Trump Lies to Black Journalist Convention Crowd and Says Kamala Harris 'Happened to Turn Black' a few Years Ago
Former President Donald Trump sparked controversy once again during a panel interview at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) conference in Chicago. In a stunning display of misinformation, Trump falsely claimed that Vice President Kamala Harris, the first Black female vice president, had only recently "turned Black."
"I've known her a long time, not directly, indirectly, and she was always of Indian heritage," Trump said. "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."
The room was filled with audible gasps from the audience, many of whom were journalists who have followed Harris's career closely. Rachel Scott, an ABC News reporter, had initiated the interview by asking Trump about his history of dismissing Black people, including promoting the racist theory that President Barack Obama was not a US citizen. Scott also questioned whether Trump considered Harris a "DEI hire," a term some Republicans have used to criticize the vice president and potentially her standing as a Democratic presidential nominee.
Harris, who is the daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants, has been clear about her racial identity for years. In 2019, she told The Washington Post that she had not thought much about her racial identity before entering politics, simply identifying as "an American." However, in her autobiography, "The Truths We Hold," Harris wrote, "My mother understood very well that she was raising two black daughters. She knew that her adopted homeland would see Maya and me as black girls, and she was determined to make sure we would grow into confident, proud black women."
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre expressed her shock and disgust at Trump's comments. "What you just read out to me is repulsive," Jean-Pierre said. "It's insulting. No one has any right to tell someone who they are, how they identify."
The Harris campaign swiftly responded, highlighting the hostility Trump displayed during the interview. "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," said Michael Tyler, the Harris campaign's communications director.
Trump has repeatedly disavowed Project 2025, though many of his former administration officials were involved in crafting the conservative agenda. His latest remarks at the NABJ conference underscore a continued pattern of divisive rhetoric and misinformation, raising concerns about the impact of such statements on the national discourse.