Kamala Harris returned to Pennsylvania on Sunday, addressing the congregation at Philadelphia’s Church of Christian Compassion, but quickly faced online criticism over her speech.

Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris speaks to hundreds during a campaign event at the Oakland Expo Center in Waterford Township on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024.

Clips of Harris’s remarks, shared widely on social media, sparked comments from critics who accused her of adopting a new accent for the predominantly Black congregation.

A popular conservative X account, “End Wokeness,” posted video footage of Harris’s address, commenting, “BREAKING: Kamala Harris unveils a new accent at a Black Philadelphia church.” The video showed Harris speaking about the high stakes of the upcoming election, noting that voters “will have the power to decide the fate of our nation for generations to come.”

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“Here in Pennsylvania, right now, each of us has an opportunity to make a difference,” Harris said. “Because in this moment we do face a real question. What kind of country do we want to live in?” She continued, citing the Book of Psalms, “Weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the mornin’. The path may seem hard, the work may seem heavy, but joy cometh in the mornin’, and church morning is on its way.”

Harris’s use of a Southern-style drawl during the speech caught the attention of social media commentators, with many comparing her tone to a preacher’s inflection.

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Critics likened her cadence to that of civil rights leaders, with some saying the shift in tone resembled the style of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and noted this wasn’t the first time Harris had been accused of altering her speech patterns for certain audiences.

Harris had faced similar accusations in previous speeches, including during a recent event with the Congressional Black Caucus and another at a Labor Day rally in Detroit, where her tone was compared to the cartoon character “Foghorn Leghorn” for its Southern inflection.

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Last month, Fox News’ Peter Doocy questioned White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre about the shift in tone. “Since when does the vice president have what sounds like a Southern accent?” Doocy asked, referencing Harris’s Detroit speech.

Jean-Pierre dismissed the question, stating, “They care about the economy, they care about lowering costs, they care about health care. That’s what they want to hear… democracy and freedom… I’m not going to even entertain some question about… it’s just. Hearing it sounds so ridiculous.”

Pennsylvania remains a highly contested battleground state for the 2024 election as both Trump and Harris continue their efforts to secure votes in the region.

In recent months, both candidates have focused heavily on Pennsylvania, a state that played a critical role in the past two presidential elections.

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