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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Kelly Rissman

Fox Business guest slammed for calling Kamala Harris a ‘Hawk Tuah girl’ in sexist outburst

AFP via Getty Images

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A regular guest on the Fox Business network referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as “the original ‘Hawk Tuah’ girl,” sparking online backlash about the sexist remark.

Alec Lace appeared on the network on July 5 to discuss the future of the Democratic party after President Joe Biden’s debate stumble — commentary that devolved into racist and sexist remarks about the presumptive Democratic nominee.

Lace suggested that Harris ascended to power by sleeping her way to the top.

“Kamala Harris — she’s the original ‘Hawk Tuah’ girl — that’s the way she got where she is. And the party’s going downhill if it’s in her hands,” Lace said.

His comment refers to a viral TikTok clip in which a woman is asked the question, “What’s one move in bed that makes a man go crazy every time?” “You gotta give ’em that ‘hawk tuah’ and spit on that thang,” the woman replies, alluding to oral sex.

Social media users took to X to fume about Lace’s offensive remarks.

“Beyond disrespectful. Is he not a dad? Imagine someone spoke this way about his daughter/son in the future smh,” one user wrote. Lace’s Instagram bio says he is a father of four and the host of the podcast “First Class Fatherhood.”

Another remarked: “Alec lace should never be allowed on tv again. That was absolutely disgusting.”

The Independent has emailed a representative for Lace for comment.

On Wednesday, he addressed his controversial Fox Business appearance — but fell far short of an apology.

Lace responded to the online hate he has received in a post on X, clarifying that he appeared on the show before Biden exited the 2024 race. “Comparing Donald Trump to Hitler is dangerous and 100x worse than comparing Kamala Harris to the Hawk Tuah girl,” he continued, adding: “So save me your fake outrage.”

Fox Business host Alex Lace calls Kamala Harris the ‘original Hawk Tuah girl’ (Fox Business)

Separately, Lace admitted he “may have been wrong,” before doubling down on his initial claim: “Monica Lewinsky might hold the title but I believe Harris was with Willie Brown prior. Need a fact check on that.”

Harris briefly dated Willie Brown, the former mayor of San Francisco, at the beginning of her political career in the 1990s, prompting some critics to attribute her success to her ties to Brown. The former mayor addressed the claims in a 2020 op-ed in theSan Francisco Chronicle titled: “Sure, I dated Kamala Harris. So what?” He wrote: “I have also helped the careers of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Gov Gavin Newsom, Sen Dianne Feinstein and a host of other politicians.”

In the same July 5 clip, Lace disparaged White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Harris in one breath: “There’s the DEI press secretary telling you that the DEI vice president is the future of the party here. And so the future looks kind of dim for the Democrats.”

Lace isn’t the first to suggest Harris was a “diversity, equity and inclusion” hire.

Harris has been called a barrage of offensive names in the mere days since launching her White House bid (AFP via Getty Images)

Earlier this week, Tennessee Congressman Tim Burchett said on CNN: “When you go down that route, you take mediocrity, and that’s what they have now as a vice president…100 per cent. She was a DEI hire.”

Former Trump aide Sebastian Gorka also referred to the vice president as “colored.”

On Wednesday, Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade took heat after he appeared to describe a Black sorority as “colored” hours before Harris was supposed to deliver remarks to the group. The network has denied that Kilmeade used the term, and instead claimed Kilmeade said “college.”

Harris — who has been the presumptive Democratic nominee for president for less than a week — has also been the subject of misogynistic comments, namely about her intelligence. Numerous Republicans have claimed she has a “low IQ,” while former president Trump called her “dumb as a rock.”

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