Kamala Harris' family withholds applause and appears cold-faced during controversial moment in DNC speech

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: Vice President Kamala Harris gave a wide-ranging keynote address at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) held on Thursday, April 22, in Chicago, Illinois.

But while most of her speech was well received by the audience, there was a moment when some family members appeared to withhold their applause after Harris vowed to make the US military the "most lethal fighting force in the world."

Awkward moment during Kamala Harris' speech

During her speech, Vice President Kamala Harris proclaimed, "As Vice President, I have confronted threats to our security, negotiated with foreign leaders, strengthened our alliances, and engaged with our brave troops overseas. As Commander-in-Chief, I will ensure America always has the strongest, most lethal fighting force in the world. I will fulfill our sacred obligation to care for our troops and their families. And I will always honor, and never disparage, their service and their sacrifice."

While this appeared to resonate with most of the audience, the broadcast cameras revealed how some members of her family did not join in the applause—especially her stepdaughter Ella Emhoff, and younger sister Maya Harris.

Both Ella—who has been in the spotlight due to her viral appearances at the DNC—and Maya—a lawyer who served as a senior policy advisor for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign—were reserved in their reaction, albeit the two did applaud Harris during other parts of her speech

Ella Emhoff's subdued reaction may be partly attributed to her public support for Palestinians. She has shared links on Instagram encouraging donations to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), an organization with ties to terrorist organizations, the Daily Mail reported.

According to The New Republic, she has been active in pro-Palestinian circles, which may have influenced her response to Harris' remarks on the military.

Other parts of Kamala Harris' DNC address

Elsewhere in her address, Kamala Harris was applauded when she spoke of the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

"Let me be clear, I will always stand up for Israel's right to defend itself and I will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself. Because the people of Israel must never again face the horror that a terrorist organization called Hamas caused on October 7," she declared.

It's worth noting that her comments came amid protests at the DNC by nearly 3,000 anti-Israel demonstrators opposing conflict and slamming the absence of a Palestinian speaker on the DNC stage.

Despite the tension surrounding some of Harris' remarks, Ella Emhoff gushed over her stepmother in a speech before Harris took the stage. She showered Harris with praise for her caring nature, "No matter what, Kamala was there for me. She was patient, caring, and always took me seriously."

"She's fighting for social justice, health justice, and environmental justice, and she isn't alone, we're all in this fight together," Ella added.

Kamala Harris' on Donald Trump's record

Kamala Harris also targeted former president Donald Trump's record, making a series of claims about what he would do if he won the upcoming election. One of them was that Trump would "enact a nationwide abortion ban," a statement that was labeled by the BBC as misleading. 

The outlet noted that while Trump has appointed conservative justices to the Supreme Court leading to the overturning of Roe v Wade, he has repeatedly stated that he would not sign a national abortion ban, believing that the issue should be left to individual states.

Meanwhile, Harris also suggested that Trump and his allies would limit access to birth control. She referenced Project 2025, a document by the Heritage Foundation outlining right-wing policy recommendations. “I do not limit access to birth control - that is a lie," Trump responded on Truth Social.

The former president has fervently distanced himself from the document and said, "I know nothing about Project 2025. I have no idea who is behind it." Regardless, Harris continues to link the project to Trump.