During the protest, activists cried out about Maui fires and the fossil fuel record of the current administration. Unfortunately, Kamala was not able to address them, and instead tried to silence them. It’s common for her to laugh off opposition, but something seemed different this time.

Jay Waxse, Climate Defiance Member, describes a feeling of possibly being gaslit, “There is no way I could have stayed seated. Two times before I stood up, Kamala Harris invoked the importance of activism. As if she was expecting us, she tried to ignore me and just keep talking. It's like they know they're failing the planet. And they just don't care.”

Climate Defiance’s Twitter had this to say, “As we cried out about the tragic deaths in Hawaii and condemned her fossil fuel crimes, Kamala stood there and laughed. Horrendous. We deserve - and we need - actual climate leaders”