Harris rant on Trump at Naval Observatory triggers debate over Hatch Act exemptions

Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris created a firestorm on Wednesday when she did a press conference at the vice president's residence where she said Trump would "invoke" Adolf Hitler. 

Harris's speech was in reaction to a recent interview with John Kelly, former White House chief of staff, in which Kelly claimed Trump had said he wanted generals who were loyal to him like Hitler had.

"It is deeply troubling and incredibly dangerous that Donald Trump would invoke Adolf Hitler," Harris said. "This is a window into who Donald Trump really is from the people who know him best."

The statement prompted an outcry on social media, where users accused the vice president of violating the Hatch Act by slamming her political opponent behind the seal of the vice presidency. 

"Kamala Harris just spoke from behind the official seal of the Vice President of the United States at the official Vice President's home at the Naval Observatory in Washington D.C to give a desperate campaign speech as a candidate," one user wrote on X. "This is a blatant violation of the Hatch Act."

The Hatch Act forbids government employees from engaging in political activity while on duty or in their official capacity as a federal employee. They also cannot solicit political contributions at any time or try to sway an election. 

However, the president and vice president are often exempted from the federal act to a certain degree, because of the dual nature of their roles as leaders and political figures, per Newsweek.

Other users on social media claimed the remarks were a desperate reach since her campaign isn't doing well. 

"The media from 2015 - 2024: Trump is literally Hitler," one user wrote. "The media’s big October surprise: Trump is literally Hitler Can’t stop laughing. They have nothing."

"You know internal polling is abysmal if they’re launching the “Trump is literally Hitler” line two weeks before the election," Turning Point USA reporter Savanah Hernandez wrote on X.

“Every Republican is literally Hitler!” The same people who support Hezbollah and Hamas. Forgive me if I don’t find their argument convincing," another user said.

Trump Campaign Communications Director Steven Cheung also slammed the vice president's remarks, calling her a "stone-cold loser," whose "campaign is in shambles."

"That is why she continues to peddle outright lies and falsehoods that are easily disproven," Cheung said. "The fact is that Kamala's dangerous rhetoric is directly to blame for the multiple assassination attempts against President Trump and she continues to stoke the flames of violence all in the name of politics. She is despicable and her grotesque behavior proves she is wholly unfit for office."