What did Vice President Kamala Harris say about Memorial Day? 

Vice-President got some blow-back this week when a tweet was sent from her official account saying "Enjoy the long weekend,” with a photo of her in the sun. Fox News and other conservative outlets criticized the Vice President saying it was out of touch and dishonored veterans. However, some of the coverage did admit that it is unlikely the Vice President tweeted the comments herself.

Since the initial tweet was sent, the Vice President’s Twitter account has sent out another message which reads, “Throughout our history our service men and women have risked everything to defend our freedoms and our country. As we prepare to honor them on Memorial Day, we remember their service and their sacrifice.”

While the Vice President does not have many close familial ties to the military, President Biden does. Earlier this week, President Biden gave an emotional speech in anticipation of Memorial Day where he mentioned the service of his late son Beau Biden. Although Beau Biden did not lose his life as a result of his service, the President opened his speech speaking about what Beau taught him about what it truly meant to serve your country.

During the President’s remarks, he told the story of a dinner at the White House that Beau and  seventy other service members had been invited to. Until a call from a high-level General, Beau had refused to put on any of his decorations, including a Bronze Star. Through this anecdote, the President was able to illustrate the way veterans do not ask for anything in return for their services, and that their country owes them more, telling them “You deserve so much more, you deserve so much more.”

The President’s speech also spoke to the struggles of families with members on active duty, saying “Every morning you wake up, you say that little extra prayer while you’re drinking your coffee. You just spend a little more time wondering.”

The remarks ended with the President speaking to those who have lost fellow comrades in the line of duty saying “Many of you likely have lost friends and colleagues in Afghanistan and Iraq. I know this is personal to you, especially as you head into Memorial Day weekend. We as a nation will always remember, and pay tribute to those we lost.”