Doug Emhoff, husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, drew criticism online after posting a selfie celebrating the U.S. Men's National Team's victory in the World Cup. Emhoff, the former Second Gentleman, shared the photo on X after the USMNT defeated Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In the image, Emhoff, wearing a USMNT jersey, is seen making a peace sign while pouting at the camera. He captioned the post with two American flag emojis. The pose and expression in the selfie quickly became the subject of ridicule, with many users on X describing it as "cringe" and "weird."
One user commented, "I can't believe he looked at this selfie and said to himself, 'Yep, this is the one,' and posted it." Another questioned, "Did you or Kamala think this was a good pic?" Some social media users shared memes mocking Emhoff and linked the image to political commentary on the Democratic party.
This public appearance comes as Emhoff and Harris have navigated a period of reduced visibility following Harris's loss in the 2024 presidential election. Earlier this year, after Harris opted not to run for California Governor, the couple reportedly purchased an $8 million home in Malibu. Sources cited by the Daily Mail suggested the move was influenced by security concerns, particularly after President Trump reportedly revoked Harris's Secret Service protection.
While Harris has been re-emerging in the public sphere, promoting her book and engaging in media appearances, Emhoff has maintained a lower profile. He was notably absent during much of Harris's book tour, which focused on her electoral defeat. The couple also had a period earlier in the year where they were not seen together publicly, including an event where Emhoff received a humanitarian award in May.
Harris and Emhoff were seen attending the USMNT's final World Cup group stage match against Turkiye last month. With speculation about a potential 2028 presidential bid, Harris has been active in interviews and media events. In a recent interview with Don Lemon, Harris's remarks on the concept of 'hope' also drew attention and were labeled as 'word salad' by some critics.