Watch: Kamala Harris’ First Speech After the Election Quickly Turns Into a ‘Cringey’ Spectacle

You’d likely see more presidential composure at a high school talent show.

On Wednesday night, former Vice President Kamala Harris made her first major post-election appearance in San Francisco, and within moments of taking the stage, reminded many why her path to the presidency had fallen short.

That certainly wasn’t her intention, but as she addressed the crowd, her performance offered a vivid display of why many voters found her lacking in presidential qualities.

“Kamala Harris is back in all her cringey glory,” the conservative X account End Wokeness commented.

The term “cringey” may be thrown around too often in political circles, but it felt well-earned in this case. Her exaggerated laugh and seemingly forced enthusiasm were hard to watch without discomfort — and likely served as an unintentional reminder to some viewers of what could’ve been had she ascended to the highest office.

Imagining Harris as the U.S. figurehead on the world stage seems implausible for many — especially when memories of her vice presidency still linger, with some Americans anxiously hoping that President Joe Biden, despite his age and frequent signs of decline, would remain at the helm.

Now? Compared to Harris, Biden almost channels the gravitas of Otto von Bismarck.

As KTVU reported, the speech marked Harris’ first major public remarks since the election. And she was clearly in friendly territory — back in San Francisco, the deeply liberal city where her political journey began, speaking to a crowd assembled by Emerge, an organization dedicated to getting Democratic women elected.

Unsurprisingly, the audience offered her a warm welcome. But for outside observers, her behavior — such as the moment she chuckled, “And Dougie’s here, too, hah, hah, hah …” — was more unsettling than endearing.

The content of her speech, according to KTVU, largely focused on criticizing President Donald Trump and his first 100 days in office. She also used the moment to praise several prominent — and controversial — progressive figures within her party.

Among those she celebrated were Cory Booker, the New Jersey senator known for prioritizing self-promotion; Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, who once defended a [reportedly] violent MS-13 member deported by Trump’s administration; Chris Murphy of Connecticut, often in the headlines for the wrong reasons; Jasmine Crockett of Texas, known for her frequent controversies; Maxwell Frost of Florida, seen by critics as sympathetic to MS-13; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the self-proclaimed socialist from New York; and her mentor, Bernie Sanders, the longtime senator from Vermont and standard-bearer of far-left politics.

If this is the roster Harris sees as the future of the Democratic Party, it’s unlikely to gain traction with the broader electorate. Voters didn’t embrace this brand of politics in the last election cycle — and odds are slim they will in 2026 or 2028.

Overall, Harris’ speech was true to form — a puzzling blend of awkward delivery, superficial emotion, and political miscalculation.

That KTVU reports she’s seriously considering a run for governor of California, despite her lackluster tenure on the national scene, speaks volumes about the current state of California politics.

And though she may not have meant to, Harris provided a stark reminder that while Donald Trump narrowly avoided tragedy in Butler, Pennsylvania, last July, the country as a whole may have narrowly avoided a different kind of crisis in November.