Kamala Harris is now widely expected to be the next Democrat nominee, and so the internet is saying just one thing: Coconut trees.
Joe Biden has officially stepped aside as the Democrats’ nominee in the upcoming presidential race, meaning all eyes are on the candidate he has endorsed – his vice-president, Harris.
That does not meant the VP is the de facto Democratic representative, by the way, as she could still face competition from other people within her party.
But, even just the possibility that she could become the next US president has triggered an explosion of coconut trees all over the internet.
Here’s why.
Where did the “coconut trees” moment come from?
Last May, at the swearing-in ceremony of commissioners for the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunities for Hispanics, Harris made a famous speech which started this iconic internet trend.
She said young people need to support “their parents and their grandparents and their teachers and their communities” because ’none of us just live in a silo”.
She then recalled how her South Asian mother used to “give us a hard time sometimes” and say: “I don’t know what’s wrong with you young people.
“You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?”
The vice-president then gave a hearty laugh, only to interrupt herself with a very different, sombre tone to say: “You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you.”
This seemed to have all the ingredients to become a viral moment on social media platforms.
How famous is this meme?
Put it this way – “Kamala Harris coconut meme” has become a breakout search term on Google.
Other American politicians have also adopted the meme to show their support for Harris.
For instance, Hawaii senator Brian Schatz wrote on X: “Madam Vice President, we are ready to help.”
He then posted a photo of him climbing a coconut tree.
Colorado governor Jared Polis also endorsed Harris and signed his statement with an emoji of a coconut, a tree, and a US flag.
And, over in Washington DC, a bar started to sell $5 Pina Kamala Coconut shots all night.
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Source Agencies
