Vice President Kamala Harris gave another of her infamous “word salad” responses during an interview regarding Israel, causing new concerns as one critic said she “can’t make any sense at all” in a now-viral clip posted on social media.
Harris participated in a rare sit-down interview on CBS’ “60 Minutes” on Sunday, where Bill Whitaker asked whether the U.S. has any influence over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid the ongoing war against Hamas. Monday marked one year since the brutal terrorist attack on Israel that ignited the conflict in Gaza.
“The aid that we have given Israel allowed Israel to defend itself against 200 ballistic missiles that were just meant to attack the Israelis and the people of Israel. And when we think about the threat that Hamas, Hezbollah presents, Iran, I think that it is without any question, our imperative to do what we can to allow Israel to defend itself against those kinds of attacks,” Harris responded during the rare interview.
Continuing, she added: “Now the work we do diplomatically with the leadership of Israel is an ongoing pursuit around making clear our principles, which include the need for humanitarian aid, the need for this war to end, the need for a deal to be done which would release the hostages and create a cease-fire. And we’re not going to stop in terms of putting that pressure on Israel and in the region, including Arab leaders.”
The lengthy, wordy response and refusal to outright commit to supporting Israel, the United States’ most valuable ally in the tumultuous Middle East, led to frustration and anger among observers on the X platform.
“Kamala is asked about Israel, can’t make any sense at all. Kamala is like a running team that’s behind and can’t throw the ball. After hiding her for months, they are now panicking and doing interviews everywhere. But that’s going to get her behind more,” Outkick founder Clay Travis, a supporter of former President Trump, wrote.
Former ESPN anchor Sage Steele quipped, “Someone please interpret what she just said here…”
“People talk this way when they have absolutely nothing substantive to say because they know next to nothing about the subject at hand,” Federalist senior editor John Daniel Davidson responded.
Top radio talker and Fox News contributor Mark Levin simply said, “Shocking.
Comedian Tim Young added, “60 minutes asked Kamala if Netanyahu even listens to us after we give Israel weapons and money. Kamala replies with a pile of word salad. It would be easier if she just said that no world leader respects or listens to her even after we hand out money.”
Republican lawmakers piled on as well.
“This is the real Kamala. And she’s no friend of Israel,” California Rep. Darrell Issa commented.
New York Rep. Elise Stefanik posted: “Israel is taking out Iranian-backed terrorists across the Middle East, making the world safer for Israel and the United States yet Kamala Harris refuses to say that Prime Minister Netanyahu is a strong ally to America. Kamala Harris is unfit to be the President of the United States.
During the interview, Harris deflected multiple questions from Whitaker regarding her support for Israel.
He asked straight up: “Do we have a real close ally in Prime Minister Netanyahu?”
“I think with all due respect, the better question is do we have an important alliance between the American people and the Israeli people, and the answer to that question is yes,” Harris responded, refusing to provide a direct answer.
Harris faced criticism last month for offering limited details on whether she would alter her policies regarding Israel if elected president.
“We need to get this deal done, and we need to get it done immediately,” she responded when asked by the National Association of Black Journalists, referring to getting hostages home. “And that is my position and that is my policy.
