Kamala Harris Breaks Major Precedent Originally Set by Ronald Reagan
Vice President Kamala Harris is facing criticism for failing to salute the honor guard on multiple occasions — as well she very well should be.
Goodness.
The watchful eyes of Biden administration critics have taken notice that on several trips over the last few weeks, Harris has walked past an honor guard standing at attention and failed to salute.
While Harris, as vice president, is not the commander in chief, her predecessors — including Mike Pence and now-President Joe Biden — often stopped to salute the honor guard during their time in office, according to footage reviewed by Fox News.
On Monday, when arriving in Jacksonville, Florida, Harris disembarked Air Force Two and walked right past the honor guard without stopping to salute. She did stop to talk to reporters and oddly cackle about the border crisis, however.
Harris also failed to salute the honor guard when disembarking Air Force One with Biden on Friday as well as during trips on March 15 and 16.
This has irked many red-blooded American patriots, who view it as a sign of disdain for the military.
DISGRACEFUL: @VP Kamala Harris refuses to salute the honor guard at the steps of the aircraft. It is a clear demonstration of her dislike for those in uniform, both law-enforcement and military. pic.twitter.com/7QFHzamnt7
— Bernard B. Kerik (@BernardKerik) March 23, 2021
Biden is in no rush to get to the Southern border to see the disaster his policies have created.
Kamala Harris does not salute back to the troops as she boards Air Force 2.
If you look closely, you’ll see that the Biden Administration perfectly encapsulates “America Last.”
— Madison Cawthorn (@CawthornforNC) March 23, 2021
Kamala Harris doesn’t salute members of the military as she gets on Air Force Two, breaking with a customary tradition of respect
Remember when she and Joe Biden tried to sell the lie that *Trump* was the one who didn’t respect the troops?
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) March 23, 2021
Ronald Reagan started the tradition of the presidential salute when he took office in 1981. He spoke about why he did so during a speech to U.S. troops and their families in Iceland on Oct. 12, 1986.
Reagan reportedly encouraged his successor, George H.W. Bush, to continue the tradition, and though it’s unclear when vice presidents started doing so regularly — Pence and Biden both did, while Al Gore and Dick Cheney did not on multiple occasions — it does seem apparent that Harris broke with recent precedent.
While some have defended her by pointing to the fact that the presidential and vice presidential salutes are not by any means a requirement, this is beside the point.
It’s not a requirement to stand at a wedding, show reverence at a funeral or remain silent during prayer. Yet to deviate from these traditions when they are the accepted cultural norm is generally going to be observed as disrespectful.
No, Harris is not violating any constitutional or military requirement (after all, she is a civilian), but she is breaking an important precedent in an incredibly flippant manner, so yes, it’s still quite worthy of criticism.
The fact that former President Donald Trump relished in taking part in the tradition of saluting and honoring the troops resonated deeply with the American people for a reason.
While Trump himself was a polarizing figure, his adamant practice of such an important tradition of paying respect to our men and women in uniform was anything but.
Nothing unifies our nation more than the honor we pay to those who stand up and serve. This isn’t even just because of the philosophical reasons we may respect our servicemen and women. The simple truth is, millions of Americans love those who serve because they’re related or married to them.
While some of these individuals sadly pay the ultimate price in service to their country, all agree to pay the ultimate price to protect us — and those Harris is refusing to salute are among them.
Her careless snubs of those working to keep her safe are simply beyond the pale.
The vice president adheres to an ideology that demonizes our nation and patriotism toward it, and her actions toward the honor guard reflect that.
Biden and Harris are never going to live down the fact that they tried to kick the administration off with a promise of “unity.” It seems like every day their capacity to divide reaches new heights.
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