Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, 56, has come under fire on Twitter after she tweeted how she was committed to helping small businesses that had been affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Although the tweet was well meant, it clashed with a tweet from earlier this year in which she openly supported protesters instead of small businesses during social unrest in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of a police officer in Minnesota.
‘Small businesses, especially Black and minority-owned businesses, urgently need relief to survive the effects of coronavirus this winter,’ she tweeted on Saturday.
‘@JoeBiden and I are committed to helping these businesses during this pandemic and get them the support they need to thrive in years to come.’
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, 56, is coming under fire after she tweeted asking people to support small businesses including black and minority-owned
The tweet angered people who saw Harris plead for help in June to bail out jailed rioters
An open store is pictured boarded up as local businesses protect themselves against looting and demonstrations in Minneapolis, Minnesota last June
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, center left, accompanied by Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, right, waves while visiting the Downtown Holiday Market on Saturday in Washington to promote small businesses
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris is pictured shopping at the Downton Holiday Market. Harris made it point to shop at local shops for small business Saturday
But the tweet did not sit well when compared to another she posted on June 1st one week after Floyd’s death.
At that time she actively encouraged donations for to help support protesters bail payment, despite hundreds of businesses being harmed in the rioting that followed.
‘If you’re able to, chip in now to the @MNFreedomFund to help post bail for those protesting on the ground in Minnesota,’ Harris tweeted.
In Minnesota alone, more than 360 businesses in the Twin Cities were found to have been ‘vandalized, looted or had doors and windows smashed’ in the wake of the protests.
Hundreds of businesses were destroyed and property was damaged in Minnesota in response to the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer
‘Some have been reduced to rubble, and at least 66 gave been destroyed completely by fire. Others have reported extensive water damage or severe fire damage,’ the Minnesota Star Tribune published at the time.
Although the protests were against racial injustice and police brutality, they were quickly hijacked by anarchist elements that resulted in widespread rioting and the looting of small businesses in many major metropolitan cities.
Twitter users were not happy at Harris’ apparent contradiction.
‘You bailed out looters who destroyed small businesses. Pick a lane,’ wrote one Twitter user.
It was a similar sentiment echoed by Rob Wood: ‘Soooo last summer (July) you Tweeted to support the rioters and bail them out in Minnesota and now your supporting the small businesses they destroyed. Pick a side ! Or maybe your still supporting rioters in Minnesota and small business everywhere else.’
‘Maybe you shouldn’t have supported the ‘protests’ that destroyed so many, or supported bailing them out to do it all over again,’ said Bert Huggins.
‘You bailed out looters who destroyed small businesses. Pick a lane,’ wrote one Twitter user
‘Maybe you shouldn’t have supported the ‘protests’ that destroyed so many, or supported bailing them out to do it all over again,’ said Bert Huggins
Many Twitter users were not happy at Harris’ apparent contradiction in her support
Several pointed out the double standards which Harris appeared to be employing
‘Maybe she can help the Caucasian small business owners get a job loading trucks at Amazon. She’s so sweet! I mean, after all, she was bailing out the looters,’ added another.
‘The same businesses that were looted and destroyed during rioting? By the same people for which you helped raise the funding for their bail and legal costs? Hmmmm’ asked Ron Cates.
‘By burning them down and encouraging people to riot in cities with strong black communities?’ questioned another skeptical user online.
‘Such BS. Kamala supported the looting, violence and shutdowns harming small businesses,’ noted Zuko responding to Harris’ tweet.
‘If you cared so much about small and minority owned businesses, you would have denounced the riots and called for law and order rather than let them burn,’ wrote Mel pointing out the apparent double standard.
‘Such BS. Kamala supported the looting, violence and shutdowns harming small businesses,’ noted Zuko responding to Harris’ tweet.
‘If you cared so much about small and minority owned businesses, you would have denounced the riots and called for law and order rather than let them burn,’ wrote Mel pointing out the apparent double standard