Social media had a field day dissecting what looked like a frosty exchange—or rather, lack of exchange—between First Lady Jill Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at Arlington Cemetery. The pair, seated uncomfortably close at a Veterans Day event, barely acknowledged each other in front of the cameras, sending the internet buzzing with theories about the supposed chill in the air.
From the footage, it sure didn’t look like Jill was interested in pleasantries. As Harris and second gentleman Douglas Emhoff made their way to their seats, Harris extended a round of handshakes and greetings, but when she got to Jill, it was like there was an invisible wall. The First Lady, donning dark sunglasses, looked straight ahead, unfazed by Harris’s presence right next to her. Conservative commentator Steve Cortes put it bluntly, saying, “It’s safe to say that Jill Biden hates Kamala Harris’ guts.”
And it wasn’t just Cortes. The clip quickly became fodder for commentators on X (formerly Twitter). The popular account “End Wokeness” joined the fray, claiming, “Jill Biden refused to even look at Kamala.” Journalist Andy Ngo shared a closer shot of the pair, describing Jill Biden’s “stone face” as Harris tried to settle into her seat beside her. As Ngo noted, many of Harris’s supporters are still sour about the outcome of the election, and some have even cast blame on President Biden for her loss.
The apparent snub didn’t just attract attention stateside; international media picked up on the vibes too. Italian journalist Leonardo Panetta shared his take on X, describing the First Lady as giving Harris a classic brush-off, staying seated and ignoring her. And, in true online fashion, conservative commentator Dave Rubin joined with a quip, comparing the frosty interaction to an episode of The Golden Girls: “I haven’t seen two chicks that hated each other that much since Dorothy stole all the men at the Rusty Anchor from Blanche in season 7.”
The zingers didn’t stop there. “Whoever seated them together hates them both,” one user commented, capturing the awkwardness of the seating arrangement that made it hard for the cameras—and the internet—to ignore.
You guys…
I’m starting to think Kamala and Jill Biden don’t get along.
🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/E4hfsicOSw
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) November 12, 2024
David Harris Jr., a conservative author, pointed to what he sees as a bigger issue at play: a “rift” within the Democratic Party that’s only widened since Harris’s loss to Donald Trump. The visuals from Arlington Cemetery certainly give weight to the idea that all’s not rosy among top Democrats. After all, a loss like this one, with Harris suffering a decisive blow in the polls, can rattle even the most polished political alliances.
Of course, as much as there might have been some bonding between the First Lady and Vice President over the years, political loyalties and alliances have their limits—especially after a campaign season as grueling as the last one. And while Jill Biden did reportedly greet Emhoff warmly, her lack of interaction with Harris was hard to miss.
TENSION!!!
Kamala Harris and Jill Biden look EXTREMELY uncomfortable sitting next to each other during Veteran’s Day memorial service today.
Now why on Earth could that be?! pic.twitter.com/t1hoOB91BH
— Conservative Brief (@ConservBrief) November 11, 2024
In the days following the cemetery event, it’ll be interesting to see if this icy moment gets smoothed over or if it foreshadows a deeper divide. With Jill Biden heading back to Philadelphia to give a speech for Philadelphia250, perhaps she’ll be glad for a break from the post-election awkwardness. But one thing is clear: with moments like these, the Democratic Party has more to worry about than just a few bruised egos.
