Vice President Kamala Harris faced backlash after responding to a pro-life heckler at a campaign rally in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The incident occurred about 20 minutes into Harris’ speech, when a person in the crowd shouted, “Jesus is Lord.” According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Harris quickly replied, “Oh, you guys are at the wrong rally,” prompting cheers from the largely pro-choice audience. She then added, “No, I think you meant to go to the smaller one down the street,” a remark that drew more applause.
While Harris did not specify which rally she was referring to, her comments followed a recent town hall event by former President Donald Trump also in La Crosse. Trump’s gathering at the La Crosse Center on Aug. 29 attracted approximately 8,000 attendees. In contrast, Harris’ event at the La Crosse Recreational Eagle Center had an estimated attendance of around 3,000, as reported by The Journal-Times.
A local resident who attended both events shared her thoughts on social media, comparing the energy and crowd sizes. She noted that attendees at Harris’ event were required to show identification upon entry and observed that the most enthusiastic reactions from the crowd were during discussions about abortion rights. “Not a lot of energy here, but everyone just cheered and screamed in support of abortion. So that was disappointing,” she commented, as reported by American Greatness. She also highlighted the difference in crowd dynamics, pointing out that while Trump’s event had long lines, Harris’ rally had “open spaces.”
Before the heckler interrupted, Harris was addressing the impact of the three conservative justices appointed by Trump to the U.S. Supreme Court. She criticized the appointments, emphasizing that the justices had played a role in overturning Roe v. Wade. “We’re not going to be gaslighted on this,” she stated, drawing boos from the crowd. “We remember Donald Trump hand-selected three members of the United States Supreme Court with the intention that they would undo the protections of Roe v. Wade, and they did as he intended.”
The incident with the heckler occurred the same evening that Harris skipped the Al Smith Dinner in New York, a longstanding presidential tradition. The event, a high-profile Catholic charity gathering, was attended by many prominent political figures. Harris’ decision to skip the dinner made her the first presidential nominee to miss the event since Walter Mondale, who did so days before his electoral drubbing to Ronald Reagan. Instead, she submitted a pre-recorded video message, which drew criticism from attendees and across social media.
Kamala Harris skipped the AI Smith dinner and instead sent them some prerecorded “comedy”.
Jim Gaffigan immediately wrecked her onstage for not showing up. pic.twitter.com/8cWNz8jbAq
— Kevin Dalton (@TheKevinDalton) October 18, 2024
A recent Pew poll highlighted Harris’ challenges in appealing to religious voters, particularly white Protestants and Catholics. Political analysts suggest that incidents like her recent exchange at the rally may contribute to her struggles in winning over these voter groups just weeks before the 2024 elections.
This article originally appeared on American Liberty News. It is republished with permission.
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