FORMER US PRESIDENT Donald Trump has claimed that Vice President Kamala Harris opted to “turn black”, in the latest attack against his Democratic rival in the race for the White House.
Trump falsely claimed that Harris, whose father is originally from Jamaica and mother is originally from India, “was always of Indian heritage and 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?” Trump said while addressing the National Association of Black Journalists’ annual convention in Chicago.
Trump was challenged by the interviewer, ABC’s Rachel Scott, who said Harris has always identified as a black woman, but the Republican candidate continued: “I respect either one, but she obviously doesn’t because she was Indian all the way and she made a turn and all of a sudden she became a black person.”
As an undergraduate, Harris attended Howard University, one of the nation’s most prominent historically black colleges. And as a US senator, Harris was a member of the Congressional Black Caucus.
The remarks are the latest attack from the Republicans against the presumptive Democratic nominee after Trump claimed earlier this week that Harris – who is married to a Jewish man – was antisemitic.
Another provocative line of attack from the Republicans has been to call Harris a “DEI hire”, meaning diversity equity and inclusion, a concept loathed by US conservatives.
Scott asked him if he believed that and he replied, “I really don’t know, could be”.
The exchange was heated almost from the off, with Trump taking aim at Scott’s network ABC, which he has said should not hold a presidential debate that he already agreed to do with Joe Biden before the president dropped out.
“I think it’s disgraceful that 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 said.
The Republican also repeated his claim that immigrants coming across the US-Mexico border are “taking black jobs”. When pushed by Scott on what constituted a “black job”, Trump responded by saying “any 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. At times there was laughter among the audience.
President Joe Biden’s White House swiftly responded to today’s comments, calling them “insulting.”
“No one has any right to tell someone who they are, how they identify,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, the first black woman to hold the position, told reporters.
Yesterday, Harris challenged Trump to debate her after he failed to commit to one.
The Republican nominee unleashed a barrage of insults against his rival, calling her “crazy” and a “bum.”
“Well Donald, I do hope you’ll reconsider to meet me on the debate stage, because as the saying goes, if you’ve got something to say, say it to my face,” Harris said, to roars of approval.
With reporting from AFP and Press Association
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