Vice President Kamala Harris was met with boos from the audience as she watched her alma mater, Howard University, play in the first round of March Madness in Des Moines, Iowa, on Thursday.
When Harris was displayed on the video board during the men’s basketball game, the boos overpowered the applause within the Wells Fargo Arena, according to the Associated Press.
Harris, who graduated from Howard University in 1986, watched as the top-seeded University of Kansas Jayhawks defeated the Howard Bison 96-68.
After the game, Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, visited Howard University’s locker room to praise the players for their hard work and successful season despite their loss.
Think your day was bad?
Try losing on national TV by 28 points AND sitting through a Kamala Harris postgame speech.
We feel for ya, Howard.https://t.co/Nfeb2bngWm
— OutKick (@Outkick) March 17, 2023
During her visit to the Howard locker room, Harris expressed her admiration for the team, telling them, “You guys are so good, you guys are so good. You played hard until the very last second, and you made us Bisons proud.”
Harris praised the team for their intelligence, discipline, and unwavering effort during the game saying, “You are smart. You are disciplined. You put everything you had into the game. And you know that’s what it’s about, right? Until the last minute, you guys did that, you didn’t stop until the last second, you did not stop, and that is so inspiring. So you keep playing with chin up and shoulders back because you showed the world who Bison are.”
Harris made a lighthearted remark, recalling that during her time at Howard University, fans were simply happy to have a game, let alone make it to the tournament.
“You make us so proud, so I know you might not be feeling great right now, OK, but know who you are: You are excellence, you are hard work, you are powerful and you are winners,” said Harris. She then offered the team a tour of the White House.
Howard University, a historically black university in Washington, D.C., made its first appearance in the men’s NCAA tournament since 1992 before their loss on Thursday. This marked the program’s third-ever appearance in the Big Dance.
