sport news March Madness: US VP Kamala is BOOED by the crowd while cheering on her alma ... trends now
US Vice President Kamala Harris was booed on the third day of the NCAA's March Madness tournament in Des Moines, Iowa, as she watched her alma mater, Howard University, fall to college basketball powerhouse Kansas.
Having graduated from the historically black college and university (HBCU) with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and economics in 1986, Harris showed up in a suite at the Wells Fargo Arena on Thursday to see her Bisons get blown out by the Jayhawks, 68-96, along with her husband and second gentleman, Doug Emhoff.
'I mean, here we are in Des Moines. And they are a tough time, they work hard, they are so disciplined and it is a joy to watch them here in March Madness,' Harris said of Howard's men's basketball team in the second half. 'So many of us who are here, we love our school.'
'And Howard University, I ran for my first office as freshman class representative and have always been part of the Howard community. And I'm sure that everyone who has a team understands what it means and the joy and the commitment that we have in the traditions and the loyalty to your team.'
When the Vice President was shown on the arena's jumbotron, boos drowned out the round of applause given to her. The crowd's demographics may have played a factor in its reaction to seeing the former senator of California on the arena's video board.
Vice President Kamala Harris and husband Douglas Emhoff watch during the second half of a first-round college basketball game between Howard - Harris' alma mater - and Kansas in the NCAA Tournament Thursday in Des, Moines, Iowa
Harris spoke of her time at Howard, where she earned her Bachelor's degree in 1986, with TBS' Allie LaForce from inside the Wells Fargo Arena
MIXED REACTION: Harris was booed and applauded when shown on the arena's jumbotron
Most fans who attended Thursday's game were likely either from Kansas or Iowa, two states that voted for Donald Trump in the 2020 President Elections, which could explain why Harris was booed when shown on the arena's big screen
More than half of Iowa's inhabitants (53.1 percent) voted for Donald Trump in the 2020 Presidential election, compared to 44.9 percent of votes for Joe Biden.
Fans hailing from Kansas, another Republican state, may have also been behind the chorus of boos. Although Trump won the state with 56.18 percent of votes in 2020, Biden's 41.53 percent vote share represented the highest for a Democrat presidential nominee since 2008 - among Biden's best statewide increases of the election.
On Thursday, Harris also emphasized on the importance of funding sports programs at HBCUs to shape up the lives of 'our current future leaders'.
'These sports programs need to be well resourced because when you look at the coaches like the coaches on the two teams that are here, they are investing in these students as a whole person, so yes it is about helping them be their best and most talented on the court. But, also off the court,' Harris told TBS' Allie LaForce.
'They're investing in these kids, they're investing in their education, they think about their life and all of the things that they bring to their time in school. And I admire these coaches for really investing in our current future leaders.'
The Vice President's comments come a day after commissioners of four major HBCU conferences — the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) and the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) — agreed to work more closely together in partnering with professional sports leagues, including the NBA and NFL, to increase the
