fox News reporter.
