Trump’s Insults Persist as He Questions Harris’ Heritage Ahead of 2024 Election
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As the 2024 U.S. presidential election approaches, the contest between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris is heating up, with Trump’s style of insults remaining unchanged. From mocking Joe Biden’s age to now questioning Harris’ heritage, the former president continues his contentious rhetoric. Recently, Trump mocked the vice president, claiming she “happened to turn Black” in recent years.
During a live sit-down at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Convention, Trump faced uncomfortable questions about his condescending remarks about the Black community. ABC News correspondent Rachel Scott pressed him to respond to comments from other Republicans that Harris is where she is only because of her race and gender, according to The Hill.
The 78-year-old Trump responded, “I’ve known her [Harris] a long time indirectly. Not directly very much. She was always of Indian heritage. And she was only promoting Indian heritage. I didn’t know she was Black until several years ago when she happened to turn Black. And now she wants to be known as Black. So I don’t know, is she Indian, or is she Black?”
Scott interjected, “She has always identified as a Black woman.” But Trump insisted, “But you know what, I respect either one. But she obviously doesn’t. Because she was Indian all the way then all of a sudden she made a turn. And she became a Black person. And I think somebody should look into that,” complaining about Scott’s “hostile” and “nasty” tone while asking the questions, as per PEOPLE.
Kamala Harris, the first Black and Asian-American vice president of the U.S., has a mixed heritage of Indian-Jamaican parents. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, and her father, Donald J. Harris, came to the States to pursue their dreams and studied at the University of California, Berkeley, according to PEOPLE. Although born and brought up in different parts of the world, their shared passion for civil rights brought them together.
According to The New York Times, the couple first met in 1962 at a study group for Black students and connected over their mutual interest in civil rights. They married in 1963 and welcomed their first child, Kamala, in 1964, followed by another daughter, Maya, in 1967.
In response to Trump’s questions about her identity, Harris brushed off his statement during a Houston rally. “Donald Trump spoke at the annual meeting of the National Association of Black Journalists. And it was the same old show: the divisiveness and the disrespect. And let me just say, the American people deserve better,” she said.
“The American people deserve a leader who tells the truth. A leader who does not respond with hostility and anger when confronted with the facts. We deserve a leader who understands that our differences do not divide us – they are an essential source of our strength,” she concluded.
