Calculated Kamala? Harris accused of cashing in on segregation with $30 T-shirt

Kamala Harris has been accused of ‘cashing in’ on her exchange with Joe Biden about segregation by selling $30 T-shirts with her face on it soon after the Democratic debate, causing some to call her calculated and “pandering.”

At the Democratic debate in Miami, Harris confronted former Vice President Biden about working with segregationist senators to oppose bussing children to schools to desegregate them, saying she had been bused to school as a child. The exchange was seen as one of her standout moments from the debate, and Harris later tweeted a photo of herself as a child. “There was a little girl in California who was bussed to school,” she wrote. “That little girl was me.”

Her campaign was quick to cash in on the moment and started selling T-shirts with the photo of her as a child for $30 just hours after the debate. 

Harris soon faced accusations of being “calculated” and disingenuous, with some expressing disappointment that she appeared to be using what had seemed to be a natural positive moment to make some money. Many also levied accusations that she was “pandering” to black voters.

“It makes your sentiment seem orchestrated,” a commenter wrote on her Instagram. “I legit just second guessed wanting to vote for her after seeing this,” another added.   

“I do not feel comfortable giving money to someone who planned ahead of time to make shirts that attempt to discredit another candidate for her political gain,” read another criticism of the move. 

While many of Harris’ supporters expressed their support for her and the T-shirt, others pointed out that her record as a prosecutor left a lot to be desired. “I hope Biden makes t shirts showing the faces of all the black people you have locked up for minor crimes like smoking pot,” one quipped.

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