Vice President Kamala Harris accidentally called herself president when she spoke at a memorial service in Texas on Thursday, but the crowd loved it.
The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee was in Houston to deliver a eulogy for the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, along with other Democratic leaders, including former President Bill Clinton and first lady Hillary Clinton.
Harris was praising Jackson Lee’s bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday when she made an ironic misstep.
“As a United States senator, I was proud to be a co-sponsor and later as chairman and vice president,” Harris said, quickly regaining control.
“It was an honor for me to stand before the president, to stand before the president, it was an honor,” Harris said with a broad smile, acknowledging the mistake.
But the crowd went wild. There was loud applause, cheering and laughter, forcing the vice president to pause before continuing.
Vice President Kamala Harris made a mistake and called herself president, then quickly corrected herself to vice president while praising the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. The crowd cheered
“It was an honor for me to stand with our President Joe Biden next to Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee as our President signed her bill,” Harris continued.
Before her remarks, Harris received a standing ovation as she walked to the stage. There were also several cheers from the audience as she began to speak.
Harris was in town to deliver a eulogy for the late Texas congressman, who died last month at age 74, days before the vice president became the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and several other prominent Democrats also attended the service.
Before Harris spoke, she received a hug from both Clintons.
It was the first time the two had been photographed with Harris since she became the presumptive nominee. The Clintons had backed her bid almost immediately after Biden dropped out of the race.
Harris received a standing ovation when she took the stage at Fallbrook Church in Houston to honor the late congresswoman
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton embraces Vice President Harris before speaking at the memorial service. Clinton was the first woman to run for president on a major party ticket in 2016.
Harris remembered the congresswoman as a champion of justice and a person of great faith and compassion, and spoke of working with her for many years in Congress.
“She was really a force of nature,” Harris said.
“When it came to her constituents, there was no job too big or too small for the congresswoman. If it had to be done, she made sure it got done and done right.”
The vice president called Jackson Lee one of the smartest and most strategic legislators in Washington, D.C.
She also joked that she almost wanted to hide if she saw the congresswoman walking down the hall, because she knew that no matter what was going on in her mind, Jackson Lee wanted to have a specific conversation with her about what was going on in her mind.
“She would tell you exactly what she needed you to do to help her get it done,” Harris said to applause. “She never missed an opportunity to fight for the people she served.”