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Vice President Kamala Harris appeared to botch the Pledge of Allegiance as the Senate was sworn in for the 119th Congress.
“I pledge allegiance to the United States of America,” the vice president said as she led the Senate in the pledge Friday, omitting the words “the flag of.”
The full pledge, which many children have memorized in grade school, goes as follows: “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
In a video clip of the major blunder, senators could be heard reciting the pledge correctly and Harris, 60, seemed to doubleback, repeating the words, “United States of America” after hearing members of the upper chamber correctly say, “to the flag of” as she flubbed the line.
Some social media users appeared shocked by the slip-up.
“Kamala Harris doesn’t know the Pledge of Allegiance! My gosh!” conservative podcast host Breanna Morello wrote on X.
Others seemed less surprised.
“And the VP forgets the pledge, of course,” Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) wrote on X. “Now let’s imagine a speech about the Pledge of Allegiance and other things that mean something, by Kamala Harris.”
“I pledge allegiance—which, you know, is about pledging,” the Texas Republican’s post continued, mocking Harris’ penchant for “word salads.”
“And pledging is important because when we pledge, we are pledging to something, right? So, I pledge allegiance to the flag. Now, this flag …” Crenshaw continued.
Meanwhile, former Trump campaign aide Chester Tam described Harris’ brutal gaffe as “absolutely pathetic,” arguing that “America dodged a bullet” in the 2024 presidential election.
“If the Pledge of Allegiance had a little part about ‘the significance of the passage of time’ or ‘the wheels on the bus’ Kamala Harris would’ve nailed it,” conservative commentator Tony Kinnett argued, referring to one of the vice president’s most famous incoherent moments and a viral clip of Harris belting out the children’s tune after spotting a bus.
The former Democratic nominee, while far less gaffe-prone than President Biden, did have some flubs of her own the campaign trail.
During an October speech in Green Bay, Wis., one which capped off a long day and night of campaigning, Harris bragged that she “stood up to veterans” before quickly correcting herself.
In another blunder, described by several social media users as “cringe,” Harris silenced a raucous crowd chanting her name in Michigan by demanding that they “shout your own name.” The vice president has reportedly asked her allies to keep her political options open for the future, with many speculating that she may mount a campaign for the California governorship in 2026 or make another run at the White House in 2028.
