Liberal news anchors Rachel Maddow and Jake Tapper faced an embarrassing battle on the airwaves as they desperately tried to explain to the world the meaning of Gen Z-inspired pop star Charli XCX’s statement that Kamala Harris is “a spoiled brat.”
British singer Charli, 31, posted a tweet describing the vice president as a “spoiled brat” after Joe Biden endorsed her as the Democratic presidential candidate and announced Sunday that he was dropping out of the race.
It was a reference to Charli’s latest album, Brat, which dropped in June and has since sparked a huge social media trend, with people embracing their inner “brats” this summer.
The pop star’s tweet quickly went viral, prompting a fierce response from Charli’s loyal fans. It also caught the attention of Kamala, 59, who then got involved, changing her campaign to include a reference to Charli’s new album.
But the ordeal left many popular newscasters stunned, with many even admitting they had no idea what it meant to be a “brat.”
British singer Charli XCX has stunned news anchors after she described Kamala Harris as a “spoiled brat” – prompting the presidential candidate to completely overhaul her campaign
Charli XCX, 31, shared her support for Kamala, 59, on Sunday with one simple tweet that quickly went viral
She branded the vice president a “brat,” a reference to her latest album, which came out last month. She was seen holding the LP
“Kamala IS a spoiled brat,” reads Charli XCX’s post, which has now been viewed more than 46 million times.
Hours later, MSNBC’s Rachel, 51, admitted on radio that she was “not quite sure what ‘brat’ meant.
Senator Amy Klobuchar then gave her opinion, telling the host, “I think it’s great that [Kamala and her team] “You just make it your own, joke about it and become an icon because of it.”
Rachel has long supported Biden and was ridiculed in February when she said he wasn’t too old to run for president this year because he “rides a bike.”
And after he announced he would retire from racing on Sunday, she applauded him and said, “What a man, what a patriot.”
“What an act of selfless dedication to your country. For him to make this decision today is to give the country a chance, a reasonable chance, to not bring Donald Trump back into the White House.
“I don’t want to put back in the White House a president who refused to leave the last time and incited an angry mob to overthrow the government instead of leaving.”
They also discussed the topic on CNNwith Jake, 55, revealing he heard about Charli XCX’s post through his 16-year-old daughter.
The dance pop LP, titled Brat, has been a huge hit and has since sparked a huge social media trend, with people embracing their inner ‘brats’ this summer
Charli’s viral tweet left many newscasters confused about what being a “brat” really means, but Kamala herself seemed to be all for the message. Charli XCX is featured
Within hours, she embraced the label, changing the header image on her campaign’s X account, Kamala HQ, to resemble the album’s iconic lime green cover.
Reporter Jamie Gangel tried to explain the trend to viewers and her fellow hosts: “I’d have to say, ‘That’s a bad kid.’ For those who don’t know, that’s cool.”
She then read a quote from Charli XCX, in which the pop star explained in a previous interview what it means to have a child as a child.
MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow admitted on the radio that she was “not entirely sure what ‘brat’ meant”
“You’re just that girl who’s a little messy, likes to party and says stupid things sometimes,” the singer said.
‘[The girl] who feels himself but maybe also has a breakdown. But a bit like partying through it.
‘[The girl who is] very honest, very blunt and a little volatile. She does stupid things. But it’s brat. You’re brat. That’s brat.’
“So the idea is that we’re all some kind of spoiled child?” a confused Jake asked. “And Vice President Harris is a spoiled child? I’m not…” he trailed off.
“You don’t just become a spoiled kid, you can aspire to be a spoiled kid, but you have to put in the effort,” CNN host Kaitlan Collins told him.
“Okay, I’ll be a spoiled brat,” he said, laughing.
While Charli’s message left many newscasters confused, Kamala herself seemed to fully support the message.
Within hours, she embraced the label and changed the header image on her campaign’s X account, titled Kamala HQ, to look exactly like the album’s iconic lime green cover.
Since the LP dropped last month, hundreds of thousands of people have shared videos on TikTok showing themselves having a brat summer, whether it’s wearing the lime green hue of the album cover or dancing to Charli XCX’s new songs.
They also discussed the topic on CNN, with reporter Jamie Gangel explaining the trend: “I would have to say, ‘That’s a bad kid.’ For those who don’t know, that’s a cool thing.”
A confused Jake Tapper said, “Vice President Harris is a brat? I’m not…” before Kaitlan Collins told him, “You don’t just become a brat, you can aspire to be a brat, but you have to work at it.”
Some companies have even jumped on the bandwagon, with bars and coffee shops promoting bright green drinks
Stars like Stephen Colbert, Glen Powell (left) and Ashley Tisdale (right) have also joined in on this trend
Stephen danced to one of her songs live on his show and then uploaded it to TikTok, writing: ‘Stephen Colbrat’
Since Charli XCX shared her post about Kamala, her fans have taken to posting edits that show a montage of clips of the Vice President while one of Charli XCX’s songs plays in the background
And after Charli XCX shared her post about Kamala, her devoted fans began posting edits that featured a montage of clips of the vice president while one of Charli XCX’s songs played in the background.
In another interview, Charli XCX said about being a spoiled child: ‘It can [be] quite luxurious, but it can also be so vulgar.
“Like a pack of cigarettes, a Bic lighter and a white strappy top. No bra. That’s really all you need.”
Some businesses are also joining in: bars and coffee shops are promoting bright green drinks.
Stars like Stephen Colbert, Glen Powell and Ashley Tisdale are also participating in this trend.
Ashley uploaded a clip of herself dancing to Charli XCX’s song Apple, with the caption: “I may be pregnant but I’m still having a shitty summer.”
When asked in a recent interview what his favorite song of the summer was, Glen replied, “Well, it’s a shitty summer, so…”
Stephen danced live to one of her songs during his show and then posted it to TikTok, captioning it, “Stephen Colbrat.”