‘Saying everything and nothing at the same time’ – Social Media roasts Kamala Harris’ Broadway speech

Former US Vice President Kamala Harris’s post-show speech to the cast of A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical has sparked a wave of reactions online, with many mocking her remarks as another example of her so-called “word salad” style of speaking.

Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, attended two Broadway productions over the weekend—A Wonderful World and Gypsy. Following the performance of A Wonderful World, Harris received a warm reception

Harris' speech to the cast

After the show, Harris addressed the cast and crew, touching on themes of progress and vigilance in preserving rights. A clip of her remarks shared on social media quickly went viral.

"When we think about these moments where we see things that are being taken, but also let’s see it, you know, nature abhors a vacuum," Harris said. "Where there’s a vacancy, let’s fill it. Let us know that the reality is that the progress of our nation has been about the expansion of rights, not the restriction of rights."

She continued, “We’re seeing a U-turn right now. For those rights to be maintained, it means we have to be vigilant. It’s just the nature of it.”

Harris concluded her speech with a call to action, stating, “We have to be clear-eyed. And it doesn’t mean we don’t see the beauty in everything. These things all co-exist, but I believe we fight for something, not against something.”

Social Media reactions

While Harris’ speech was met with applause in the theater, online reactions were far more divided. Critics accused her of speaking in circles.

Critics call it a ‘Word Salad’

One user sarcastically noted, “She’s amazing at saying a bunch of words and doing nothing.” Another added, “I call it saying everything and nothing at the same time.” One found her speech unnecessarily complicated, remarking, “Why does she make talking harder than it has to be? Spitting out this word salad is actually harder than just saying something simple and positive.”

Many users expressed confusion about what Harris was trying to convey. One person joked, “I’m sure there was an important message in those words, but I have no clue what it was.” Another added, “I'm pretty inspired, but I'm still trying to figure out what she's saying.” Another user said their husband could immediately recognize Harris’s speaking style just from reading the transcript: “She has such a way with words!”

Some social media users compared Harris’s speech to a rambling relative at a family gathering. “Drunk auntie and her entourage of people that get paid to go,” one user quipped. Another chimed in, “Kamala Harris may become the first person in history where they’ll pay the crowd instead of the speaker.”

Her speech even led some to imagine alternative career paths for the former vice president. One user joked, “Kamala Harris’s new job is a barista.” Others compared her speech to an essential daily habit, with one saying, “Have you had your daily veggies yet today? Here she is.”

Speculation about Harris’s future also made its way into the discussion. One user took a swipe at her failed presidential bid, saying, “Imagine the vacuum we would have had to endure if Kamala Harris had somehow won this past election.”