Kamala's Response to the Question of Whether She Feels Underused Might Not Be What You'd Expect

Vice President Kamala Harris has a stock response to tough questions, and it’s almost become a running joke to mention it. The “Kamala Cackle,” as I’ve just now dubbed it, is either a nervous tic or a method of deflecting when she doesn’t want to face a question. Maybe it’s both.

On Thursday, Harris appeared on Good Morning America, and George Stephanopolous asked her about the reports that suggest that the vice president feels that the Biden administration is not making the most of her gifts and talents.

The “Kamala Cackle” didn’t rear its really annoying head. Instead, she answered confidently, giving more of a “Kamala Chuckle” to a follow-up question.

.@VP Kamala Harris pushes back on reports she has not been effective in her role, telling @GStephanopoulos: “We're getting things done, and we're doing it together." https://t.co/Nh3u02dpDL pic.twitter.com/YvRENaTr18

— Good Morning America (@GMA) November 18, 2021

When Stephanopolous asked her if she shared the frustrations of her friends that Harris isn’t getting many opportunities to lead, she talked about the maneuvering that brought about the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill and said, “We’re getting things done, and we’re doing it together.”

Related: Kamala’s Husband Explains Her Gaffes: ‘Being First Is Hard’

Stephanopolous then asked a follow-up question that directly addressed the reports that Harris has felt “misused or underused” by the Biden administration.

The vice president chuckled dismissively and replied, “I am very, very excited about the work that we have accomplished but I am also absolutely, absolutely clear-eyed that there is a lot more to do and we’re gonna get it done.”

Last week, CNN issued a scathing, lengthy article highlighting the dysfunction and frustration within the vice president’s camp. The report led White House team members to rush to her defense, but it has also led many people to wonder how much disunity lies within the administration.

Harris’ confidence in the face of a direct question about administration troubles may signal that things aren’t as bad as they seem. Then again, Kamala could simply be whistling — or cackling — past the graveyard.