US vice president Kamala Harris dismissed a heckler at a recent event after the man began shouting about the administration’s lack of effort in addressing climate change in the country.
“We are in the middle of a climate emergency. Eighty people have died in Hawaii, Thousands have been displaced by the climate chaos. The planet is burning, and people are dying,” the protester was heard yelling in a video which was widely shared on social media. The heckler shouted so loudly at times that Kamala Harris could not be heard.
“We were wondering if you would uphold your promises,” he said. “You and Joe are failing on climate.”
“I’m speaking,” Harris responded as the heckler was removed from the crowd by security. This comes as deadly wildfires raged across Hawaii last week spreading across several islands, spurred by winds from Hurricane Dora. The wildfires hit Maui particularly hard as experts said that the fires were generated by a mix of hot and dry conditions.
At least 99 people were reported dead from the devastating fire and the island’s historic town of Lahaina was mostly destroyed as thousands of people were displaced and hundreds of others remain missing.
Joe Biden said that he had recently had a conversation with Hawaii Governor Josh Green, adding, “I reassured the Governor that Hawai’i will continue to have everything it needs from the federal government, and directed [Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell] to keep surging resources and personnel as long as it takes. Every asset they need will be there for them.”
