In a recent interview with journalist Roland S. Martin, Vice President Kamala Harris gave viewers a moment that left people scratching their heads. What was meant to be a conversation focused on policies that aim to help Black voters quickly took an unexpected turn into an odd, astronomy-themed analogy. And let’s just say, it didn’t land quite as intended.
Martin set the stage with a question about former President Donald Trump’s attacks on cities with large minority populations, like Detroit, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.
These cities, dominated by Democratic leadership for decades, were singled out by Trump, according to Martin, as failing urban centers. He left out the fact that these cities have had Democrat mayors since, well, forever—but the racial angle was the hook for Harris.
Rather than directly engaging with the political critique, Harris veered into metaphorical territory. “If you just look at where the stars are in the sky,” she began, “don’t see them as random. Look at them as a constellation. What does it show you?” She then asked Martin the same question: “So you just outlined it, Roland. What does it show you?”
KAMALA: "I talked with somebody once who said, 'You know, if you just look at where the stars are in the sky, don't look at 'em as just random things. If you just look at 'em as points, look at the constellation — what does it show you?'"
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 14, 2024
Now, at this point, it was hard to say if Harris was going for some cosmic insight or just trying to draw a connection between Trump's critiques and the fact that these cities have predominantly Black populations. But the way she framed it? It wasn’t exactly clear.
Martin, seemingly as confused as the rest of us, didn’t bother trying to solve the puzzle. He quickly moved on. But the moment had already made its mark, and the internet did what the internet does—pounced. Memes and snarky comments followed, with some critics wondering if Harris’s train of thought had derailed.
“Ummm...the wheels are coming off,” one Twitter user commented, while others like Mike Davis pointed out the absurdity with comments like, “This is what happens when you pick leaders solely based on their skin pigment.”
Now, whether or not Harris was trying to make a point about Trump targeting cities based on racial or political leadership is anyone’s guess. The issue is that, with all the talk of constellations and stars, the message got lost. And in today’s political climate, where every word from a top official is dissected, this was not the kind of gaffe that flies under the radar.
Critics of Harris have often accused her of being vague or off-topic in interviews, and this moment only fueled that narrative. People are looking for direct answers, not metaphorical riddles—especially when discussing serious issues like the economic and political challenges facing major cities. But instead of addressing Trump’s accusations head-on, Harris left many wondering what stars had to do with Detroit's decades of Democratic rule or its struggles under predominantly Black leadership.