Kamala Harris' 'Coconut Tree' Quote, Explained: What She Meant ...

3 days ago

Forbes

Topline

A bizarre quote by Vice President Kamala Harris—“You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?”—is going viral once again as some Democrats urge President Joe Biden to drop out of the race following his rough debate performance, adopting coconut emojis and other memes inspired by the quote on social media to (possibly ironically) demonstrate support for Harris.

A bizarre Harris quote from 2023—"You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?"—is going viral on ... [+] social media. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

TNS Key Facts

Harris’ quote: “You think you just fell out of a coconut tree? You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you,” which she said at a White House event last year, has become an ironic slogan in support of the vice president as various Democrats, newspaper editorial boards and more call for Biden to step out of the race.

Supporters of Harris taking over the ticket have embraced the long-viral meme, even referring to her potential presidential candidacy as “Operation Coconut Tree.”

Chi Ossé, a Democratic member of the New York City Council, posted a video edit of various clips of Harris on Wednesday, captioned: “Coconut tree summer.”

Several users used the meme to defend Harris as their pick over Biden, instead of a different candidate at a possible open convention, pointing out another candidate “can't just fall out of a coconut tree.”

Some supporting Harris over Biden have said they’re “coconut-pilled,” even using the coconut emoji in social media posts or their display names on X, formerly known as Twitter, to demonstrate support for the vice president.

Why Did Harris Say The “coconut Tree” Quote?

Harris made her “coconut tree” remarks on May 10, 2023 at the White House while swearing in the President’s Advisory Commission on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics. Harris spoke about the importance of equity in education policy, noting that not all students are offered the same opportunities to succeed, depending on financial resources and the environments they are raised in. She said “none of us just live in a silo” and “everything is in context,” adding that creating educational equity also depends on providing for the needs of parents, grandparents and communities, before telling a personal anecdote near the conclusion of her speech. “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, while laughing. “You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you.”

Key Background

The “coconut tree” quote had already gone viral on social media, particularly TikTok, on which thousands of users have posted videos using Harris’ remarks as the audio. Users made jokes about Harris’ change in tone from lighthearted to serious before and after the “coconut tree” sentence and how the quote makes little sense out of context. “How I feel putting my glasses on in the middle of a conversation,” one TikTok user joked, putting on her glasses as Harris adopts a more serious tone after the “coconut tree” sentence. Another user joked the quote sounds like “when you and your friends are in bed after going out and you’re still drunk.” One user said the clip sounds like “me and my friend having two separate conversations on two different apps at the same time,” poking fun at how the quote is seemingly nonsensical out of context. Rapper Doja Cat tweeted part of Harris’ quote last month. The quote has also been used by Republicans and Harris’ detractors as a point of criticism. The GOP War Room YouTube account, which posts clips of Democratic politicians appearing to make gaffes or slip-ups, posted a video of Harris’ “coconut tree” quote on the day she made the remarks, which has since garnered more than 137,000 views.

News Peg

Discussion about Harris—including the “coconut tree” quote—surged on social media after some Democrats voiced concerns about Biden’s ability to continue as the Democratic presidential nominee following his poor debate performance, with some outright urging him to drop out. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, on Tuesday became the first Democratic House member to call for Biden to step aside, and Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., on Wednesday became the second. Former Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, published an op-ed in Newsweek on Monday calling for Harris to replace Biden atop the ticket. Biden, however, reportedly told staff he is “in this race to the end” on a Wednesday afternoon call alongside Harris, hours after multiple outlets reported Biden told an ally he may have to drop out if he can’t salvage his campaign in the coming days.