Did Kamala Harris say "looters are just feeding their hungry kids"? No, there's no evidence the Democratic vice presidential nominee ever said that. The claim contradicts Harris' public statements that looting is a crime, while peaceful protest deserves support.
The allegation appeared in a Facebook post (archived here) published by user "Darlene Chapman" on October 28, 2020. It read:
KAMALA HARRIS says Looters are just feeding their hungry kids?..I didn't know they could eat SHOES, WASHING MACHINES and TVs??
This is what the post looked like at the time of writing:
(Source: Facebook screenshot taken on Thu Oct 29 15:36:00 2020 UTC)
Lead Stories conducted a Google search on "Kamala Harris and looters." It turned up no instance of a quote attributed to Harris in which she says that "looters are just feeding their hungry kids."
We also reached out to the person who posted the claim on Facebook to ask about her source. This report will be updated, as appropriate, when they respond.
The post's claim contradicts confirmed statements from Harris.
Back in August, Harris addressed the subject of looting during her first solo speech as Democratic vice presidential nominee. She said:
We must always defend peaceful protest and peaceful protesters. We should not confuse them with those looting and committing acts of violence ... And make no mistake, we will not let these vigilantes and extremists derail the path to justice.
Part of Harris's speech can be seen here:
Similarly, this week, Harris addressed looting in a joint statement with presidential nominee Joe Biden on the fatal police shooting of Walter Wallace Jr., a Black man in Philadelphia. It read:
Attacking police officers and vandalizing small businesses, which are already struggling during a pandemic, does not bend the moral arc of the universe closer to justice. It hurts our fellow citizens. Looting is not a protest, it is a crime. It draws attention away from the real tragedy of a life cut short.
Lead Stories contacted the Biden-Harris campaign for comment on the post's claim. We will update this story, as needed, when they respond.
