Former Vice President Kamala Harris is facing a wave of backlash after sharing a somber Independence Day message on X — paired with a photo that conspicuously cropped out President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. The move, which critics say was both politically calculated and symbolically damning, has reignited conversations about Harris’s standing in the Democratic Party following her defeat in the 2024 election.
In her July 4th post, Harris wrote:
“This Fourth of July, I am taking a moment to reflect. Things are hard right now. They are probably going to get worse before they get better.
But I love our country — and when you love something, you fight for it. Together, we will continue to fight for the ideals of our nation.”
The tone — downbeat and bordering on foreboding — was met with immediate criticism across social media. Many users pounced not only on the pessimism of the post but also on the photo itself: an image from last year’s White House fireworks display that showed Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff… but not President Biden or the First Lady, who had stood just feet away.
This Fourth of July, I am taking a moment to reflect. Things are hard right now. They are probably going to get worse before they get better.
But I love our country — and when you love something, you fight for it. Together, we will continue to fight for the ideals of our nation. pic.twitter.com/pYxJVw0fiD
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) July 4, 2025
“Kamala cropping Joe out is very symbolic,” wrote Link Lauren, a former senior adviser to RFK Jr.’s campaign, sharing a wider version of the same image that included the Bidens. Others mocked the image more bluntly: “Whose elbow is that?” asked one user, pointing to the awkwardly trimmed limb visible in Harris’s version.
The reaction to the message’s tone was equally biting. “Feeling grateful we didn’t end up with a President who posts ‘things are gonna get worse’ on the 4th of July,” said GOP spokesperson Kiersten Pels. Another user noted, “Among other reasons, this is why you’re not President.” Conservative radio host Mark Simone called it the “worst 4th of July message ever.”
Even her use of the word “fight” drew attention, with political insiders and critics alike interpreting it as a hint toward a 2028 presidential bid. “She’s definitely running,” one user observed, while Trump ally Mike Davis joked, “Don’t stop fighting, Kamala. And please run again in 2028.”
Kamala cropping Joe out is very symbolic https://t.co/I0HgkKMGPw pic.twitter.com/h7TmMPMLsD
— Link Lauren (@itslinklauren) July 4, 2025
The California Democrat has kept a low profile since losing the 2024 general election in a landslide to Donald Trump, with all seven battleground states swinging red after President Biden withdrew from the race. Harris’s performance failed to unite the party or attract key independents, and her continued association with the unpopular Biden administration remains a political anchor.
Polls reflect her faltering status. A recent Emerson College survey showed just 13% of Democratic voters supporting Harris for 2028 — trailing even Pete Buttigieg, who dropped out early in the 2020 race. While some earlier polling, like Morning Consult’s in March, gave her a modest edge, momentum has clearly cooled.
Her mixed reception extends beyond presidential ambitions. According to a Politico/UC Berkeley poll in April, just 36% of surveyed policy influencers expressed excitement about a possible California gubernatorial run.
