Awkward moment reporter grills New Hampshire governor over whether he’s mispronouncing Kamala Harris’ name on purpose
The New Hampshire governor was asked during an awkward exchange with a reporter whether he intentionally mispronounces Kamala Harris’ name.
Chris Sununu was confronted by Politico journalist Eugene Daniels about his pronunciation of the vice president’s first name.
The proper pronunciation of Harris’ name has been a hotly debated topic since she was named Joe Biden’s running mate in 2020.
The topic came up again on Thursday when Daniels asked Sununu about the likelihood of Harris becoming the Democratic presidential nominee, following Joe Biden’s disastrous performance of late.
“I hear Republicans mispronouncing Vice President Kamala Harris’ name a lot,” Daniels said in a segment on his show. “You’ve done it a couple of times. Is it a tactic? Or is it just a hard name to say?”
New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu was asked if he intentionally mispronounced Kamala Harris’ name during an awkward conversation with a reporter
Sununu appeared visibly surprised by the suggestion, but then admitted it was a mistake.
But since Republicans have already deliberately and unintentionally trashed Harris’ name, Daniels upped the ante by inviting Sununu to say it again.
The Governor pronounces her name as “Kuh-MAL-a,” when the correct pronunciation is “Comma-la.” This has been widely documented during the Vice President’s tenure.
“If I mispronounce her name, I apologize,” Sununu said. “I say Kuh-MAL-a Harris, I’m telling you straight up I wouldn’t disrespect someone by mispronouncing their name.”
Daniels took the opportunity to school Sununu by telling him, “Comma-la. Comma-la. Comma-la. Don’t apologize to me — it’s not my name.”
The discourse surrounding the Harris name is well-documented. Last week, the Washington Post ran an article about all the people who got the name wrong at the RNC.
They joined the likes of Tucker Carlson, who lost his temper after being challenged on his statement in 2020.
Donald Trump has also mispronounced the name in the past or made a show of pronouncing it in a seemingly mocking manner.
Sununu pronounces her name “Kuh-MAL-a,” when the correct pronunciation is “Comma-la,” which has been widely documented during the vice president’s tenure.
Chris Sununu (right) was challenged on Thursday by Politico journalist Eugene Daniels (left) about his pronunciation of the vice president’s first name
Critics say the mispronunciation is a deliberate tactic to draw attention to Harris’ heritage as a Black and Indian woman.
Harris herself has addressed the situation, releasing a video in 2016 that uses children to educate people.
“People pronounce my name in many different ways. Let #KidsForKamala show you how,” she said.
And in his 2019 memoir, Harris wrote: “[M]y name is pronounced ‘comma-la’, as is the punctuation mark. It means ‘lotus flower’, which is a symbol of significance in Indian culture.’
But even Biden has struggled in the past, trashing his vice president’s name during a 2019 speech honoring the Golden State Warriors for winning the NBA championship.