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Jimmy Williams
Former President Donald Trump falsely suggested that Vice President Kamala Harris misled voters about her race during an interview at the National Association of Black Journalists convention in Chicago on Wednesday. The event quickly turned hostile.
Trump claimed that Harris, the first Black woman and Asian American to serve as vice president, had only promoted her Indian heritage in the past. “I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black and now she wants to be known as Black. So, I don’t know, is she Indian or is she Black?” he said.
Kamala Harris, the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, both immigrants to the U.S., has a long history of embracing her multicultural heritage. She attended Howard University, a prominent historically Black college, and was a member of the Congressional Black Caucus as a U.S. senator.
Michael Tyler, the communications director for Harris’ campaign, responded to Trump’s remarks, saying, “The hostility Donald Trump showed on stage today is the same hostility he has shown throughout his life, throughout his term in office, and throughout his campaign for president as he seeks to regain power.” Tyler added, “Trump lobbed personal attacks and insults at Black journalists the same way he did throughout his presidency — while he failed Black families and left the entire country digging out of the ditch he left us in.”
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called Trump’s comments “repulsive” and said, “It’s insulting and no one has any right to tell someone who they are how they identify.”
Trump has a history of attacking opponents and critics based on race. He initially gained prominence in Republican politics by spreading false theories about President Barack Obama’s birthplace. This history continued during his appearance on Wednesday, where he referred to former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, the daughter of Indian immigrants, as “Nimbra.”
The interview with Trump became heated, especially when interviewer Rachel Scott of ABC News asked tough questions about his past criticism of Black people and Black journalists, his attacks on Black prosecutors, and his dinner with a white supremacist. Trump described her questions as “nasty,” a term he has previously used for other women, including Hillary Clinton and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.
Trump repeated false claims during the interview, such as immigrants taking jobs from Black Americans and his assertion that he has been the best president for the Black population since Abraham Lincoln, which was met with a mix of boos and applause.
The former president’s invitation to address the NABJ sparked internal debate within the organization. As Trump campaigns for the White House a third time, he seeks to broaden his appeal beyond his traditional base, although his outreach often plays on racial stereotypes.
Trump is scheduled to hold a campaign rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania later on Wednesday.
