Fox News has lost its collective mind again, this time over a clip of Kamala Harris showing a member of the honor guard formally saluting her before boarding Air Force One with the vice president — who has never served in the military — not returning the salute. The network lost its damn mind when former President Barack Obama returned a salute in 2014 while holding a cup of coffee. Well, Obama was the commander-in-chief, and returning the salute was appropriate, just as President Joe Biden has done since entering office. And, the faux outrage over the cup of coffee in Obama’s hands was just that: faux outrage.
As the military site Task & Purpose explains, “there is no regulation that requires presidents to salute the troops. In fact, for most of the country’s history, “presidential salutes” weren’t a thing, not even among those military leaders-turned-presidents, like Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ulysses S. Grant, or Teddy Roosevelt.” And the vice-presidential salute isn’t a thing, either.
But, this is Fox News, so they are outraged.
VP Harris repeatedly fails to salute military on Air Force Two, breaking with precedent https://t.co/ToAd7T6din
— Fox News (@FoxNews) March 24, 2021
Ah, yes, the network is feigning that Harris disrespected the military even though Fox News host Tucker Carlson has been bashing the military — specifically, women serving in the military.
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Fox News was promptly trashed on Twitter:
President Biden is the Commander In Chief. The head of the entire US Armed Forces…..VP Harris isn’t.
Regardless of the two recent VP’s “tradition,” VP holds no military rank. So she’s not wrong.
10 people, including a police officer died yesterday. Do better.
— Steph (@heysteph__) March 24, 2021
Well, at least she never saluted a Korean general. That was something. If she had saluted on AF-2 you would have really gone bananas. pic.twitter.com/KHWPzU2yUl
— – – —• Kelley •— – – (@andreagail_k) March 24, 2021
No breaking with precedent. She’s a civilian, and you guys are liars.#FoxIsNotNews #UnFoxMyCableBox
— Khashoggi’s Ghost (@UROCKlive1) March 24, 2021
Oh course the VP doesn’t salute. She’s not part of the Military nor part of the Chain of Command. Show some respect @FoxNews
— Think 1st #StopTheSpread-Masks go OVER your nose! (@AlwaysThinkHow) March 24, 2021
Not even General Eisenhower saluted once he became president, Reagan started the practice. Technically, only active duty military and veterans have earned the right to salute.
— Terrell D. Lewis (@TerrellDLewis) March 24, 2021
Yeah… too bad she isn’t a “true patriot” who dry-humps the American flag, mocks gold star families, and said boning countless women while avoiding STDs was his “Vietnam”. Breaking precedent… give us a break. 🙄🙄
— Suzanne Bradley (@suzycakes14) March 24, 2021
The precedent was *not to salute.*
This is another fauxtroversy.
— lawhawk #maskingforafriend (@lawhawk) March 24, 2021
Kamala Harris is likely the most scrutinized vice president in history, probably because she’s a woman and a person of color. Meanwhile, it was former President Donald Trump that incited the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection to overturn a legitimate and fair election, but sure; it’s Kamala that’s disrespecting our country. Yeah, go with that.
Featured image via Gage Skidmore/Flickr, under Creative Commons license 2.0