Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump waves to supporters after speaking at a campaign rally in Harrisburg, Pa., Wednesday, July 31, 2024. File
| Photo Credit: AP
Republican Presidential candidate former President Donald Trump falsely suggested Kamala Harris had misled voters about her race as the former president appeared before the National Association of Black Journalists in Chicago on July 31 in an interview that quickly turned hostile.
The Republican former President wrongly claimed that Ms. Harris, the first Black woman and Asian American to serve as vice president, had in the past only promoted her 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?” Mr. Trump said while addressing the group’s annual convention.
Ms. Harris is the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, both immigrants to the U.S. As an undergraduate, Harris attended Howard University, one of the nation’s most prominent historically Black colleges and universities, where she also pledged the historically Black sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha. As a U.S. senator, Ms. Harris was a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, supporting her colleagues’ legislation to strengthen voting rights and reforming policing.
Watch | Who is Kamala Harris?
Mr. Trump has leveled a wide range of criticism at Ms. Harris since she replaced President Joe Biden atop the likely Democratic ticket last week. Throughout his political career, the former President has repeatedly questioned the backgrounds of opponents who are racial minorities.
The day before Mr. Trump’s latest comments, his campaign Spokesperson Katrina Pierson offered a new piece of evidence to push back against accusations of racism: Mr. Trump had previously given money to Ms. Harris.
“President, as a private businessman, donated to candidates across all aisles. And I’ll note that Kamala Harris is a Black woman and he donated to her campaign, so I hope we can squash this racism argument now,” Ms. Pierson said.
Michael Tyler, the communications director for Harris’ campaign, said in a statement that “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.”
“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,” Mr. Tyler said. “Donald Trump has already proven he cannot unite America, so he attempts to divide us.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked during her briefing with reporters on July 31 about Mr. Trump’s remarks and responded with disbelief, initially murmuring, “Wow.”
Jean-Pierre, who is Black, called what Mr. Trump said “repulsive” and said, “It’s insulting and no one has any right to tell someone who they are how they identify.”
During this year’s Republican primary, he once referred to former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, the daughter of Indian immigrants, as “Nimbra.”
Mr. Trump’s appearance at the annual gathering of Black journalists immediately became heated, with the former President sparring with interviewer Rachel Scott of ABC News and accusing her of giving him a “very rude introduction” with a tough first question about his past criticism of Black people and Black journalists, his attack on Black prosecutors who have pursued cases against him and the dinner he had at his Florida club with a white supremacist.
“I think it’s disgraceful,” Mr. Trump said. “I came here in good spirit. I love the Black population of this country. I’ve done so much for the Black population of this country.”
Trump continued his attacks on Scott’s network, which he has been arguing should not host the next Presidential debate, despite his earlier agreement with the Biden campaign. He also several times described her tone and questions as “nasty,” a word he used in the past when describing women, including Hillary Clinton and Meghan the Duchess of Sussex.
The Republican also repeated his false claim that immigrants in the country illegally are “taking Black jobs.” When pushed by Scott on what constituted a “Black job,” Trump responded by saying “a Black job is anybody that has a job,” drawing groans from the room.
At one point, he said, “I have been the best president for the Black population since Abraham Lincoln.”
The audience responded with a mix of boos and some applause.
Ms. Scott asked Mr. Trump about his pledge to pardon people convicted for their roles in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol and specifically whether he would pardon those who assaulted police officers. He said, “Oh, absolutely I would,” and said, “If they’re innocent, I would pardon them.”
Ms. Scott pointed out they have been convicted and therefore are not innocent.
He compared the 2021 insurrection to the protests in Minneapolis and other cities in 2020 following the death of George Floyd by Minneapolis police and to more recent protests at the Capitol last week by demonstrators opposed to the war in Gaza. Mr. Trump falsely claimed that no one was arrested in those other demonstrations and that only his supporters were targeted.
