"You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?" is Vice President Kamala Harris's famous comment that went viral as she began her presidential campaign. In response to President Joe Biden's withdrawal from the race following a challenging debate performance, lawmakers and supporters of Harris have embraced the phrase on social media with memes and coconut emojis to indicate their support.
When was this statement made and what is its meaning?
On May 10, 2023, Vice President Kamala Harris gave this remark during a swearing-in ceremony for the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics. She highlighted the importance of supporting Hispanic students by also aiding their families and communities, explaining that individuals are shaped by various factors and do not exist in isolation.
Then came her now-famous line: "My mother used to-she would give us a hard time sometimes, and she would say to us, 'I don't know what's wrong with you young people. You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?'" Harris laughed heartily. "You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you."
The phrase has now become an ironic slogan for her presidential campaign.
Her supporters call themselves "coconut-pilled" and have named the campaign "Operation Coconut Tree." To show their support for Harris, many have included the coconut emoji in their social media posts and displayed names on X, the old name of Twitter.
Distinguished individuals, including Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii and Governor Jared Polis of Colorado, have expressed their support by using the coconut symbol. Schatz uploaded a picture of himself scaling a coconut tree, and Polis endorsed X with a coconut emoji.
Harris' official campaign account, Kamala HQ, has embraced the meme culture, updating its bio to "Providing context" as a nod to the quote. Chi Ossé, a Democratic member of the New York City Council, also shared a video montage of Harris with the caption "Coconut Tree Summer."
Many users are using the coconut tree meme to advocate for Harris as Biden's replacement, arguing that other candidates "can't just fall out of a coconut tree."
