Former Vice President Kamala Harris faced intense criticism from Australian media following her appearance at the 2025 Australian Real Estate Conference. Harris’s comments targeting Musk’s alleged views on empathy and her attribution of her unemployment to President Trump further fueled the negative reception. What prompted Harris to speak at a real estate conference?
Harris’s Controversial Appearance at Australian Conference
Former Vice President Kamala Harris made waves during her appearance at the 2025 Australian Real Estate Conference, where she jokingly referred to herself as “unemployed right now” while blaming President Trump for her current status. Her attempt at humor immediately drew criticism from Australian media outlets, particularly Sky News Australia, which characterized her participation as inappropriate and her speaking style as confusing.
During her interview, Harris aimed at Elon Musk without naming him directly, criticizing what she described as his view that empathy represents weakness in Western civilization. She countered this perspective by stating, “Imagine. No, it’s a sign of strength to have some level of curiosity and concern and care about the well-being of others,” emphasizing what she considers a fundamental value that contrasts with the current administration’s approach.
Kamala Harris: I am unemployed right nowpic.twitter.com/jZcVJxJyzJ
— NewsWire (@NewsWire_US) May 25, 2025
Australian Media’s Harsh Response
Sky News Australia anchors did not hold back in their criticism of the former Vice President, openly mocking her before she even took the stage. One anchor sarcastically predicted that “Kamala Harris will be lecturing them on being unburdened on your real estate ventures by what you’re not burdened by or whatever,” directly poking fun at Harris’s often-criticized speaking style.
The Australian media’s reaction was particularly brutal, with anchors anticipating that her speech would be filled with “word salads” – a term frequently used by critics to describe Harris’s communication style. Their pre-event coverage set a tone of skepticism and dismissal that shaped the broader reception of her appearance in Australian press circles.
Former US Vice President Kamala Harris has made a flying visit to the Gold Coast, to address an enthusiastic audience of 4,000 at a major real estate conference. https://t.co/VZ3A1cGXPF @garthburley1 #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/YGhxCWOjg0
— 7NEWS Queensland (@7NewsBrisbane) May 26, 2025
Cultural and Political Implications
The incident has highlighted significant differences in how public figures are received across different cultural contexts, with Harris’s approach falling particularly flat with Australian commentators. What might have been received as light-hearted self-deprecation in some settings was interpreted as inappropriate and unprofessional in the context of a serious business conference abroad.
This controversy has reverberated back to the United States, where political commentators have used the incident to reinforce existing narratives about the former Vice President. The reception demonstrates how former high-ranking officials continue to be viewed through the lens of their previous roles, with their post-office activities scrutinized for consistency with the gravitas expected of someone who once held the second-highest office in America.