Vice President Kamala Harris stumbled over years and geography in a ceremony intended to celebrate the 2022 WNBA Champions, the Las Vegas Aces, at the White House today.
Harris misstated that A’ja Wilson, a player on the team, “brought home the gold from the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.” This was a triple error: the Olympics took place in 2020 in Tokyo, and her reference to “two years ago” inaccurately suggests 2021.
Harris launched the ceremony by acknowledging that President Joe Biden and first lady Dr. Jill Biden couldn’t attend, sending their “best regards” to the Las Vegas Aces. The event was live-streamed on Harris’ X page, previously known as Twitter.
The Vice President then turned to lauding A’ja Wilson, stating: “Who two years ago, brought home the gold from the 2022 Olympics in Beijing. Who last year, won her second WNBA MVP award. And who, just this week, tied the WNBA record for points in a game.”
Harris also drew attention to herself by nearly renaming the city associated with the Aces. “You each have a commitment to excellence that includes a commitment to serving your community through the Las Ang– the Las Vegas Aces Foundation,” she quickly corrected.
Harris’ mistakes have not gone unnoticed, with social media users diverting some attention away from the Aces’ achievements to focus on her multiple gaffes.