Senator Edward Kennedy Jr., son of Robert and Ethel Kennedy, set the internet ablaze recently when he took to Twitter with a seemingly innocuous comment about the intelligence quotient (IQ) of Vice President Kamala Harris.
The comment came in the wake of the Democratic National Convention’s nomination of Harris as former Vice President Joe Biden’s running mate on the Democratic ticket for the 2020 presidential election.
Kennedy’s tweet was in response to a tweet from a conservative news outlet that claimed that Harris was a “low IQ candidate” and continued the erroneous narrative that Biden is mentally unfit for office. Kennedy’s tweet responded, “Kamala Harris’ IQ is higher than mine, and mine is higher than yours.”
Kennedy’s pointed jab at the conservative outlet was seen by many as a witty, well-placed comeuppance to the likes of President Donald Trump and other conservative talking heads who have been continuously claiming that Biden is mentally unfit for office.
However, Kennedy’s comment has caused a backlash on social media, with some accusing him of perpetuating a stereotype that women are not as intelligent as men.
The White House and the Democratic National Committee have both responded to the outcry, with White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany calling Kennedy’s remark “ignorant and sexist”, while the DNC successfully put out a statement clarifying that “Vice President Harris is a highly accomplished and smart public servant whose credentials speak for themselves.”
Despite the criticism, Kennedy has remained steadfast in his stance, using the controversy as an opportunity to express his support of Harris while also engaging in a heated political debate. Even so, Kennedy’s comment raises the question of whether intelligence should be used as a metric for judging a person’s ability to hold office. Whatever the answer, it is clear that Kennedy’s comment has opened up an important dialogue about the intersection of politics and intelligence.