Trump falsely attacks Kamala Harris over race, saying she "happened to turn Black"
Former President Donald Trump launched a racially insensitive attack against presumptive Democratic nominee Kamala Harris on Wednesday
Trump falsely attacks Kamala Harris over race, saying she "happened to turn Black"
Election 2024 Trump
Former President Donald Trump launched a racially insensitive attack against presumptive Democratic nominee Kamala Harris on Wednesday, falsely questioning her racial background in a contentious appearance in Chicago.
During a panel discussion at the conference of the National Association of Black Journalists, the Republican nominee for president said his opponent for the White House "happened to turn Black" a number of years ago.
Asked about some Republicans labeling Harris as a "DEI hire," Trump, after bickering with ABC's Rachel Scott over the definition of DEI, responded: "I've known [Harris] a long time indirectly, not directly, very much. And she was always of Indian heritage, and she was only promoting Indian heritage. 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?"
CBS News
The Harris campaign condemned Trump’s remarks. Here’s the latest.
Vice President Kamala Harris is speaking in Houston at an event for Sigma Gamma Rho, a prominent Black sorority, hours after former President Donald J. Trump questioned her racial identity during a tense appearance at the National Association of Black Journalists conference. Mr. Trump falsely claimed that Ms. Harris, who is of Jamaican and Indian heritage and attended a historically Black university, used to identify as Indian and then, “all of a sudden, she made a turn, and she became a Black person.”
A Harris spokesman condemned Mr. Trump’s remarks, saying the former president “cannot unite America, so he attempts to divide us.” Democrats and anti-Trump Republicans also denounced his statements.
Mr. Trump’s appearance — with Rachel Scott of ABC News, Harris Faulkner of Fox News and Kadia Goba of Semafor — began more than an hour late and immediately turned confrontational. Questioned on his rhetoric about race, he complained that it was a “very rude introduction” that soon gave way to the kind of racially charged attacks Mr. Trump once employed against President Barack Obama. It lasted barely half of the allotted hour, ending abruptly: as Ms. Faulkner began asking a question, Ms. Scott closed the session, saying, “I think we have to end it there, by the Trump team.”
Here’s what to know:
A tense encounter: During the session, Mr. Trump repeated falsehoods about immigration, sparred with the reporters over the merits of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and told the group that he was “the best president for the Black population” since Abraham Lincoln. Mr. Trump complained about the audio equipment for the event and blamed it for the delay, but a person familiar with the planning said that before Mr. Trump took the stage, he pushed back on plans for a live fact-check. The appearance of the Republican presidential nominee had divided the association before it even started.
A swift backlash: While Mr. Trump bragged about his comments to his supporters, his critics quickly condemned the remarks. The White House press secretary, Karine Jean Pierre, said they were “repulsive,” while Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the majority leader, called Mr. Trump’s appearance a “meltdown” that showed he was unfit for office. Representative Jahana Hayes, Democrat of Connecticut, suggested that Mr. Trump had expressed “clearly racist sentiments.” Former Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland, an anti-Trump Republican now running for Senate, called the comments “unacceptable and abhorrent,” while Michael Steele, the former chair of the Republican National Committee, called the interview a “hot mess” and said Mr. Trump was a “petulant ass.”
Running-mate watch: Several vice-presidential hopefuls are spending the final days before Ms. Harris makes her selection doing fund-raising, according to copies of invitations seen by The Times. Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania has events scheduled in the Hamptons on Saturday and Sunday. Pete Buttigieg, the transportation secretary, is headlining a fund-raiser for the Harris campaign in Holderness, N.H., on Saturday. Even Mr. Buttigieg’s husband, Chasten Buttigieg, is in on the action, headlining a fund-raiser in Fire Island alongside Doug Emhoff, Ms. Harris’s husband.
A top Biden adviser departs: Anita Dunn, a longtime close adviser to President Biden, is leaving her post in the White House to consult for Future Forward, the largest Democratic-leaning super PAC, which supports the Harris campaign. Future Forward recently announced a $50 million advertising push for Ms. Harris in battleground states.
Theodore Schleifer, Katie Glueck and Nick Corasaniti contributed reporting. NY Times
Me: Trump is weird
VOTE RFK
Being a New Yorker, Trump's personality is true to the bone.
His always been "a matter of fact".
I myself come from African/ Mexican decent ( Arizona), fell in LOVE with a Irish/ Italian girl from Queens.
Her mother was quite hard on me in the beginning.
After time I proved myself to Love, honor, and protect her daughter.
So New Yorkers are straight in your face out spoken.
Kamala plays the race card to her advantage.
As for Obama and Big Mike, sad he lies about his birthplace place, as his own Grandmother and half brother have been clear about the this fact.
I enjoy your opinions and thoughts,though we see things differently.
He was dead on.