Vice President Kamala Harris nervously laughed and dismissed a reporter's inquiry as she headed to Singapore amid Afghanista...
Vice President Kamala Harris nervously laughed and dismissed a reporter's inquiry as she headed to Singapore amid Afghanistan chaos.
Harris initially claimed to have had a key role and that she was 'the last person in the room' when Biden chose to follow through with the May 1 deadline to retreat US troops from Afghanistan.
But her remarkable absence and lack of communication with the media and the American public have not escaped backlash, as 47% of likely voters found her 'not at all qualified' to become President, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll.
In a newly-unearthed part of a chat with reporters filmed as Harris prepared to depart for Singapore late Friday, the Vice President displays her infamous nervous laugh before flying to Singapore for an official visit, the Washington Examiner reported.
'What's your response to reports of Americans-' an eager reporter says over the jet engines noise.
'Hold on, hold on, hold on,' Harris said before the reporter could finish.
'Slow down, everybody,' she said after a big laugh.
'I want to talk about two things,' Harris then said. 'First, Afghanistan, we couldn't have a higher priority right now,'
'And in particular high priority is making sure that we safely evacuate American citizens, Afghans who worked with us, Afghans at risk, including women and children, and that is one of our highest if not the highest priority right now.'
'And it's a big area of focus for me in the past days and weeks, and will continue to be,' she added.
During a press conference in Singapore this morning Harris boasted that 'the US is a global leader'.
She insisted Washington could be depended as she stood alongside Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien. She said: 'The reason I am here is because the United States is a global leader and we take that role seriously'.
Her comments come as the US and President Biden have recieved global condemnation for the unfolding chaos and humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. Hardline Islamists' swift return to power came after US troops' speedy withdrawal.
Kamala Harris nervously laughed and cut off a reporter, before saying that Afghanistan was a priority issue, before she boarded a flight to Singapore
Harris has praised President Biden's decision to honor Trump's deal with the Taliban to retreat from Afghanistan
Vice President Kamala Harris has boasted that 'the US is a global leader' and vows 'enduring engagement' in Asia after arriving in Singapore (pictured with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong)
On Sunday, President Biden chuckled after getting some bad poll results from a reporter, who said that the CBS News/YouGov poll was 'out there' after the president insisted that he hadn't seen it
Because the reporter was never allowed to finish her question, it's not clear what she was going to ask Harris specifically. However, it sounded like she was going to ask Harris about the Americans trapped in Afghanistan.
The video of Kamala laughing was shared hours after Joe Biden laughed when questioned by a reporter about his poor performance in a new poll during a White House press conference about the Afghan crisis and Tropical Storm Henri.
He said of the survey: 'I haven't seen that poll.'
And the Democrats were hit with a further optics issue Sunday, as Nancy Pelosi was filmed at a lavish Democrat fundraiser dinner in Napa, California, which cost up to $29,000-a-head to respond.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives - who is third in line to become president if Biden and Harris are incapacitated - was filmed addressing lavishly-set tables groaning with fresh flowers, smart cutlery and expensive looking food.
Harris arrived in Singapore on Sunday for the week-long trip to Asia, which also includes a stop in Vietnam, where she will be meeting officials
Nancy Pelosi speaks at a ritzy Napa Valley fundraiser while the situation in Kabul worsens
Harris has stood by President Biden's decision to honor Trump's deal with the Taliban.
'This is a president who has an extraordinary amount of courage,'
'He is someone, who I have seen over and over again, make decisions based on what he truly believes… is the right thing to do,' she said about the removal of the troops on a CNN interview.
The current administration has received backlash for its response to the Taliban takeover, amid reports of Americans and Afghan refugees being attacked by the Islamic extremists while trying to enter Kabul's Hamid Karzai Airport.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was also blasted after people emailing her received an automatic 'out of office' reply as the increasingly tense situation unfolds.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris arrives at Paya Lebar Air Base in Singapore August 22, 2021
It is not the first time Harris' distinctive nervous laugh causes her to be the target of criticism.
On March, Harris was blasted after she laughed when a reporter asked if she planned to visit the southern border amid the migrant crisis.
'Do you plan to visit the border?' asked the reporter before Harris took a flight at Jacksonville International Airport.
'Um, not today,' said Harris before letting out a laugh,
'But I have before and I sure will again,' she said as she evaded a definitive answer.
In June, she went to Guatemala and Mexico for meetings on the 'root causes' of the migrant crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border - a trip which was overshadowed by repeated questions as to why she was yet to visit the border herself.
Under pressure, she did several weeks later.
Harris notoriously laughed at the 2020 vice presidential debate, after being asked if she planned to support expanding the Supreme Court so a Democratic president could nominate more liberal justices
A new poll shows 55 per cent of likely voters believe Vice President Kamala Harris is 'not qualified' or 'not at all qualified' to run the nation. There was a 6 per cent drop in those who feel she is qualified from April to August
Harris also notoriously laughed during the 2020 vice presidential debate, when she was asked if she planned to support expanding the Supreme Court so a Democratic president could nominate more liberal justices.
'Once again you gave a non-answer, Joe Biden gave a non-answer,'
'The American people deserve a straight answer. And if you haven't figured it out yet, the straight answer is they are going to pack the Supreme Court if they somehow win this election,' said an evidently upset Pence.
When inquired about the legalization of marijuana, Harris also evaded questions by repeatedly laughing when asked about her stance on the issue.
Government officials have said the Vice President will continue to work on Afghanistan while in Asia.
She is not returning directly to Washington DC on Friday, going home to California instead, to campaign on behalf of Governor Gavin Newsom.
Her departure at a time of crisis will likely fuel criticism against her.
Other senior figures like the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State, National Security Adviser and Biden himself have been forced to defend their actions in repeated interviews and remarks.
Last week, when likely voters were asked in a Rasmussen Reports poll released Thursday if Harris is ready to be U.S. president, 47 per cent said she is 'not at all qualified' while 8 per cent said she's 'not qualified.'
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