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Harris Tells Football Team They Are 'Undefeated' Even If They Lose

'No circumstance or event or moment will defeat your spirit and your fight'

Published: August 19, 2024
  |   By Chris Bertman
Harris Tells Football Team They Are 'Undefeated' Even If They Lose

In what appeared to be a motivational speech to a high school football team, Vice President Kamala Harris told players they were "undefeated" even if their performance was lackluster.


Harris told Aliquippa Junior/Senior High School football players in Pennsylvania "it's not easy being a role model" while speaking to the team on Sunday.

“Welcome to the role model club,” Harris told the team, noting the team's families and friends were watching them play.

“And, by doing that, and all that that requires, which is the hard work, the practice, working as a team, knowing that you will be undefeated even if you don’t win every game, but no circumstance or event or moment will defeat your spirit and your fight, and your preparedness to win and excel, that nothing will dampen your spirit of excellence,” Harris said. “That’s what I’m counting on from each of you. And that’s what makes our nation strong.”


Harris' peculiarly worded statement drew the attention of online critics who have referred to the vice president's remarks as "word salad."

"Among the first unscripted moments Harris is permitted to have results in her spewing a bunch of nonsense at high school football players who, unlike her, probably know what the word undefeated means," wrote former President Donald Trump's senior campaign official Tim Murtaugh.


One user said Harris appeared to be talking down to the high schoolers as if they were children.

"You may have lost in the 4th quarter, but wait until they count the mail in ballots," another user joked.

Harris' running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, also spoke to the Pennsylvania high schoolers about the importance of young voters becoming involved in politics.

"What I fear most is that young people turn away from it rather than turning into it," Walz said. "Politics isn’t so much different than this."


"It’s about something bigger than themselves. It’s about setting a future goal and trying to reach it. It’s about doing it with dignity and hard work. It’s about doing it with humility and when you lose, you shake hands with the other team and know they played hard too," he continued. "We’re all in it together to try and make it better."

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