The Republican National Committee failed spectacularly in their attempt to shame Democratic presidential presumptive nominee and current Vice President, Kamala Harris, for using choice words during a passionate live discussion.
Harris spoke at the annual Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) Legislative Leadership Summit to commemorate Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month in May.
In a discussion moderated by actor and comedian Jimmy O. Yang that was live-streamed on the White House's website, Harris touched on being the first Vice President of Asian descent and how her cultural background influenced her views and role in the White House.
Her mother was a biomedical scientist from India while her father, who was a Stanford University professor of economics, emigrated from Jamaica.
During the APAICS interview, she talked about the importance of breaking down barriers, recalling her late mother once encouraging her and her sister not to let others with narrow-minded views make them feel apologetic for their dreams or for being who they are.
Harris conveyed her mother's wisdom, urging the younger generation to do the same.
"We have to know that sometimes people will open a door for you and leave it open, sometimes they won't," she said, adding:
"And then you need to kick that f'king door down."
After eliciting cheers and laughter from the audience and a fist pump from Yang, Harris said while laughing, "Excuse my language."
The RNC shared the clip completely out of context as part of a smear of Harris.
You can see the uncensored clip below.
Unfortunately for the RNC, their attempt backfired as the clip only boosted Harris' popularity.
Here's what people are saying, and it's all in favor of the Democratic frontrunner.
Nice try though, RNC.
The RNC's hypocrisy, considering the toxicity constantly spewing from the mouth of former Republican President Donald Trump, didn't go unnoticed.
Thanks for playing, RNC.
You can watch the full video of Harris at the APAICS Legislative Summit below.
Vice President Harris Participates in a Moderated Conversation at the APAICS Legislative Summitwww.youtube.com
As a person who was among the first of her heritage to break barriers, Harris clarified in the APAICS discussion:
"Breaking barriers does not mean you start on one side of the barrier and you end up on the other side. There’s breaking involved."
"And when you break things, you get cut and you may bleed. And it is worth it every time. Every time."
She spoke to the young members of the AAPI audience members:
"When you walk in those rooms being the only one that looks like you, the only one with your background, you walk in those rooms chin up, shoulders back."
"Be it a meeting room, a boardroom, a courtroom, a hearing room, you walk in those rooms knowing that we are all in that room with you, applauding you on and expecting certain things from you, including that you will not be silent in those rooms and that we expect that from you because we also expect that you will internalize and know we’re there with you."
"And so, your voice can be strong."
Harris then quoted her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, who told her, “Don’t you ever let anybody tell you who you are. You tell them who you are.”
Harris added to that sentiment, advising her audience:
"Don’t ever carry as a personal burden your capacity to do whatever you dream and aspire to do based on other people’s limited ability to see who can do what."
This led to her driving the point home with the kicking down the door comment, to which Yang showed approval and responded with:
"We got to make T-shirts with that saying, 'Kick the f'king door down.' ”
So, where do we get that shirt??
