Kamala Harris coconut tree meme, explained
Biden endorses Kamala Harris, what's next?
President Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris after ending his bid for a second term in the White House. The Democratic National Committee is set to meet on Wednesday to create a new process for selecting a nominee. Cayce Myers is a professor of public relations and director of graduate studies at Virginia Tech, he joins LiveNOW from FOX to discuss the latest.
WASHINGTON - After President Joe Biden announced his exit from the 2024 presidential race, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis posted three emojis on his personal X account: a coconut, a palm tree and an American flag.
The reference was subtle, but it was seemingly posted in support of Vice President Kamala Harris – now the leading candidate to succeed Biden as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee and her party’s main hope of defeating Republican Donald Trump.
FILE - U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks at the Democratic Party of Georgias spring fundraiser in Atlanta, Georgia, on May 12, 2023. (Photo by ELIJAH NOUVELAGE/AFP via Getty Images)
Many online and following the political turn-of-events on Sunday likely noticed the coconut tree references and emojis in relation to Harris across social media. And Harris’ presidential campaign has also embraced the meme, with the former Biden-Harris HQ account rebranding into Kamala HQ with more subtle nods to the "coconut tree."
Here’s what to know:
Kamala Harris coconut tree meme
The "coconut tree" reference originally comes from a speech given in May 2023 by the vice president during a swearing-in ceremony of commissioners for an initiative to advance opportunities for Hispanic Americans.
Toward the end of her remarks, Harris discussed how the initiative’s work would be focused on young people, as well as the needs of parents, grandparents, teachers and their communities, "because none of us just live in a silo. Everything is in context."
At this point, she went into the now-frequently referenced line.
"My mother used to — she would give us a hard time sometimes, and she would say to us, ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with you young people. You think you just fell out of a coconut tree,’" Harris said, laughing.
"You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you," she added.
Clips from that part of the speech have since frequently been shared online, particularly earlier this year on X. Harris, overall, has earned a somewhat goofy reputation online, with many sharing videos of her dancing, her love of venn diagrams, her laughter and her "coconut tree" anecdotes.
Following Biden’s debate performance in June, which fueled Democratic worries over his fitness for office and speculation that he might end his bid, the meme got bigger this summer and took on a new life from her supporters – sometimes called the "KHive." Google searches for "coconut tree" began growing earlier this month.
Harris’ campaign also seems tapped into the online fodder, with the account's online bio simply reading, "providing context," in reference to the coconut tree meme.
The account also changed its header image to a neon green background that states "kamala hq," in the same style as "BRAT," a recent album released by the singer Charli XCX that’s led to many to dub these warmer months as "brat summer."
Meanwhile, Harris’ presidential campaign said it raised nearly $50 million in grassroots donations since Biden announced his exit from the race and gave her his endorsement.
This story was reported from Cincinnati.