Stephen Maturen/Getty Images
- Donald Trump erroneously asserted that Vice President Kamala Harris had recently “turned Black.”
- This statement emerged during a dialog at the National Association of Black Journalists’ gathering.
- The ex-president also faced scrutiny regarding his history of racially charged comments.
Trump’s Controversial Statements on Harris
Diving into a controversial subject, former President Donald Trump voiced an inaccurate claim about Vice President Kamala Harris, suggesting that she had only recently “turned Black.” This remark was made on Wednesday during an event held by the National Association of Black Journalists in Chicago.
Details of Trump’s Comments
“I’ve known her for quite some time, though not personally but indirectly,” Trump stated while being interviewed. “She has always emphasized her Indian heritage, and I wasn’t aware she identified as Black until several years ago when she suddenly decided to embrace that identity.” The statements reportedly astonished several journalists present in the venue.
The interview began with ABC News correspondent Rachel Scott probing Trump about his longstanding dismissive attitudes towards African Americans. She brought up his previous promotion of unfounded claims regarding Barack Obama’s citizenship as another example of racist discourse from him.
The Context Around Harris’ Identity
Rachel Scott further queried whether he regarded Harris as merely a product of diversity-based hiring initiatives often criticized by certain sectors within the Republican party. It is worth noting that Vice President Harris is the child of Indian and Jamaican immigrants and disclosed to The Washington Post in 2019 that before venturing into politics, she hadn’t contemplated her racial identity deeply—preferring to identify simply as “an American.”
Harris’ Own Reflections on Racial Identity
Keenly aware and proud of her roots, Harris has articulated throughout her career how she identifies strongly as an African-American. In her memoir “The Truths We Hold,” she expressed: “My mother firmly recognized that she was raising two black daughters. She understood perfectly well how our society would perceive Maya and me—and was resolute in ensuring we developed into assured and proud black women.”
Reactions from Officials
The White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reacted visibly disturbed when informed about Trump’s assertions. “What you just shared is completely abhorrent,” Jean-Pierre remarked after hearing Trump’s statement read back to her. “It’s utterly disrespectful for anyone to dictate someone else’s identity or self-identification.”
