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Kamala Harris sparks backlash with new campaign ad that targets Black male voters' love lives: ‘Belittling & insulting’

Kamala Harris, who is putting her best foot forward to win over Black voters ahead of next month's presidential election, drew criticism over a new campaign ad.

Published on: Oct 20, 2024, 17:28:35 IST
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Kamala Harris, who is putting her best foot forward to win over Black voters ahead of next month's presidential election, drew criticism over a new campaign ad, which disparages the love life of Black men.

Kamala Harris campaign released a new ad after former President Barack Obama accused black male voters who are not supporting the US VP of sexism. (AP/X)
Kamala Harris campaign released a new ad after former President Barack Obama accused black male voters who are not supporting the US VP of sexism. (AP/X)

The digital advertisements, which are being promoted on Instagram and Snapchat, feature clips that resemble dating games to encourage young people to cast their ballots.

In the commercial, a man is seen greeting a group of women with balloons, asking him about his height, income, and works out.

One of the women inquires as to whether he has a “plan to vote” after getting responses that appear to be positive.

Prior to the women popping their balloons, the male responds, “Uh, I didn't plan on it.”

“Don't get popped,” says a caption on the screen. “Vote, Election Day is November 5,” the ad states further, adding the it was paid for by Harris for President.

New Harris/Walz ad sparks criticism: ‘Glad I’m not a black man’

While the ad has been played around university campuses, including those in Arizona, a battleground state, it drew online mockery after it emerged that 65 percent of the ad spending were directed at women.

“Wow. I don't know what to say. Screams desperate,” one X user wrote.

“Belittling and insulting,” a second user commented.

“It's hard to describe how cringe Kamala is, but I'll do my best,” another reacted, asking that “What man would watch this and be persuaded to vote for Kamala Harris?”

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“Does the Harris Walz team really believe this will convince anyone to vote for them?” one more reacted, while another quipped, “Glad I’m not a black man, because this would make me irrationally furious.”

According to a recent New York Times report, Harris is 11 points behind in the race to secure backing from male voters, indicating that she is facing challenges when it comes to winning over male voters.

Earlier, former President Barack Obama accused black male voters who do not support Harris of sexism.

Instead of thanking workers at a campaign field office in Pittsburgh, Obama gave them a lecture, stating that he wanted to “speak some truths.”

Obama claimed he was reacting to local reports that some black males were considering sitting out the presidential election and that support for Harris was less than that for his own campaign.

  • Shweta Kukreti
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Shweta Kukreti

    Shweta Kukreti has over 8 years of experience in covering Indian and world politics. She joined the Hindustan Times in 2024 and is primarily assigned to the US desk. She currently works as Deputy Chief Content Producer and reports on a wide range of topics, including US politics, immigration issues (especially H-1B visa) and major global events. Shweta strongly emphasizes team operations, which encompasses monitoring news, delegating tasks, editing, developing comprehensive coverage strategies, and crafting engaging, and data-informed narratives. She received the Digi Star Award at the Hindustan Times within a year of joining for her broad coverage of US politics. In 2025, she earned both a promotion and a redesignation, a significant achievement recognising her contributions and the strong value she brings to the team. She has previously worked with the Indian Express, HTDS, ANI and Republic World. Seniors in all the media organisations recognised her work. Regarding education, she earned a BA (Hons.) in Political Science and a master's degree from Delhi University, and she pursued a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institution of Mass Communication (IIMC). She also holds a diploma in Women's Empowerment and Development from IGNOU University and a French certification course from Alliance Française de Delhi. If not working, you can find her exploring the hills and engaging in adventurous activities in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh. She loves to play badminton, volleyball, and chess, and spend time with her friends and family. She also enjoys spiritual activities.Read More