Did Kamala Harris give Mike Johnson "the coldest shoulder" during State of the Union?

Washington DC - The internet has been debating whether Vice President Kamala Harris intentionally showed no love to House Speaker Mike Johnson during Thursday night's State of the Union.

A clip of Vice President Kamala Harris (l.) and House Speaker Mike Johnson has gone viral after a social media user suggested she gave him the cold shoulder.
A clip of Vice President Kamala Harris (l.) and House Speaker Mike Johnson has gone viral after a social media user suggested she gave him the cold shoulder.  © IMAGO / ABACAPRESS

Is there tension between the VP and Speaker of the House?

Prior to President Joe Biden giving his address on Thursday night, Harris and Johnson stood at the head of the House chamber awkwardly awaiting his arrival, seemingly in silence.

Political commentator Luke Beasley shared a clip of a particular strange moment where Harris stood with her arms crossed looking away as Johnson appeared gloomy.

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"Vice President Harris is giving Mike Johnson the COLDEST shoulder, and I love it," he wrote in the post.

Beasley's take sparked a flurry of comments, with some describing Harris as "classless," while others cheered her on as a "strong woman" and ultimately yielding more power than Johnson.

As Biden's VP, it would make sense for Harris to have some qualms with Johnson, as they have many differing opinions about which direction the country should go in. Johnson also supports the Republican Party's presidential nominee Donald Trump, and has vehemently denied that the January 6 Capitol riots were an insurrection.

While chatter has continued about drama between them, what actually happened between Harris and Johnson on Thursday might tell a different story.

Mike Johnson and Kamala Harris have heartfelt exchange

Despite the awkward viral clips that have circulated, Harris and Johnson had plenty of interactions throughout the night, and were even seen laughing together at one point.

Following Biden's speech, Johnson did an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, who asked if he happened to have any "small talk" with the vice president throughout the night.

"We did... there was a lot of time that we were there together waiting," he explained. "We talked, for one example, about our parents.

"I asked her if her parents had been alive, did they see her serving as vice president, and she lamented that they had not."

Johnson said he also shared with Harris that he lost his father three days before he was elected to Congress, "so he didn't get to see this either."

Cover photo: IMAGO / ABACAPRESS

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