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VP Harris Repeatedly Fails To Salute Military On Air Force Two

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Ashley Carnahan Contributor
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Vice President Kamala Harris failed to salute the honor guard on Monday when boarding Air Force Two, according to Fox News.

Harris also failed to salute the honor guard on her earlier trips aboard Air Force Two on both March 15 and 16, according to the Fox News report.

Former Vice Presidents Mike Pence and Joe Biden have both returned salutes to the honor guard in previous years when boarding or disembarking from Air Force Two, according to the report. (RELATED: ‘Not Today!’: Kamala Harris Cracks Up When Asked If She Will Visit The Border)

There is no official protocol for the president or vice-president when it comes to saluting military members outside the steps of Air Force One or Air Force Two. The tradition of returning a salute started in 1981 under President Ronald Reagan, according to fact-checking site Snopes.

“I know all the rules about not saluting in civilian clothes and so forth, and when you should or shouldn’t,” Reagan said, according to Snopes. “So, I said to the commandant, I said, ‘Look, I know all the rules about saluting in civilian clothes and all, but if I am the commander in chief, there ought to be a regulation that would permit me to return a salute.’ And I heard some words of wisdom. He said, ‘I think if you did, no one would say anything.’”

Former NYPD Commissioner Bernard Kerik called Harris’ decision not to salute “disgraceful” in a Tuesday tweet.

“It is a clear demonstration of her dislike for those in uniform, both law-enforcement and military,” Kerik continued.