Donald Trump is known for racist statements and a penchant for conspiracy theories. With an eye on his opponent, he resorted to such means again – in a memorable appearance.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has sparked outrage with a bizarre attack on his opponent Kamala Harris. Harris had long campaigned exclusively on the basis of her Indian heritage and then “suddenly became black,” Trump claimed during an appearance before the National Association of Black Journalists in Chicago. There, the Republican was generally aggressive, launched further attacks against Harris and also sharply attacked the black moderators. Harris accused him of “divisiveness” and “disrespect.”
Trump launched his offensive shortly before the start of a multi-day online vote today, with which the US Democrats hope to officially elect Harris as their presidential candidate before their party convention in Chicago in mid-August. She is expected to run against Trump in the presidential election in November.
“Is she Indian or is she black?”
“She was always of Indian descent and only advertised her Indian descent,” Trump said of Harris during his appearance. “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 US president then said: “Well, I don’t know: is she Indian or is she black?” He respects both, Trump claimed – and then added: “I think someone should look into that.”
Harris is the first woman, the first black woman and the first Asian American to be sworn in as US Vice President. She was born in Oakland, California. Her father immigrated to the US from Jamaica to study economics. Her mother – a cancer researcher and civil rights activist – came from India.
It is bizarre that the white former president questioned Harris’ identity as a black woman in a room full of black journalists and suggested that the Democrat did not really belong there but was pandering to black voters for political reasons. Political commentators, including those from the Republican camp, complained that Trump was only alienating potential black voters in this way. An unnamed Republican congressman told the news portal Axios that Trump’s performance was “terrible.”
“Insulting” and “repulsive”
The White House reacted angrily to Trump’s statements. Spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre – the first black woman to hold the White House spokesperson’s post – called the comments “insulting” and “repulsive.”
Harris herself did not go into detail about her opponent’s attacks. At a campaign event in the state of Texas, she said that Trump had delivered “the same old show” of “divisiveness” and “disrespect” in Chicago. “The American people deserve better.”
Not an isolated case for Trump
Trump had already given space to racist conspiracy theories about Harris in 2020, before she took office. They questioned whether she should even be allowed to become vice president because her parents were not yet US citizens when she was born.
Years before, Trump had already been involved in conspiracy theories that had questioned former President Barack Obama’s birthplace and thus his qualifications for the highest office in the state. At the time, Trump was one of the most prominent proponents of the false claim that Obama was born in Kenya. The first black president of the United States was born in the US state of Hawaii.
Trump also regularly makes racist and dehumanizing statements – for example, towards migrants who enter the country illegally. He calls them “animals” and denigrates them as criminals and lunatics.
At his appearance in Chicago – on stage with three black journalists – Trump was asked about racist remarks of all kinds right at the beginning and immediately went into attack mode. The Republican launched into a tirade of abuse, complained about the “terrible” welcome, although he had come to the event with the best of intentions, complained several times about the microphones not working and the “hostile” attitude of the questioners. The ex-president could have tried to win over an important group of voters at the meeting.
He also claimed that Harris had failed her law exam – which is also not true. Harris was the first black district attorney of San Francisco and later the first female attorney general in her home state of California.
At a campaign rally in the state of Pennsylvania, Trump later continued his attacks on Harris, calling her, among other things, the worst vice president of all time. She wants to open the country’s borders to migrants and abolish the police. Her “liberal extremism” is dangerous. “She is an extreme left-wing radical madwoman,” he railed.
Harris’ online selection as candidate starts
Today, the US Democrats begin their multi-day online voting to officially nominate Harris as their presidential candidate. The delegates from all states who will attend the party convention in Chicago in mid-August will cast their votes via an online platform. The Democratic Party announced that the voting will run until Monday next week. Harris is the only candidate to qualify for this virtual candidate selection.
This means that the 59-year-old will be confirmed as the front woman before the Democratic Party convention in Chicago from August 19 to 22. The meeting there will then be more of a ceremonial one. The early nomination has to do with deadlines in the states by which the parties must have confirmed their candidates in order to be on the ballot.
In the next few days, Harris also plans to announce who she will be choosing as her vice presidential candidate. The Democrat plans to tour particularly contested states with this person next week.