Sen. John Kennedy’s Remarks About Vice President Kamala Harris’ ‘IQ’ Viewed As Racist

Sen. John Kennedy stoked flames when he questioned the intelligence of Vice President Kamala Harris in an interview about border control.

Louisiana Republican Sen. John Kennedy was in hot water on Nov. 20 after his on-air comments questioned the intelligence of Vice President Kamala Harris. During an interview on Fox News, Kennedy concluded that the American people believe Harris is “not capable” of leading, saying, “When her IQ gets to 75, she should sell,” The Huffington Post reports.

The senator’s remarks were made during a discussion about President Biden’s border policy, which was long opposed by Republican lawmakers who disagreed with his decision to roll back Trump-era policies.

“The American people may be poorer under President Biden, but they’re not stupid,” Kennedy said. “They see an open border, they experience inflation; they see rampant crime… I’m not saying that is fair and accurate. It’s a conclusion that the American people have reached.”

The lawmaker’s words quickly made their rounds on social media, causing many to point out the racist undertones of his declaration surrounding Harris’s leadership as well as her intelligence, The Tampa Free Press reports.

“The hoods are off,” one user commented, referring to the Ku Klux Klan. While another said, “Kennedy is a nasty old racist.” His derogatory remarks on Monday were not the first made about Harris by the 72-year-old GOP senator. “I would say the vice president needs to work on being a little more articulate,” he said in July, according to The Huffington Post. “Some might say that based on her performances, that English is not her first, second, third, or even fourth language.”

📄Ambassador @emoctezumab sends a letter responding to insulting comments made by @SenJohnKennedy about Mexico.

🎥Watch the video here: https://t.co/ZRJQfFBYQN pic.twitter.com/gHljwTA5Kp
— Embassy of Mexico in the U.S. (@EmbamexEUA) May 12, 2023

His alleged attacks on Harris follow a trend of his targeted rhetoric aimed at Black and brown people. “Without the people of America, Mexico, figuratively speaking, would be eating cat food out of a can and living in a tent behind an Outback,” Kennedy said about the relationship between the two countries. His words prompted a response from Esteban Moctezuma, Mexico’s ambassador to the U.S., who called his comments “vulgar and racist” in a statement.