Kamala Harris Slammed For Using 'Fake Accent'
By Jason Hall
September 3, 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris was accused of using a "fake accent" while giving a speech to union members in Detroit night while campaigning for the 2024 presidential election Monday (September 2) night.
Harris, 59, appeared to change her tone as her praise of union members was met with applause from the crowd at Northwestern High School.
“You may not be a union member, but you better thank a union member for the five-day workweek. You better thank a union member for sick leave. You better thank a union member for paid leave. You better thank a union member for vacation time,” Harris said during her speech.
Kamala Harris in Detroit on Labor Day: "You better thank a union member for the 5 day work week. You better thank a union member for sick leave. You better thank a union member for paid leave. You better thank a union member for vacation time." pic.twitter.com/AjE6WrqsZi
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 2, 2024
Former President Donald Trump's campaign attempted to claim that Harris delivered a similar line "in Pittsburgh a few hours later" but implied that there was a significant change between the two speeches.
"Let’s see if you can spot the difference…" the Trump War Room account wrote on X.
WATCH: Kamala Harris delivers the same exact line in a speech earlier today in Detroit and again in Pittsburgh a few hours later.
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) September 2, 2024
Let’s see if you can spot the difference… pic.twitter.com/FCRqCBqcBZ
Several conservative pundits claimed that Harris used different accents in the two speeches, implying that she made the change based on her environment. Comedian Terrence K. Williams, who gained a following on social media for his staunch support of Trump, claimed Harris was "mocking southern folks and pandering for votes."
Last week, an Emerson College Polling survey showed a tight race between Harris and Trump in swing states. Both candidates reportedly had leads by margins of 3% or less in three battleground states, respectively, and are tied at 48% in Pennsylvania.
Harris led by a 49% to 48% margin in Georgia; 50% to 47% in Michigan; and 49% to 48% in Nevada. Trump was reported to be ahead a 50% to 47% in Arizona; 49% to 48% in North Carolina; and 49% to 48% in Wisconsin.
“The race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump continues to be tight, within each state’s margin of error,” said Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling. “Harris leads Trump among independents in each state, with the exception of Nevada, where Trump leads 50% to 44%. There is also a stark gender divide, similar to that of 2020. In six of the seven swing states, Harris leads Trump among women, however, in Arizona, Trump has a two-point edge on Harris among women voters, a group that broke for Biden by about three points in 2020.”
Harris is, however, leading Trump in six battleground states -- Arizona, Georgia, Michigan Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin -- among independent voters while Trump has the advantage in Nevada.
Harris is reported to be ahead of Trump by a 47.2% to 43.7% margin, according to polling averages conducted by FiveThirtyEight.com, however, Trump is currently projected to surpass the 270 electoral vote threshold to be elected based on state polling, leading in several battleground states, according to RealClearPolling.com. Last week, a CBS News/YouGov poll projected that Harris and Trump were both reported to be at 50% among likely voters in battleground states, while Harris has a 51% to 48% edge nationally.
Harris also has a 56% advantage in support from women while Trump has a 54% edge among men. Trump famously defeated former First Lady and Senator Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election despite trailing by 6.5 points in polls.
Clinton won the popular vote, but lost the Electoral College by a 304 to 227 margin. Trump also trailed President Joe Biden by nine points in polls leading up to the 2020 presidential election, however, lost by just 4.4 percentage points.