"I don't know if she is Indian or Black." Former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, once again raised questions about the racial identity of his 'rival,' Vice President Kamala Harris, in front of a Black audience. He claimed that Vice President Harris was using her racial characteristics as a political advantage.
While even Republican lawmakers appeared visibly embarrassed by Trump's racist remarks, Vice President Harris, attending a gathering of Black female students, dismissed the comments as "the same old show of division and disrespect," saying, "Americans deserve better."
"Is Harris Black?" Controversy Over Racist Remarks
On the 31st of last month (local time), at a discussion hosted by the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), former President Trump said about Vice President Harris, "She was always Indian and only promoted her Indian heritage. I didn’t know she was Black until a few years ago when suddenly she transformed into being Black." He added, "I respect both sides, but she clearly is not. She was always Indian and suddenly switched to Black. Someone needs to look into this issue."
As is well known, Vice President Harris’s father is from Jamaica, and her mother is from India. Born in California, she graduated from Howard University, a prestigious historically Black university in Washington, D.C., and was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, a Black women's community. According to her 2019 memoir, she was elected president of the Black Law Students Association while attending the University of California Hastings College of the Law. CNN stated, "Trump’s claim is false," pointing out that "Harris did not suddenly start identifying as Black. She embraced her Black identity long before entering politics while also respecting her South Asian heritage."
The NABJ event was seen as an opportunity for former President Trump to win over Black voters, but with the focus on his racist remarks, it remains unclear if he achieved any success. Earlier, after polls showed that Black and Latino voters?considered the Democratic base?were drifting away before President Joe Biden announced his re-election bid, Trump had shown efforts to court these voters. At the event, Trump praised himself as "the best president for Black people since Abraham Lincoln," claiming, "I love the Black people of this country. I have done a lot for them."
At the venue, there were overt jeers and sighs in response to Trump’s racist remarks. Early in the event, when ABC News reporter Rachel Scott pressed him with tough questions, Trump said, "I have never been questioned in such a terrible way," and accused her, "Are you with ABC? Fake news, terrible fake news network," lashing out. Scott’s questions referenced Trump’s past claims that former President Barack Obama was not born in the U.S. and his description of a Black prosecutor as a "beast." The originally scheduled one-hour discussion abruptly ended after only 34 minutes at the request of the Trump campaign amid a tense atmosphere.
After the event, Trump repeated his claims on his social media platform Truth Social, stating, "Kamala Harris says she is Indian, not Black. Completely fake," and accused her of "using everyone, including her racial identity." The post included a 2019 video of Harris making masala dosa, a South Indian dish, with Indian American actress Mindy Kaling. Shortly after, a screen image shown to the audience at a Pennsylvania rally displayed a past news headline reporting Harris as "the first Indian American senator."
Criticism Mounts Over "False" Trump Claims...Even Republican Lawmakers Embarrassed
Local media compared this controversy to Trump’s past promotion of the 'Birtherism' conspiracy, which questioned whether former President Obama was born in the U.S., calling it a "false claim."
Politico commented, "Trump challenged Harris but it did not go well," noting, "It showed how difficult it is to confront a woman of color competitor without resorting to misogynistic and racist remarks." The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, "Trump, who called for national unity at the Republican National Convention, signals he will continue personal attacks on rivals and hostility toward journalists." The New York Times (NYT) described the remarks as "blatantly racist and derogatory," adding, "After the event, Trump seemed to confirm the political value of the controversy he created. Attacks on racial identity are spreading among far-right groups and Trump supporters."
Karine Jean-Pierre, the first Black female White House Press Secretary in U.S. history, criticized, "What he just said was hateful and offensive," adding, "No one has the right to tell someone who they are or how they identify." Michael Tyler, communications director for the Harris campaign, also said, "Trump showed exactly who he is," calling it "just a taste of confusion and division."
Even within the Republican Party, there was clear embarrassment over Trump’s racist remarks. Senator Thom Tillis said that to win the November election, the party must avoid racist comments and "focus on economic failures, border failures, and national security to win." Senator John Barrasso also expressed concern, saying, "We should focus on Harris’s policies." Senator Kevin Cramer dismissed Trump’s remarks as "satire" but criticized raising the issue politically as "unwise."
On the other hand, Trump’s running mate, Vice Presidential candidate J.D. Vance, defended Trump on X (formerly Twitter), saying, "Trump showed courage in answering tough questions at the NABJ conference, while Harris cowardly continues to avoid all investigations and hostile media." Local media reported that NABJ had also invited Vice President Harris, but she was unable to attend due to scheduling conflicts.
Harris Faces Black Female Students, Calls Trump’s Remarks "The Same Old Show"
Coincidentally, after Trump’s discussion, Vice President Harris attended the 60th International Biennale of the 'Sigma Gamma Rho Society,' a Black female student social organization. Speaking before Black female students, Harris said, "Today we were reminded of something else," adding, "This afternoon, Trump spoke at NABJ, and it was the same old show?division and disrespect." She continued, "I want to say that Americans deserve better." She was alluding to Trump’s past false claims and racist remarks directed at former President Obama and others.
She emphasized the importance of "leaders who tell the truth, who do not respond with hostility and anger when faced with facts, and who understand that our differences do not divide us." She also urged voting, saying, "The election is 97 days away, and much is at stake for you. When we organize, mountains move; when we organize, the nation changes; when we vote, we make history."
Support declarations for Vice President Harris, who has secured the Democratic presidential nomination, are also expanding. Over 100 Silicon Valley venture capital (VC) investors, including LinkedIn co-founder and Democratic heavyweight Reid Hoffman, issued a joint statement endorsing Harris. They said, "We pursue pro-business, pro-American Dream, pro-entrepreneurship, and pro-technology progress. We believe democracy is the foundation of America," emphasizing, "At this critical moment, we have united to support Harris."
The list of signatories includes, besides Hoffman, cryptocurrency investor and former Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, Vinod Khosla, founder of Khosla Ventures who invested in OpenAI, renowned angel investor Ron Conway, and billionaire Chris Sacca. This is seen as a counter to business leaders and Silicon Valley investors, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who have declared support for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.
The United Auto Workers (UAW), the largest auto industry union in the U.S., also officially declared support for Vice President Harris. UAW President Shawn Fain said, "Our goal in this election is to defeat Trump and elect Harris," adding, "We stand at a crossroads. We can either re-elect a billionaire who opposes everything the union stands for or elect Harris, who will stand shoulder to shoulder with us in the fight against corporate greed." Vice President Harris is scheduled to meet with UAW members and hold a rally together in Michigan next week.
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