Jane Fonda went door to door in Michigan will campaign for Kamala Harris ahead of the presidential election, leaving a bad taste in the mouths of some Americans who have not forgiven the actress for a 1972 political stunt in Vietnam.
The 86-year-old activist appeared in a Video posted by Kamala for Michigan hugging an Ann Arbor resident and asking for the woman’s support.
“I’ve never done it for a president, but this is the most important thing. We have to, we have to, we have to get (Harris and Walz) elected,” Fonda, dressed in a gray pinstripe suit, told the woman.
The couple shared a hug as the resident held back tears before thanking Fonda for the visit.
Despite the Michigan woman’s warmth, not everyone was happy to see Fonda’s activism: many were still offended by her controversial stance on the Vietnam War in the 1970s, where she actively called for an end to the war and even traveled to the country.
Fonda was given the nickname “Hanoi Jane” after she was photographed sitting on an anti-aircraft gun during a trip to North Vietnam in 1972, an image that still haunts her to this day and which she discussed in her 2005 memoir, My Life So Far.
The 86-year-old activist appeared in a video posted by Kamala for Michigan greeting an Ann Arbor resident and asking for the woman’s support.
“I’ve never done it for a president, but this is the most important thing. We have to, we have to, we have to get (Harris and Walz) elected,” Fonda said.
The actress was invited to the war-torn country to tour its dam system, which is rumoured to have been bombed by US forces, something the US denies.
During her two-week stay there, Fonda stated that the United States had bombed Vietnamese farmland that was far from war zones and appeared on a radio broadcast asking American pilots to stop the bombing.
After her return home, the actress was criticized by the State Department for her decision to speak out in support of Vietnam. Congress also held a hearing and the Veterans of Foreign Wars called for her to be prosecuted as a traitor, according to the State Department. Washington Post.
Fonda continued to speak until 1973.
She has continually apologized for the Hanoi photo, even giving a detailed explanation in her 2005 memoir, where she admitted she did not realize the “implication of what had just happened” until it was too late.
Not everyone was happy to see Fonda’s activism: many were still offended by her controversial stance on the Vietnam War in the 1970s, where she actively called for an end to the war and even traveled to the country.
The actress was invited to the war-torn country to tour its dam system, which was rumoured to have been bombed by US forces, a claim the US denies. She pleaded with US pilots to stop the bombing and even went on a Vietnamese radio show to protest.
She has continually apologized for the Hanoi photos, even giving a detailed explanation in her 2005 memoir, where she admitted she did not realize the “implication of what had just happened” until it was too late.
“Oh my God, it looks like I’m trying to shoot down American planes!” he recalled thinking, recalling that he prayed that the photos not be published.
“It is possible that the Vietnamese had it all planned. I will never know. If so, can I really blame them? The responsibility is mine. If they used me, I allowed it to happen. It was my mistake and I have paid and continue to pay a heavy price for it,” he wrote.
Despite his constant pleas for forgiveness, not all Americans have forgotten his actions. Many expressed outrage after watching the campaign video.
“There’s nothing like having the most famous traitor in American history campaigning for you,” said a man named Andy wrote in X.
“I would have told Hanoi Jane to stay away from my door and my property,” said another. aggregate.
A third party wrote“It’s always a good idea for Hanoi Jane to go door to door throughout the interior of the country. I assume the group stays away from houses that have flags or posters of prisoners of war or missing in action in the yard.”
“My goodness, there’s always a time for a Vietnam vet to have a flashback,” said another. wrote.
Many weren’t ready to shake off Fonda’s past and expressed outrage at the campaign clip, while others showed their support.
Another commentator criticized Fonda for choosing a heavily Democratic city to campaign, writing‘Knocking on doors in the most liberal city in Michigan, in a D+30 district, seems like a tremendous waste of time. I expected nothing less from Hanoi Jane.’
However, some enjoyed watching the celebrity go from door to door.
One wrote‘It’s okay to knock on doors at 86, wearing a suit and looking fantastic!’
Other saying:’Oh my god, I love this so much.’
Fonda joined Harris’ campaign to speak out about climate change, another issue she has advocated for in the past.
She spoke at a Climate Voters for Harris campaign event Tuesday in Ann Arbor.
