Trump falsely claims Harris chose to 'turn Black' during a heated panel with Black journalists
Trump falsely claims Harris chose to 'turn Black' during a heated panel with Black journalists
Donald Trump made a contentious appearance at a conference of Black journalists on Wednesday, where his comments during a heated Q&A session frequently centered on the race of Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump claimed that he had only recently learned that Harris, who is both Indian American and Black, was Black. He then baselessly suggested that she had only recently “turned Black” for political reasons.
“I’ve known her a long time, indirectly,” Trump said. “She always promoted her Indian heritage. I did not know she was Black until a few years ago when she suddenly decided to ‘turn Black.’”
He added, “I respect either one, but she obviously doesn’t, because she was Indian all the way, and then all of a sudden, she made a turn and … she became Black. Somebody should look into that.”
ABC News’ Rachel Scott, one of the three moderators on the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) panel, noted that Harris attended Howard University, a historically Black college. Trump did not directly respond.
The exchange followed Scott’s question about Republicans referring to Harris as a “DEI hire,” a term used to discredit people of color in the context of workplace diversity policies.
Trump eventually said he was “not sure” whether he thought Harris was a DEI hire.
Harris’ campaign called Trump’s appearance at the NABJ event an “absolute disaster.”
“This is who he is,” a campaign spokesperson said.
Harris addressed the controversy at an event for the historically Black sorority Sigma Gamma Rho in Houston.
"It was the same old show — the divisiveness and the disrespect," Harris said. "The American people deserve better."
Though Harris could not attend NABJ’s annual convention, efforts are being made to arrange a future meeting.
When NBC News sought a response from Trump’s campaign about the backlash to his comments on Harris’ race, communications director Steven Cheung replied, “Backlash from the truth? These people must be deranged.”
A source familiar with the NABJ’s conversations with Trump’s campaign suggested that initial tension arose from Trump feeling blindsided by NABJ’s partnership with PolitiFact to fact-check the exchange in real-time.
A member of NABJ’s leadership team reportedly denied knowledge of the live fact-check when confronted by Trump’s team. Trump’s campaign was assured that the NABJ would accommodate their requests regarding the format.
An NABJ spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment.
During a White House press briefing, NBC News read Trump’s comments to White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who found them “repulsive” and “insulting.”
A source close to Harris also called Trump’s comments “painful” and pointed out that Harris attended Howard University and was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, a historically Black organization.
Trump was also questioned about his previous statement that immigrants were taking “Black jobs.” He responded that “a Black job is anybody that has a job” and claimed immigrants were taking employment opportunities away from Black people.
Despite efforts to court more Black voters, recent NBC News polls showed that Trump had 12% support among Black voters, the same percentage he had won in 2020.
The NABJ event had sparked internal controversy about whether Trump should have been invited, given his past inflammatory remarks about Black individuals. NABJ co-chair Karen Attiah resigned in reaction to Trump’s invitation, while Tia Mitchell, the event’s co-chair, defended the decision to invite Trump.
Several attendees, including Malik Mitchell and Amya Henry, expressed skepticism and concern about Trump’s presence at the event.
Trump’s comments and behavior, including his dismissal of Scott’s questions as “nasty,” continued to stoke controversy. He defended his record with Black voters and downplayed the significance of his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance.
Vance, in turn, praised Trump for engaging with a hostile audience and criticized Harris as a “chameleon” who changes her stance based on her audience.
Trump was also asked about his comments supporting immunity for police officers. He clarified that he did not support blanket immunity and referred to a specific case in Illinois where a Black woman was shot by police, stating that the situation “did not look good.”
Trump’s appearance at the NABJ event highlighted ongoing tensions and debates about race and politics in the lead-up to the November election.
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