On Tuesday, Democratic Representative Emilia Sykes dodged queries regarding Vice President Kamala Harris’ abysmal performance as ‘border czar’, instead opting to feign ignorance when confronted outside her Capitol Hill office.
A reporter posed the initial query: “Hello, Congresswoman, do you think that Kamala Harris did a good job as the border czar?” However, Sykes chose to ignore it altogether, prompting a subsequent inquiry from another journalist.
Undeterred, this second journalist pressed further: “Congresswoman, do you think Kamala Harris did a good job as the border czar? Yes or no?” In response, Sykes took umbrage at what appeared to be perceived disrespect towards the Vice President – citing incorrect pronunciation of Harris’ surname – claiming, “I don’t know who Kamala Harris is.” When corrected by the journalist (“She’s the vice president”), Sykes hastily retreated into her office.
This display of evasiveness drew swift criticism from her political opponent, ex-Republican State Senator Kevin Coughlin, currently vying for Sykes’ congressional seat in Ohio’s 13th District. He quipped to Fox News Digital:
“No surprise: Two days after Sykes endorsed Harris, she pretends not to know her… With Sykes’ support, Harris the Border Czar has created one of the worst humanitarian and security disasters our border has ever seen. I’d pretend not to know her too.”
Meanwhile, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) spokesperson Aidan Johnson seized upon the opportunity to deflect attention away from Sykes’ gaffe, suggesting Republicans were guilty of showing disrespect due to their supposed inability to pronounce Harris’ name accurately. As per his official statement to Fox News Digital: “If Republican trackers and Kevin Coughlin are going to ask about the Vice President, they should show respect and start pronouncing her name correctly.”
Notably, just last weekend, Sykes publicly pledged allegiance to Harris during her presidential bid, promising cooperation among fellow party members to rally behind Harris as the eventual nominee. This development assumes added significance given Sykes’ precarious hold over her current congressional seat; having narrowly secured victory by merely five percentage points back in 2022 within a traditionally conservative stronghold where Donald Trump enjoyed considerable success during the previous election cycle. According to the non-partisan Cook Political Report, the ongoing contest remains classified as a tossup between both parties.
