CHICAGO: Donald Trump falsely suggested Kamala Harris had misled voters about her race when the former president appeared before the National Association of Black Journalists in Chicago on Wednesday in an interview that quickly turned hostile.
The Republican former president falsely claimed that Harris, the first black woman and Asian American to serve as vice president, had previously only promoted her Indian heritage.
“I didn't know she was black until a number of years ago when she happened to be black and now she wants to be known as black. So I don't know, is she Indian or is she black?” Trump said as he addressed the group's annual convention.
Harris is the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, both immigrants to the United States. 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 US Senator, Harris was a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, and supported his colleagues' legislation to strengthen voting rights and reform the police system.
Trump has leveled a wide range of criticisms at Harris since she replaced President Joe Biden at the top of the likely Democratic ticket last week. Throughout his political career, the former president has repeatedly questioned the backgrounds of opponents who are racial minorities.
Michael Tyler, the director of communications 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 tenure and throughout his campaign for president as he seeks to regain power .”
“Trump directed personal attacks and insults at black journalists the same way he has throughout his presidency — while failing black families and leaving the entire country to dig out of the ditch he left us in,” Tyler said. “Donald Trump has already proven that he cannot unite America, so he is trying to divide us.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked during her briefing with reporters on Wednesday about Trump's comments and responded with disbelief, initially muttering “Wow.”
Jean-Pierre, who is black, called what Trump said “repulsive,” saying, “It's insulting and nobody has any right to tell somebody who they are, how they identify.”
Trump has repeatedly attacked his opponents and critics on the basis of race. He rose to prominence in Republican politics by spreading false theories that President Barack Obama, the nation's first black president, was not born in the United States. “Birtherism,” as it became known, was just the beginning of Trump's history of questioning the credentials and qualifications of black politicians.
He has denied allegations of racism. And after Biden chose Harris as his running mate four years ago, a Trump campaign spokesperson pointed to a previous political donation from Trump to Harris as evidence that he was not racist.
“The president, as a private businessman, donated to candidates across the board,” the spokeswoman, Katrina Pierson, told reporters. “And I will note that Kamala Harris is a black woman and he donated to her campaign, so I hope we can knock down this racism argument now,” Pierson said.
During this year's Republican primary, he once referred to former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, the daughter of Indian immigrants, as “Nimbra.”
Trump's appearance Wednesday at the annual gathering of black journalists immediately became heated, as the former president sparred with interviewer Rachel Scott of ABC News, 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 prosecuted cases against him, and the dinner he had at his club in Florida with a white supremacist.
“I think it's shameful,” Trump said. “I came here in good spirits. I love the black population of this country. I have done so much for the black population of this country.”
Trump continued his attacks on Scott's network, ABC News, which he has argued should not host the next presidential debate, despite his earlier agreement with the Biden campaign. He also repeatedly described her tone and questions as “nasty,” a word he has used in the past when describing women, including Hillary Clinton and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.
The Republican also repeated his false claim that immigrants in the country illegally are “taking black jobs.” When pressed by Scott about what constituted a “black job,” Trump responded by saying “a black job is anyone who has a job,” drawing groans from the room.
At one point he said, “I have been the best president for the black people since Abraham Lincoln.”
The audience responded with a mixture of boos and some applause.
Scott asked Trump about his promise to pardon people convicted of their roles in the January 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol and specifically whether he would pardon those who beat police officers.
Trump said, “Oh, I absolutely would,” and said, “If they're innocent, I would pardon them.”
Scott pointed out that they have been convicted and therefore are not innocent.
“Well, they were sentenced by a very, very tough system,” he said.
At one point, defending his supporters who entered the Capitol on Jan. 6, he said, “Nothing in life is perfect.”
He compared the 2021 uprising 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 protesters opposing the war in Gaza. Trump falsely claimed that no one was arrested in the other demonstrations and that only his supporters were targeted.
As Trump made the comparison, a man at the back of the room called out, “Sir, aren't you ashamed?”
The former president's invitation to address the organization sparked an intense internal debate among the NABJ that spilled online. Organizations of journalists of color typically invite presidential candidates to speak at their summer gatherings during election years.
As he campaigns for the White House for a third term, Trump has sought to be seen outside his traditional strongholds, and his campaign has touted his efforts to win over black Americans, who have been Democrats' most committed voting bloc.
His campaign has emphasized his message on the economy and immigration as part of his appeal, but some of his outreach has played on racial stereotypes, including the suggestion that African-Americans would empathize with the criminal charges he has faced and his promotion of branded sneakers.
Trump and the NABJ also have a tense history over his treatment of black female journalists. In 2018, the NABJ condemned Trump for repeatedly using words like “stupid,” “loser,” and “nasty” to describe black female journalists.
The vice president is not scheduled to appear at the convention, but NABJ said in a statement posted on X that it was in talks with her campaign to have her appear either virtually or in person for a conversation in September.
Trump wrote on his social media network that he was told he could not make the event virtual.
“She declined, and I'm getting ready to land in Chicago to be there,” Trump wrote. “Now I find out that she is doing the event on ZOOM. WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?”
Trump hosted a campaign rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, later Wednesday where he repeatedly mispronounced Harris' name.
Before he took the stage, Trump's team showed what appeared to be years-old news headlines describing Harris as the “first Indian-American senator” on the big screen in the arena.
