Social media commentators reacted strongly to reports that former Vice President Kamala Harris is considering launching a center for “policy and ideas.” The New York Times published a piece on Thursday, headlined, “Sidelined and Still Processing Her Defeat, Harris Looks for a Way Back In.” The article observed how Harris and her husband are “weighing each new opportunity with the potential political blowback in mind” as they chart a course for the future.
“One possibility: establishing an institute for policy and ideas,” The Times reported. “Brian Nelson, an adviser to Ms. Harris since she was California’s attorney general, has broached the idea with several universities, including Howard and Stanford. But some allies have noted that raising money for such a center could, depending on the donors, create liabilities in future races.”
The idea that Harris might start a think tank, despite a presidential campaign often criticized for gaffes, led to many jokes on social media platforms like X. Washington Free Beacon senior writer Andrew Stiles summarized the report as “NYT: Kamala Harris, known for her deep knowledge and ability to articulate complex issues, is thinking about launching ‘an institute for policy and ideas.'” He further joked that the institute would be called, “The Kamala D. Harris Institute for Examining the Importance of Understanding What Needs to Be Done,” appearing to mock Harris’ so-called “word salads.”
The Kamala D. Harris Institute for Examining the Importance of Understanding What Needs to Be Done https://t.co/Citrm67juO
— Andrew Stiles (@AndrewStilesUSA) April 11, 2025
“Job 1: Finding some ideas and learning what policy is,” PJ Media’s Stephen Green quipped. Republican communicator Matt Whitlock wrote on X, “The ‘Kamala Harris Institute for Policies and Ideas’ sounds a little bit like a Babylon Bee headline. Sort of like if the Kardashians opened a think tank.” Twitchy’s Doug Powers posted, “The Kamala Harris Center for the Unburdening of What Has Been should provide a bottomless well of material.” Communications professional and political advisor Nathan Brand wrote: “[The Babylon Bee] can’t compete with this.”
