The Israeli military discovered the bodies of six Hamas hostages on October 7, devastating news. Photos of known hostages were posted online, but many details weren’t confirmed right away. The situation was quickly rectified, and a terrible rumor was confirmed to be true. It was revealed that Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an American citizen was one of the hostages who was killed by the terrorists.
We expected the usual perfunctory responses to Hersh’s death. Vice President Kamala Harris, President Joe Biden, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken all gave their reactions. Harris’ official statement on the murder of Hersh was posted on X Sunday morning.
On October 7, Hersh Goldberg-Polin — an American citizen — was taken hostage by Hamas terrorists. He was just 23 years old, attending a music festival with friends. We now know he was murdered by Hamas.
Doug and my prayers are with Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, Hersh’s… pic.twitter.com/vHSGbWgUjr
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) September 1, 2024
There was a missing voice…and a gap between the communication style we expected from someone aspiring to be the leader of the world in January 2025; the couple who hoped to live in The White House in that month did not send a joint message of condolences on X.
Why hasn’t there been a message of condolence to the families of the hostages killed by Hamas from @DouglasEmhoff? Seems odd.
— Becca Lower (@BeccaJLower) September 1, 2024
I wondered also what else could be more crucial for someone who claimed to want to play such an important part in our nation at the side of the most powerful leader of the world. We’ve seen in the last few days how the administration managed to botch up the messaging and optics–about Arlington Cemetery, and the families who lost their loved ones during the Afghanistan retreat.
Later on Sunday, Kamala, Doug, and Hersh’s parents spoke with Hersh.
Doug and I just spoke to Jon and Rachel, Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s parents, to express our condolences following the brutal murder of their son by Hamas terrorists. My heart breaks for their pain and anguish.
I told them: As they mourn this terrible loss, they are not alone. Our…
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) September 1, 2024
If you cannot see the post it says:
Doug and I have just spoken to Jon and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, Hersh’s parents. We wanted to convey our condolences after the Hamas terrorists brutally murdered their son. Their pain and suffering is a source of great anguish for me.
They are not alone in their grief. The entire nation is with them in their grief.
Readers may remember that the family spoke on the stage of the 2024 Democratic National Convention.
The spouse of a President is an important role. James Buchanan, the only bachelor commander-in-chief, served from 1857-1861. His niece Harriet acted unofficially as First Lady.
The First Lady, or First Gentleman as Emhoff would call him, sets the tone of hospitality in America. She gives a hint at the warmth and family atmosphere of American homes. This is the first time I’ve ever felt that way about these two people. The delayed reaction of the Goldberg-Polins to what would be a natural thing to do, which is to put their arms around them, at least in a metaphorical sense, says a lot. This shows their inability to grasp what the presidency means, which is all of us Americans. Donald Trump understands this instinctively.
It’s possible that Harris’ people could have made a mistake by recording a cringe-worthy video of the call. But there is still time for Democrats and the Harris campaign to commit more such unforced mistakes.
