Kamala Harris divides opinion with ‘enjoy the long weekend’ message ahead of Memorial Day

Kamala Harris, the US vice president, has faced widespread criticism online after she called on her followers to “enjoy the long weekend” ahead of Memorial Day on Monday.

The national holiday, part of Memorial Day weekend, commemorates members of the military who lost their lives fighting in the US armed forces.

Twitter users have since condemned Harris, who did not mention Memorial Day in her post on the social media platform on Saturday.

“It is Memorial Day weekend. This weekend is our time as a nation to honour our fallen. It is our dedicated time to reflect on our war fightrers, those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom,” one user replied.

Another asked: “Care to mention WHY we’re having a long weekend, Kamala?”

Harris wasn’t just reminded of the significance of this weekend by critics, but also of those who died serving the country, as others shared images of mourners and those who lost their lives on the frontline:

Others, meanwhile, defended the vice president’s well wishes, comparing her post to remarks made by ex-president Donald Trump:

Harris later went on to post an additional tweet following the controversy, in which she wrote: “Throughout our history our service men and women have risked everything to defend our freedoms and our country.

“As we prepare to honour them on Memorial Day, we remember their service and their sacrifice.”