White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre quickly shut down a question about Kamala Harris’ new “Southern accent.” She was asked about the shift in Harris’ dialect during a Tuesday briefing.
Fox News’ Peter Doocy brought up Harris’ new accent, which went viral after her Labor Day rally in Detroit. The vice president’s tone was compared to “Foghorn Leghorn.”
“Since when does the vice president have a Southern accent?” Doocy asked.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Jean-Pierre responded, clearly annoyed.
Doocy pressed further, saying Harris sounded different in Detroit and Pittsburgh. He mentioned a Southern drawl in Detroit.
Jean-Pierre pushed back, asking, “Do you think Americans seriously care about this?” She went on to say that Americans are more concerned about the economy and health care. She dismissed the question as “insane.”
Doocy then asked if Harris uses the same accent in White House meetings.
“We’re moving on, Peter. We’re so moving on,” Jean-Pierre said, ending the exchange.
Harris had been speaking to union workers in Detroit, promoting the importance of unions. She told the crowd, “You better thank a union member for the five-day work week.”
Conservatives were quick to criticize her “Detroit speak,” calling it “cringe and fake.” GOP strategist Matt Whitlock said Harris changes accents and personas often.
Critics also pointed out Harris dropped the accent during a speech in Pittsburgh. Conservative commentator Greg Price called her “the fakest human being.”
Harris has been accused of changing her accent before, including in Atlanta and even using a “French accent” during a trip to France in 2021.