Vice President Kamala Harris repeatedly used the f-word in public interview with Rolling Stone magazine as she continues to reboot her public profile ahead of the November election.
Harris used the f-word to express her disappointment over the number of lawsuits surrounding the issue of abortion rights.
“It sucks,” she said, referring to oral arguments in a Supreme Court case over an abortion ban in Idaho.
Harris portrayed herself as a change maker, claiming she was a public servant willing to challenge traditions and refuse to accept the status quo.
“You start trying to change the status quo, you mess with the status quo, it will fight you,” she explained, arguing that she was “impatient” about issues that were important to her.
Kamala Harris said she would continue swearing as she shakes up expectations of a vice president
Harris acknowledged during the interview that she swore more than previous vice presidents.
“I curse more!” she said laughing. ‘It’s not a new language for me, and I think when you speak the language you have to lower the pronunciation. My pronunciation is very good, thank you very much!’
This is the second time in less than a month that Harris has used the f-word publicly.
The vice president also used the f-word in May to advise young people about pursuing their future.
“Sometimes people open the door for you and leave it open; sometimes not,” she said at an event with young Asian-Americans. “And then you have to kick in the damn door.”
Harris spent time in the Rolling Stone interview highlighting her record as a fighter, one of two main issues the Biden campaign is focusing on as she campaigns for re-election.
She recounted a physical fight with a child on the playground when she was in kindergarten to defend her best friend.
“I jumped in and ended up having a fight with the child,” she said, noting that it was “just my instinct” to be a protector.
“I hate bullies. “I cannot deal with people who use their power in a way that is intended to demean other people,” she added.
Harris was calmer when asked about her initial reaction to the Dobbs Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris delivers a speech at the 30th annual We Are Emily National Conference
Kamala Harris visits a Planned Parenthood clinic in Saint Paul, Minnesota,
She recalled calling her husband Doug Emhoff and using “words” she felt comfortable with him.
‘Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep,” she said, remembering the words of her conversation. “Can you believe what they did?” And I remember saying to him, ‘They did it. They actually did it.”
Harris described the moment as “surreal” and admitted that she didn’t think the Supreme Court would actually return the issue of abortion to the United States.
“Oh, it took my breath away,” she recalled.
Harris said she didn’t like categorizing the issue of abortion as a difference between the political left and right.
“There isn’t a woman in her 20s who, when she has sex with a man, doesn’t worry about unintentionally becoming pregnant,” she said. “So talk about a lived experience for a lot of people who don’t think about ‘Am I left or right?'”
When reminded of her “3 a.m. agenda” platform from her campaign, Harris said that as vice president she “often” woke up at 3 a.m. because she was worried about the election.
US Vice President Kamala Harris introduces US President Joe Biden during a campaign rally
Vice President Kamala Harris participates in a moment of silence at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School monument in Parkland, Florida
“I am deeply concerned about the meaning and consequences of this election,” she said.
Harris said she has made 40 trips to 16 different states in the past four months.
She recounted her visit to Parkland High School in February and revealed the gory details of what she saw inside the building.
“The blood was there. It’s obviously dry, but the blood was there. You could see where there were pools of blood where these children were slaughtered,” she said.
Harris also responded to the issue of young people protesting Israel’s war in Palestine, reminding them of what Hamas did in Israel during the October 7 attack.
‘On October 7, 1,200 people were massacred, including many young people attending a concert. Think BurningMan. Women were brutally raped. “I have seen this in different places around the world, with rape being used as a tool of war,” she said.
But she also criticized Israel for killing too many innocent Palestinians, and demanded a ceasefire and more work toward a two-state solution in the region.
“And we must fight what we have seen as a rise in anti-Semitism around the world. And we must fight Islamophobia,” she added. “And people live in fear.”
Harris laughed when Rolling Stone asked what music she was listening to recently, suggesting she was too busy to listen to music and pointing to her briefing folder.
‘Which music? The pages turning in my binder!’ she replied laughing. ‘This is my little songbook. This is today’s. So what music am I currently listening to? Apparently my little violin.’
Vice President Kamala Harris visits the Vibration studio at the Freedom Skatepark in Accra, Ghana
Kamala Harris dances with gospel singer Kirk Franklin at the White House during a Juneteenth concert
Vice President Kamala Harris dances at the White House with singer Kirk Franklin
In the past, Harris has often expressed her love for music, reminding people that she grew up listening to Aretha Franklin’s album “Young, Gifted and Black.”
Harris also enjoys visiting vinyl record stores, which gives her the opportunity to talk about her love of music.
In February, during a trip to Michigan, Harris visited a record store and purchased a Miles Davis album.
Last year, Harris also visited a record store and showed off her purchases to the press, including Charlie Mingus, who she said was “one of the greatest jazz artists ever”; a Roy Ayers album, “Everybody Loves the Sunshine,” which she called one of her “favorite albums of all time,” and Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald’s 1959 joint album, Porgy and Bess.
Harris also enjoys dancing to music. On Monday, she was seen dancing on stage during a concert at the White House in honor of Juneteenth.
Gospel singer Kirk Franklin pulled Harris onto the stage during his performance of the song “Smile.”
Harris took Franklin’s hand and twirled around before starting to make free dance moves to the beat of the music for less than a minute before leaving the stage.
She spoke about the importance of music during the event.
“Through the struggles and successes of our history, Black artists like these have celebrated our country’s fight for freedom,” she said. “Through spirituals, blues and gospel, through jazz, soul and hip-hop, artists give voice to the joy and hope, ambition and aspiration, courage and conviction of the people of our nation.”