Conservatives are lashing out after Vice President Kamala Harris shared an image of her kitchen on Thanksgiving. Why? Because she appears to use a gas stove.
In a post on X, Harris, who was pictured alongside her husband, wished her followers a happy Thanksgiving but was met with a bizarre backlash in response.
Conservative figures, including the right-wing commentator known as “Catturd,” immediately seized upon the image by rehashing the mischaracterized belief that the administration of President Joe Biden was secretly plotting to ban gas stoves.
“Good morning to everyone except the never ending hypocrisy of the Commie Left – nice gas stove Kamala,” Catturd wrote.
The gas stove issue first arose in January after the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPCS) stated that all options were on the table after studies found significant health concerns linked to the appliance.
Speaking with Bloomberg News at the time, CPCS Commissioner Richard Trumka Jr. brazenly proclaimed that “products that can’t be made safe can be banned.”
The remark was immediately seen as evidence among conservatives that the end of gas stoves were near. Some even suggested that they would be fined or have police called on them for refusing to have their gas stoves removed.
Trumka Jr. responded by clarifying that even if regulations were passed targeting gas stoves, they would only apply to new products. And Americans who chose to switch from gas to electric could receive an $840 rebate, but no one would be forced to stop using gas appliances altogether.
Despite the explanation, the narrative of a tyrannical Biden regime coming for their kitchens has cemented itself in conservative politics. So when Harris showed that she owned a gas stove, right-wing users saw it as a case of hypocrisy.
“I was repeatedly told by this administration gas stoves are the greatest threat to climate change,” one user falsely claimed. “Strange that they’d try to make these illegal for us dumb peasants then shove it in our faces when they want to humble brag.”
The post from Harris also caught the attention of right-wing politicians, including Rep. Mike Collins (R-Georgia) and former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.
“Is that a gas stove?” Collins sarcastically asked.
The report regarding gas stoves came after numerous Democratic lawmakers asked the CPSC last year to investigate indoor air pollutants linked to such appliances. Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), who helped push for the study, also clarified in January that he had never once pushed for a ban.
“There’s been a lot of gaslighting today about gas stoves,” Beyer said on X. “To be clear, I didn’t call for a ban on gas stoves. @SenBooker and I wrote to @USCPSC asking them to consider ways to reduce potential health risks, which include childhood asthma.”
Nevertheless, any left-wing politician seen standing anywhere near a gas stove will almost certainly be heckled for years to come.
