Fact Check

Did Kamala Harris Tell Biden 'You Will Do Whatever the Chinese Tell You' During Dem Debate?

Harris attacked Biden during a June 2019 Democratic primary debate, but not for this.

Published April 29, 2021

 (Meme)
Image Via Meme
Claim:
During a Democratic presidential primary debate, then-candidate Kamala Harris accused then-opponent Joe Biden of doing "whatever the Chinese tell you to" because they "gave your son over a billion dollars."

In late April 2021, social media users shared a meme containing a fake quote attributed to U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, claiming she made the comment while at odds with President Joe Biden when the two were running against each other in the 2020 Democratic primaries.


The text of the meme states, "Anyone remember Kamala telling Joe during the debate, 'You will do whatever the Chinese tell you! They gave your son over a billion dollars.'"

If you don't remember Kamala telling Joe that, that's a good sign, because she didn't.

The image used in the meme is from the June 27, 2019, Democratic primary debate, held in Miami, Florida. During that event, Harris did take a swipe at Biden, but it had nothing to do with China. Instead, Harris attacked Biden over his record on racial issues, for example his opposition to busing to integrate schools.

A transcript of that debate can be found here, and the above quote about China attributed to Harris doesn't appear in it. We also found no record of Harris ever making the remark, or anything resembling it, on any other occasion.

Bethania Palma is a journalist from the Los Angeles area who started her career as a daily newspaper reporter and has covered everything from crime to government to national politics. She has written for ... read more

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