guides
Can 'Kamabla' Be Explained? The Origin and Meaning Of Donald Trump's Baffling New Nickname For Kamala Harris
It's probably not an exaggeration to say that former President Donald Trump built a political career, at least in part, on the back of his ability to belittle his political opponents with a good nickname. "Low-energy Jeb," "Little Marco," "Crooked Hillary," "Meatball Ron" and "Sleepy Joe" are among some of his "hits," but since the course of the 2024 election dramatically shifted when Kamala Harris took over the role of presumptive Democratic nominee for president over Joe Biden, Trump has been flailing at workshopping a nickname for her that will stick, according to political experts.
He's tried "Laffin' Kamala" and "Crazy Kamala," but neither seemed to have the proverbial "juice." His newest attempt might be his most "juice"-less yet judging from reactions, as for the past two days, he has been posting about her (sorry, "Truthing" about her) with the nickname "Kamabla."
Here's where the nickname was first coined, what it means and what people are saying about it so far.
What Does 'Kamabla' Mean?
We'll be honest — nobody knows what "Kamabla" means and no one's explained it. Huffington Post reporter S.V. Dáte said he attempted to get a senior Trump campaign official to explain it to him, and that official just repeated "Kamabla" over and over.
Thus, we're left only to speculate on what Trump is going for with "Kamabla." Some have suggested he mistyped Kamala as "Kamabla" once and decided to run with it. Others have suggested it's somehow a racist dog whistle combining "Kamala" and "black." Some have suggested it's supposed to be read like "Kama-blah," an attempt to paint Harris as uninteresting.
We simply don't know what Trump is exactly going for with "Kamabla," and probably won't until he explains it himself or someone from his campaign does.
How Has The Internet Reacted To 'Kamabla'?
Since "Kamabla" is being perceived so far as one of Trump's most inscrutable attempts at a nickname yet, the enthusiasm for it has been sparse online. Much of the reaction has been a mix of theorizing about his intent and insinuation that Trump no longer has the "secret sauce" that led to names like "Meatball Ron."
There have been some attempts by conservatives to make "Kambala" a "thing," but they've largely inspired confusion rather than triggered libs or gained widespread virality.
We'll have to wait and see if Trump uses "Kamabla" in public and explains what he means by it. However, considering how often he has been baffling onlookers at his rallies with stories about Hannibal Lecter, perhaps a clear explanation is too much to hope for.
For the full history of Kamabla, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.