Vice President Kamala Harris Friday said population reduction would improve air and water quality during a speech at Coppin State University in Baltimore.
“When we invest in clean energy and electric vehicles and reduce population, more of our children can breathe clean air and drink clean water,” the vice president said to applause.
The official transcript of her remarks struck through the word “population” and inserted the word “pollution” in brackets.
The unintended assertion quickly drew attention on social media, eliciting reactions from political spectators and officials, including the Republican National Committee and Rep. Thomas Massie.
Republicans were quick to jump on the newest gaffe by Vice President Harris in a Twitter post from the RNC Research account with a video clip from her speech.
One Twitter user suggested population reduction could easily be managed by public control of health care.
“Single payer healthcare,” said Scott Akos. “When the government controls healthcare, they control who lives and who doesn’t.”
Another user suggested COVID-19 was used to achieve a government goal of reducing population.
“Another reason they’re so invested
It’s noteworthy to mention that Harris was announcing a sizable $20 billion in taxpayer funds dedicated to green energy initiatives, focusing on environmental justice.
These funds will reportedly provide substantial benefits to historically disadvantaged and low-income areas, encompassing rural and Native American communities.
This is not the first time the vice president has found herself in hot water due to verbal errors. Last year, she mistakenly referred to a nonexistent alliance with North Korea, a blunder that did not escape public scrutiny.
Concerns within the White House have reportedly emerged regarding Harris’ potential impact on the 2024 election.
Recurrent instances of confusing remarks contribute to her low popularity as vice president, according to the Hindustan Times. It seems efforts to enhance her public image and mitigate further missteps are now underway.