A CNN panel descended into chaos on Thursday after Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) repeatedly mispronounced Vice President Kamala Harris’s name, sparking a heated exchange among the panelists. The incident occurred during a discussion when Mace, struggling to pronounce Harris’s name correctly, was met with pushback from Democratic strategist Keith Boykin, told HuffPost.
“You had it right. You almost got it,” Boykin remarked as Mace attempted to get the pronunciation correct. However, Mace retorted, “I will say Kamala’s name any way that I want to,” which escalated tensions on the panel.
Vanderbilt University professor Michael Eric Dyson voiced his protest over Mace’s mispronunciation, prompting Mace to defiantly respond, “I just did and I’ll do it again.” This response led to a cacophony of voices as Boykin and Dyson both began shouting over Mace, while CNN host Abby Phillip attempted to regain control, urging, “One at a time, guys.”
Boykin then addressed the issue directly, stating, “If I purposely mispronounced your name, that would probably not be appropriate,” before Dyson added, “You’re normalizing that kind of viciousness, man. You’re disrespecting the woman, told Newsweek.
The discussion grew more intense as the issue was revisited. Dyson expressed his concern over the broader implications of Mace’s remarks, saying, “This congresswoman is a wonderful human being. But when you disrespect Kamala Harris by saying you will call her whatever you want, I know you don’t intend it to be that way, that’s the history and legacy of white disregard for the humanity of Black people.”
Mace, visibly frustrated, responded, “Oh, so now you’re calling me a racist. That is B.S. That is complete B.S.” Dyson quickly clarified, “I just said you weren’t a racist. No. You don’t have to intend racism to accomplish it. Your disrespect of Kamala Harris is part and parcel of a tradition.”
The argument intensified as Mace called it “offensive” and “disgusting” to imply she was being racist. Dyson, however, shot back, “What is disgusting is your disrespect of her.”
As the shouting continued, Dyson demanded, “Pronounce her name right.” Mace responded by mispronouncing Harris’s name once more, which led the other panelists to shout, “Kamala! Kamala!” in unison. Boykin accused Mace of deliberately mispronouncing the name, exclaiming, “It’s Kamala! You’re doing this on purpose, congresswoman!”
Dyson concluded the exchange by emphasizing, “You’re a White woman disrespecting a Black woman.”
The heated discussion highlighted the tensions surrounding respect and racial sensitivities, with the panel ultimately unable to reach a resolution.