Vice President Kamala Harris was told not to touch “shiny” silicon on Monday during a tour of a semiconductor manufacturing facility in Michigan after she was tempted to touch it and almost suffered serious injury.
“This is actually a harvested U-rod,” an employee at Hemlock Semiconductors in Saginaw told Harris, 60, as he approached a large piece of silicone covered in what appeared to be plastic wrap. Ta.
“Can I touch it?” the Democratic candidate asked, holding his right hand over the half-metal bar.
“Don’t touch it,” the factory worker quickly replied.
“Please stop,” the vice president pointed out. “I’m glad you asked.”
“Don’t touch any poly,” a hardhat-wearing employee added as Mr. Harris approached a plate of attractive chunks of silicon crystals just beyond the U-rod display.
“That’s very sharp,” another man on the tour told Harris.
“Okay… it’s shiny,” she observed, this time keeping her distance from the display.
Some social media users likened Harris’ behavior during the factory tour to the incompetent and disgusting Selina Meyer, the fictional vice president on the hit HBO comedy show “Veep.”
“This is straight out of Veep,” former Republican National Committee communications specialist Steve Guest wrote on X, sharing a clip of Harris on tour.
The Trump campaign mocked Harris over the incident.
“She is completely powerless,” the Trump War Room X account posted.
Another social media user claimed: “It’s like walking around with a 3 year old.”
Hemlock Semiconductors is the only U.S.-based manufacturer of ultra-high purity polysilicon, a key component of semiconductor chips.
The company recently received a $325 million federal grant from the Harris-Biden administration.
In Michigan, Harris leads former President Donald Trump by a tenth of a percentage point, according to RealClearPolitics’ latest polling average.
On Election Day, 15 electoral votes are at stake in the Wolverine State.
