Joe and Jill Biden snub Kamala Harris in 'awkward' encounter at Kennedy Center Honors

WASHINGTON, DC: Outgoing President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden reportedly ignored Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff as they attended the Kennedy Center Honors on Sunday, December 8, according to the Daily Mail.

The awkward encounter comes at a time when the first and second couples are speculated to drift further away from one another, following Harris' defeat in the 2024 general election.

Lack of interaction between Bidens and Kamala Harris

The Bidens were seated next to Kamala Harris and her husband at the Sunday event.

When the president and the first lady were announced, they took their seats without exchanging any sort of greeting with the second couple and refused to acknowledge their presence.

The moment was captured on video, showing the Bidens smiling and waving at the cheering crowd, but gazing right past Harris. They received a standing ovation for one minute, in which Harris and Emhoff enthusiastically participated.

However, the gesture was reportedly met with cold shoulders.

What is the Kennedy Center Honors?

The Kennedy Center Honors are annual awards given to performing artists for their contribution to the American cultural landscape. It is held at the Kennedy Center in Washington and is customarily attended by the president and the vice president of the United States, along with their spouses.

The audience also includes politicians across the aisle, as well as the top donors.

Among those honored this year were filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola; Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, and Bobby Weir of the Grateful Dead; blues rock singer-songwriter Bonnie Raitt; jazz trumpeter Arturo Sandoval; and the Apollo President and CEO Michelle Ebanks.

Before the show began, Biden hosted the awardees for a reception at the White House.

Internet reacts to Bidens ignoring Harris

Netizens shared their remarks on the widening gap between the first and second couples on the social media platform X. The following tweets demonstrate their takes.

"They hate each other and it’s funny!" wrote a user.

"Jan 20th can't come soon enough," quipped another.

"Kamala kept looking like she was hoping to get acknowledged. Ouch!" shared a third.

"That's how all Trump voters act around Kamala," jibed a fourth.

"Yikes! The chill is real," noted a fifth.

"Very awkward," commented yet another.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online