Topline
Former President Donald Trump’s GOP allies broke with their party’s nominee after he questioned Vice President Kamala Harris’ race Wednesday, openly criticizing Trump over the controversial comments during what was widely viewed as a disastrous interview at the National Association of Black Journalists conference.
Former President Donald Trump speaks with Rachel Scott, senior congressional correspondent for ABC … [+]
Key Facts
Trump on Wednesday said Harris, whose father is from Jamaica and whose mother is from South India, “was always of Indian heritage” but “made a turn and . . . became a Black person” in response to a question from ABC News’ Rachel Scott about whether he believes Harris is a “DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion] hire” during a question-and-answer session at the event.
The GOP backlash to Trump’s comments marks one of the first major moments of the 2024 election cycle when normally supportive party members have openly opposed Trump—after standing by him during a string of controversies, including his Manhattan criminal conviction.
Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., told reporters the interview was unhelpful, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said it’s “not a great idea for either of the parties to be playing racial identity politics,” and Sen. Steve Danies, R-Mont., said the “better approach is to focus on [the] policies of Kamala Harris,” Axios reported.
Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., the second-ranking Senate Republican, told reporters “the campaign must be about the issues” in response to Trump’s comments.
Some Republicans who frequently criticize Trump also weighed in: Former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele tweeted the interview was “a hot mess,” and former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan—a candidate for Senate— tweeted that “it’s unacceptable and abhorrent to attack Vice President Harris or anyone’s racial identity.”
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, pointed out to Axios the interview was among a recent series of what she called “very unfortunate” campaign errors, including resurfaced comments from Trump running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, claiming Harris and other Democrats without biological children were “childless cat ladies” who “want to make the rest of the country miserable too.”
Trump doubled down on the remarks in a Truth Social post later Wednesday, writing “Crazy Kamala is saying she’s Indian, not Black. This is a big deal. Stone cold phony. She uses everybody, including her racial identity!” while linking to a clip of Harris cooking with Indian-American actress Mindy Kahling in which Harris acknowledges her Indian heritage.
Trump also featured a headline at his rally in Pennsylvania later Wednesday that highlighted the fact Harris was the first Indian-American elected to the U.S. Senate (she was the second Black woman elected to the Senate).
Crucial Quote
“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 Wednesday at the NABJ conference in Chicago. “She was Indian all the way then all of the sudden she made a turn and she became a Black person.”
Tangent
Vance told an audience in Arizona Wednesday Harris was a “phony” who “grew up in Canada.” Harris was born in the U.S., spent her teenage years in Canada, then moved back to the U.S. for college.
Contra
There is no evidence Harris has ever denied being Black, but there are plenty of examples to dispute Trump’s suggestion she did. Harris was president of the Black Law Students Association at the University of California, San Francisco, where she attended law school after graduating from Howard University, a historically Black college. When she was elected California attorney general in 2010, it was widely reported she was the first Black woman to hold the position in the state, and she has repeatedly spoken about being Black, writing in her 2019 memoir “The Truths We Hold” her mother “understood very well that she was raising two Black daughters.”
Key Background
Trump was clearly agitated from the start of the interview, opening the Q&A session by attacking ABC News’ Rachel Scott for posing “a question in such a horrible manner,” after she asked why Black voters should trust him given his history of racist rhetoric and association with white supremacist Nick Fuentes. Trump accused ABC News of being a “fake news, terrible network” and claimed he was the “best president for the Black population since Abraham Lincoln.” He also accused Harris of allowing undocumented immigrants to take what he referred to as “Black jobs,” suggesting she failed at her role in the Biden administration working with Central American countries to tamp down on immigration.
Further Reading
Trump Claims Kamala Harris Only Recently Identified As Black — Here’s Why That’s Not True (Forbes)
Trump Questions Kamala Harris’ Race: Claims She ‘Became A Black Person’ In Combative Interview (Forbes)
Trump Vs. Harris 2024 Polls: Harris Leads Trump In 3 Surveys This Week (Forbes)
2022 midterms, 2024 presidential campaign, the January 6 House committee investigation, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s historic ouster, the 2023 State of the Union Address, former President Donald Trump’s federal election interference and classified documents cases and his Manhattan hush money case. Dorn graduated in 2012 from the University of Dayton with a degree in journalism. Prior to joining Forbes, she covered New York City and state politics for the New York Post and City and State magazine. Follow her for updates and analysis on the 2024 presidential race, key Senate and House races and developments in Congress and at the White House.
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