Kamala And Doug Plant Tree To Commemorate Attack On Israel
Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff have found themselves the target of online ridicule after their attempt to plant a memorial tree for the victims of the October 7 attack on Israel was met with harsh criticism. The couple marked the solemn anniversary by planting a pomegranate tree on the grounds of the vice president’s residence in Washington, D.C. However, it wasn’t the symbolism of the event that grabbed the public’s attention—it was their less-than-graceful handling of the shovels.
Almost as soon as the images and video footage of the tree planting hit social media, critics took aim at the duo’s apparent lack of skill with a shovel. Comments quickly flooded in, with users mocking their technique and questioning Harris’s claims about her middle-class upbringing. One user on Twitter/X wrote, “They both can’t even hold a shovel properly! A child in a sandbox can do a better job!” Another pointed out the irony of Harris’s past remarks about growing up in a neighborhood where residents were “very proud of their lawn,” juxtaposing it with her struggle to handle basic gardening tools.
Political commentator Collin Rugg added fuel to the fire, sharing the video with a sarcastic note about Harris’s focus on her middle-class roots. He remarked, “Kamala Harris, who grew up as a middle-class child in a neighborhood where people cared about their lawns, struggles to use a shovel with her husband.” His comment underscored the recurring skepticism some hold toward Harris’s portrayal of her upbringing and the authenticity of her connections to the average American experience.
The critics didn’t stop there. Brandon Morse humorously compared Harris’s awkwardness with the shovel to her well-documented struggles speaking without a teleprompter, quipping that both tasks seemed to elude her in equal measure. Others joined in on Threads, noting the incongruity of Harris and Emhoff doing yard work in full suits, with one user cheekily suggesting that the vice president should put the shovel down immediately.
Kamala Harris is evidently unburdened by the knowledge of how to operate a shovel. pic.twitter.com/g5ZO3IT0et
— Tim Murtaugh (@TimMurtaugh) October 7, 2024
Despite the lighthearted online roasting, the event itself had a more serious tone. Harris and Emhoff planted the tree to honor the victims of the Hamas attack on Israel, an incident that claimed 1,200 lives in a brutal onslaught. In her remarks, Harris emphasized the U.S. commitment to ensuring Israel’s security and support. She spoke of the importance of remembering the lives lost and the ongoing suffering, and she reiterated her promise to work towards securing the safety of Jewish communities both in the U.S. and abroad.
Harris chose a pomegranate tree for its symbolic importance in Judaism, representing hope and righteousness. Yet, even as she spoke with earnest intentions, her words were partly overshadowed by the voices of pro-Palestine protesters in the background, highlighting the deeply polarizing nature of the conflict. Harris’s pledge to work toward a ceasefire to release hostages and alleviate the suffering of Palestinians stood in stark contrast to the criticism leveled at her symbolic gesture and her approach to the broader geopolitical situation.
The moment also comes against a backdrop of escalating tensions in the region, where Israeli retaliatory strikes have led to devastating consequences for Gaza, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 42,000 Palestinians and the displacement of a significant portion of the population. As Harris’s attempt to navigate these sensitive issues plays out in both words and actions, her every move—including the planting of a simple tree—is scrutinized through a lens of both political performance and public expectation.