Kamala Begs For Laughs in Cringeworthy Moment as Her Joke Flops

Former Vice President Kamala Harris was campaigning on Friday for Dr. Richard Pan, the Democratic candidate in California’s 6th Congressional District, when she took aim at Rep. Kevin Kiley, a former Republican now running as an independent.

The event took place at a Democratic campaign stop in Sacramento as Harris returned to the trail ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, with Democrats seeking to regain control of Congress.

Harris mocked Kiley’s effort to distance himself from his past party affiliation, saying, “Oh, I’m not that guy. I’m now this guy. Well, this guy who was that guy and is still this guy and that guy.”

The line was followed by a pause as Harris appeared to wait for a stronger response from the room.

She then said, “Come on now,” before laughing and bursting into hysterical cackling.

The audience responded with mercy claps.

The moment became the standout clip from the event, with observers noting that Harris seemed to wonder where her applause was after delivering what she treated as a killer line.

Pan is challenging Kiley in a race Democrats are targeting as part of their broader House strategy.

The clip circulated quickly on social media, with one account summarizing, “Kamala wonders where her applause is after delivering what she thought was a killer line, then bursts into hysterical cackling. Audience mercy claps.”

Harris’s return to the campaign trail came as Democrats push to regain congressional majorities in the midterms.

The exchange highlighted the difficulty of landing the intended punchline with the crowd present.