How did the coconut tree become a symbol of rallying behind Kamala Harris? Since the vice president was propelled into the race for the White House, coconuts have invaded social networks in the United States.
“Madam Vice President, we stand ready to help,” Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz wrote on X, after news broke that President Joe Biden was stepping down.
He accompanied his post with a photo showing a man — himself, apparently — climbing a coconut tree.
It is an old, abstruse and unusual statement by the 59-year-old former prosecutor that is at the origin of the phenomenon.
Last year at the White House, she was speaking about equal opportunity in education when she concluded her speech with the following anecdote.
“My mother was sometimes a little strict with us and would say: ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with you young people. Do you think you just fell out of a coconut tree?'” the former senator said, bursting into laughter.
Deemed incomprehensible and with no obvious link to the subject, the statement was mocked, becoming viral for the first time.
Then President Biden’s disastrous performance in his June 27 debate with Donald Trump gave it a second life.
But this time, the coconut tree has become a symbol of support for Kamala Harris, with internet users using puns, emojis and images of coconuts to urge the 81-year-old Democrat to step down in favor of his vice president.
“Coconut Army”
Since Sunday and the publication of the letter in which Joe Biden renounces his bid for a second term, the tree has been enjoying its moment of glory.
“I’m going to join the coconut army […]”I will fight for Kamala Harris,” said one user on X with a hint of irony.
The symbol has also caught on with senior Democratic officials.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, who has declared his support for Mr.me Harris responded to press reports about her own political ambitions by writing: “Do you think I just fell out of a coconut tree?”
Beyond its comic aspect, this virality illustrates the enthusiasm aroused among many young Democrats – at least on social networks – by the irruption of Kamala Harris on the scene, while this electorate was increasingly slipping away from Biden the octogenarian.
A woman of Indian and Jamaican origin, much younger than the Republican candidate Donald Trump (78 years old), Kamala Harris intends to take advantage of this craze.
She has already apparently been endorsed by pop star Charli XCX, who wrote on X Sunday “kamala IS brat” (sic), quite a concept. Bratthe title of her latest album, describes according to the singer “this girl who is a bit messy and likes to party and maybe say stupid things sometimes”.
It may not be the ideal definition of a White House candidate, but the post was widely seen as a compliment.
In response, visibly delighted, Kamala Harris’ campaign team changed the color of its banner on its campaign account on X to copy the green one from Charli XCX’s album cover.
” The vote “brat“It’s guaranteed,” said Maxwell Frost, 27, the first “Generation Z” elected official in Congress.