- Donald Trump racially attacks Kamala Harris during a performance
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has sharply criticized his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris, attacking her heritage and skin color. Harris, who had long emphasized her Indian heritage, suddenly became black, Trump claimed during an appearance before the National Association of Black Journalists in Chicago. Throughout the event, the Republican was aggressive and engaged in a heated exchange with the moderators.
"She was always of Indian descent and only emphasized her Indian heritage," Trump said of Harris. "I didn't know she was black until she suddenly became black a few years ago. And now she wants to be known as black." The former U.S. president added, "I don't know: Is she Indian or is she black?" He claimed to respect both, but Harris herself apparently does not, given her "flip-flop." "I think someone should look into that."
Harris is the first woman, the first black person, and the first person of Asian descent to assume the office of U.S. Vice President. Born in Oakland, California, her father immigrated from Jamaica to study economics, and her mother, a cancer researcher and civil rights activist, came from India. Harris aims to challenge Trump in the presidential election in November.
White House condemns Donald Trump's comments as "offensive" and "repugnant"
The White House strongly condemned Trump's remarks. Spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre called the comments "offensive" and "repugnant." Jean-Pierre, the first black woman to hold the White House press secretary position, emphasized, "No one has the right to tell someone who they are or how they identify."
Trump had previously spread racist conspiracy theories about Harris before her inauguration, questioning whether she was even eligible to become vice president due to her parents' citizenship status at her birth.
Years earlier, Trump had also promoted conspiracy theories questioning former President Barack Obama's birthplace and thus his eligibility for the highest office. Trump was a prominent figure in the "birther" movement, which claimed Obama was born in Kenya. Obama, the first black president of the United States, was born in the state of Hawaii.
"Despite his previous claims questioning Kamala Harris' eligibility due to her parents' heritage, Donald Trump once again stirred controversy by suggesting that Harris only recently identified as black," Jean-Pierre pointed out. "The former president's comments, impliedly questioning Harris' heritage and identity, are a continuation of his divisive and offensive rhetoric."
