US Vice President Kamala Harris during an event live-streamed on the White House website dropped the F-bomb as she discussed how minorities should advocate for themselves.
"We have to know that sometimes people will open the door for you and leave it open," Mrs Harris, 59, said at the annual Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies Legislative Leadership Summit.
"Sometimes they won't, and then you need to kick that f****** door down," Mrs Harris said.
Mrs Harris quickly said, "Excuse my language", as the audience laughed.
Watch the video here:
Mrs Harris, leading the Biden-Harris re-election campaign's efforts on women's and reproductive rights, delivered these comments during a leadership summit. The Guardian reported that she also shared a personal anecdote about her parents meeting at a civil rights march, emphasizing the significance of overcoming obstacles and being pioneers.
"Here's the thing about breaking down barriers. It does not mean that you start on one side of the barrier and end up on another," she said. "There's breaking involved. And when you break things you get cut and you may bleed. And it is worth it every time."
Although it's not typical for presidents and vice presidents to use profanity, it's increasingly observed, often in private or in leaked discussions. Joe Biden notably described his rival Donald Trump as "a sick f**k" and referred to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a "bad fu**ing guy" and an "a***ole."
Harry Truman justified his decision to dismiss the insubordinate yet popular Gen Douglas MacArthur by stating, "I didn't fire him because he was a dumb son of a bitch, although he was, but that's not against the law for generals."
According to a recent essay by historian Tevi Troy in the City Journal, Lyndon Johnson swore so frequently that it would be nearly impossible to document all of it, including his exasperation: "I don't know what the fuck to do about Vietnam."
The survey indicates that cursing directed towards Netanyahu is common among US presidents. In 1996, Bill Clinton vented, "Who's the fucking leader of the free world?" Trump expressed his frustration with "fuck him" after Netanyahu acknowledged Biden's election victory in 2020.
