Kamala Harris’ Viral ‘Coconut Tree’ Quote, Explained
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 she mounts her presidential campaign after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race following his rough debate performance, with supporters and even other politicians adopting coconut emojis and memes inspired by the quote on social media to demonstrate support for Harris.
A bizarre Harris quote from 2023—”You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?”—is going viral on … More
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 she campaigns for the presidency.
Some supporting Harris have referred to her candidacy as “Operation Coconut Tree,” said they’re “coconut-pilled” and have used the coconut emoji in social media posts or their display names on X, formerly known as Twitter, to demonstrate support for the vice president.
Gov. Jared Polis, D-Colo., used a coconut emoji on X in his endorsement of Harris, and Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, posted a picture of himself climbing a coconut tree to announce his support for the vice president.
The official campaign account on X, Kamala HQ, which has embraced various memes of Harris as she launches her campaign, updated its bio in an apparent nod to the quote: “Providing context.”
Chi Ossé, a Democratic member of the New York City Council, posted a video edit of various clips of Harris, captioned: “Coconut tree summer.”
Several users used the meme to defend Harris as their pick to replace Biden, instead of a different candidate at a possible open convention, pointing out another candidate “can’t just fall out of a coconut tree.”
News Peg
In an unprecedented move, Biden dropped his 2024 bid on Sunday and endorsed Harris as his successor, ending more than three weeks of chaos as Democrats urged Biden to step aside due to his rocky debate performance and worries about his age. Harris had remained publicly supportive of Biden before he bowed out of the race, but some Democrats still argued Harris should replace Biden. Harris has since earned many key endorsements, including from Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and many Democrats in Congress.
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.
Surprising Fact
Before the “coconut tree” quote became a rallying cry in support of Harris, Republicans had attempted to use it as a dig at the vice president. The RNC Research X account, which is managed by Trump’s campaign and the Republican National Committee, and the GOP War Room YouTube account both posted short clips of Harris saying the “coconut tree” quote on May 10, 2023, the day she made the remarks.
Further Reading
Here’s Who Is Calling On Joe Biden To Drop Out—A Democratic Lawmaker, Pundits And A Former Staffer (Forbes)
