Former President Donald Trump is facing backlash after making controversial comments about Vice President Kamala Harris, suggesting that she “happened to turn Black” a few years ago. Trump’s remarks, delivered at a gathering of Black journalists, were made in response to a question about why Black voters should support a candidate with his history of racially charged attacks on political opponents.
Trump’s comments came when he questioned Harris’ racial identity, saying, “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?”
He added: “I respect either one, but she obviously doesn’t, because she was Indian all the way, and then all of a sudden she made a turn and she went — she became a Black person. I think somebody should look into that, too.”
These remarks echo previous racially insensitive attacks Trump has made, including his promotion of the false “birther” conspiracy theory against former President Barack Obama.
Harris’ heritage includes an Indian mother and a Jamaican father, both of whom immigrated to the United States. Harris was born in Oakland, California, and graduated from Howard University, a historically Black institution. She is recognized as the first female, first Black, and first South Asian Vice President of the United States.
The Harris campaign has condemned Trump’s comments. Campaign communications director Michael Tyler criticized Trump’s behavior as part of a broader pattern of hostility, stating, “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 and inflict his harmful Project 2025 agenda on the American people.” Tyler emphasized that Trump’s divisive rhetoric is aimed at undermining unity.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also condemned Trump’s remarks, calling them “repulsive” and “insulting.” Jean-Pierre, who is a Black woman, emphasized that it is unacceptable for anyone, regardless of their position, to dictate how someone identifies. She added, “Only she can speak to her experience – only she can speak to what it’s like. She’s the only person that can do that, and I think it’s insulting for anybody – it doesn’t matter if it’s a former leader, a former president – it is insulting.” Jean-Pierre concluded by asserting the need to respect Harris’ identity, stating, “We have to put some respect on her name, period.”
Trump: I did not 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. Is she Indian or is she Black? pic.twitter.com/DIVy0mQL3I
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 31, 2024
In addition to the controversial remarks about Harris, Trump also addressed other topics at the National Association of Black Journalists convention. He stated that if elected, he would “absolutely” pardon those involved in the January 6 Capitol insurrection if they are “innocent,” despite many of the rioters being convicted in a rigorous legal system.
Trump also drew false comparisons between the January 6 insurrection and Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, as well as a recent pro-Palestinian protest in Washington, DC, which saw minimal arrests. Trump exaggerated the events, claiming that Black Lives Matter protesters did not face consequences and comparing their actions to the Capitol riot, despite the significant differences between the two events.
