Kamala Harris suffers another cringeworthy moment while speaking to campaign workers in California

Kamala Harris.

Former Vice President and presidential also-ran Kamala Harris returned to the campaign trail in California on Tuesday and suffered one of her most cringeworthy attempts at humor in recent memory, leaving the people she was addressing at a loss for any reaction whatsoever. 

Harris was speaking at the Sacramento campaign headquarters of Democrat Richard Pan, a doctor and former state senator who is running to unseat incumbent U.S. Representative Kevin Kiley. Apparently she was there to inspire the campaign workers, but video obtained by The Sacramento Bee showed her failing to do so, particularly after an ill-fated attempt at humor. 

Talking about Kiley, who previously was a Republican and is now a Democrat, Harris said, "Oh, I'm not that guy. I'm now this guy. Well, this guy who was that guy and is still this guy and that guy."

Crickets.

"Come on, now," Harris said after an awkward pause, pleading for laughter. When the campaign workers couldn't or wouldn't provide the laughter, Harris did the honors and broke into one of her trademark cackling episodes. People in the room then relented and gave a smattering of courtesy applause. 

Harris' awkward moment with a microphone comes a day after a report by The Washington Post, the latest in a string of similar stories in recent months, which quoted many Democrats who are wary of Harris mounting another White House bid in 2028. In fact, the story pointed out, history has not been kind to previous Democrats who topped the ticket and failed, only to try for the presidency again. 

And the party hasn't reupped a candidate since Adlai Stevenson took on and lost to Dwight Eisenhower in 1956, which was a repeat of the 1952 presidential election in which Eisenhower defeated Stevenson. Still, most polls suggest Harris would be the automatic frontrunner the moment she gets into the race.

The rough moment for Harris follows a similarly clumsy campaign appearance she made with Abdul El-Sayed last month in Detroit. Below, watch a clip of Harris' awkward moment in Sacramento.