Kamala Harris ‘word salad’ answer about hope goes viral on Don Lemon show
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Former Vice President Kamala Harris offered her own definition of the word “hope” to podcast host Don Lemon on Friday, resulting in a clip that has since gone viral on social media as a “word salad” backlash.
“I really, really believe that.” Harris said. “We all have light within us. And we need to know that that is what inspires our hope as much as anything outside of us.”
The former vice president and 2026 presidential candidate continued his long-winded response as he implored Americans not to lose sight of their vision for the future when faced with political or personal loss.
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Former Vice President Kamala Harris speaks onstage during her “107 Days” book tour at the Tabernacle in Atlanta, Ga., on October 8, 2025. (Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
“And when we feel that, and when we shine a light, rather than allowing a choice or a person to extinguish that light, let that light carry us, especially into the dark moments, so that we not only act on that hope, but we instill that hope in each other,” Harris added.
“And it’s especially important right now that we not only have hope, but also understand that it has to be a verb,” he concluded.
Harris’ seemingly roundabout answer quickly gained traction on social media, with critics slamming the former vice president.
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Don Lemon speaks to the media after a hearing at the Edward R. Roybal Federal Courthouse in Los Angeles on January 30, 2026. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)
“Good word salad answer that can be summed up in two words: stay positive,” one user wrote to X.
Another poster read, “When your teacher tells you to write a 300-word essay and you can only think of 100.”
Others noted that the word was already defined as both a verb and a noun.
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Former Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a fireside chat at MEET Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nev., on May 7, 2026. (Ian Maule/Getty Images)
“It’s a noun: ‘I hope he never runs for any government office again,'” one user wrote to
Lemon asked Harris if she plans to run for the nation’s highest office again in 2028.
“Honestly, I haven’t decided yet,” Harris replied, not specifically ruling out a possible run.
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“I spend a lot of time traveling around the country [and] He listens to people,” he continued. “I think people want a leader who is willing to take risks rather than just do what’s popular. I think people want to know that they are seen and heard, and that their leaders (whether at the local, state, federal level, or in the White House) look after the people first. You know, they don’t look at themselves in the mirror.”
