Kamala Harris: Top 10 Facts You Need to Know

Kamala Harris, Barack Obama, Obama Harris Comment

Kamala Harris is the attorney general that’s got everybody talking, especially the president. On Thursday, Barack Obama called Harris the “best-looking attorney general in the country.” Here’s what you need to know about Kamala Harris and why everyone is buzzing about the comment.

1. Kamala Harris is the Attorney General of California

Kamala Harris Attorney General

So just who is Kamala Harris? In 2003, she was elected district attorney of San Francisco and was reelected in 2007. In 2010, Harris received the Democratic nomination for attorney general and subsequently declared a victory, becoming the 32nd and current attorney general of California. Harris has been recognized by the Los Angeles Daily Journal as one of the top 100 best lawyers in California. Harris’ name has even been mentioned as a possible nominee for a seat in the United States Supreme Court, should there be a vacancy.


2. Obama Called Harris the “Best-Looking Attorney General in the Country.”
Harris gained attention from the media on Thursday after President Obama called her the “best-looking attorney general in the country,” reports the Los Angeles Times.

“You have to be careful to, first of all, say she is brilliant and she is dedicated and she is tough, and she is exactly what you’d want in anybody who is administering the law, and making sure that everybody is getting a fair shake,” Obama said. “She also happens to be by far the best-looking attorney general in the country–Kamala Harris is here. It’s true. Come on. And she is a great friend and has just been a great supporter for many, many years.”


3. The Remark Was Made at a Luncheon for the Democratic National Committee in Atherton

Kamala Harris, Barack Obama

Obama made the remarks during a private fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee in Atherton, California.


4. Obama Received A Lot of Flack
Obama immediately received a lot of flack for the comments, with commentators calling them sexist. The comment reignited a debate over gender equality, an issue the Democratic party pushed to secure Obama’s reelection. Considering the hurdles women have gone through to be recognized in the workplace for their work ethic, rather than their good looks, some cringed at the remarks.


5. Others Think It Was Harmless

Liza Minnelli TODAY, Obama, Kamala Harris

Others are saying that it was just a harmless comment. During a discussion about the topic on TODAY on Friday, celebrity guest Liza Minnelli said she sees nothing wrong with the comment.

“He can’t say she’s pretty?” Minnelli said. “When this lovely woman gets up in the morning and looks in the mirror and puts on her makeup and does her hair, don’t you think she wants to be attractive and wants to be thought of as attractive? She’s not doing that for no reason.”

6. Obama Apologized For His Comments
On Friday, White House press secretary Jay Carney said that Obama called Harris to apologize for the remark.

“He called her to apologize for the distraction created by his comments,” Carney said during a Friday briefing at the White House. “They are old friends, and good friends, and he did not want in any way to diminish the attorney general’s professional accomplishments and her capabilities.”


7. Harris Doesn’t Mind

Kamala Harris Obama

And apparently, Harris isn’t taking the comment to heart as the rest of America is.

“The attorney general and the president have been friends for many years,” Harris Communications Director Gil Duran said in a statement. “They had a great conversation yesterday and she strongly supports him.”


8. Harris Once Commented on Obama’s Appearance
Harris even once commented on Obama’s appearance without receiving the amount of backlash as Obama did. In a 2009 campaign video uploaded to Youtube, Harris talked about Obama, saying “He looks and he sounds like a million bucks.”


9. She’s Single

Kamala Harris Obama

The 48-year-old attorney general lives in San Francisco and is not married. Hey, if anything good comes from this maybe it will help her score a date for the single woman.


10. Michelle Obama Said She Feels Like a Single Mother
This probably isn’t the best time for Obama to be called out on a comment he’s made about another woman. In a TV interview on the same day, first lady Michelle Obama accidentally called herself a “single mother.”

“Believe me, as a busy single mother– or, I shouldn’t say single, as a busy mother,” Mrs. Obama told Vermont CBS affiliate WCAX. “Sometimes, you know, when you’ve got a husband who is president, it can feel a little single. But he’s there.”

Sounds like something a little more is brewing underneath the surface. What do you think?