US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump questioned whether his Democratic rival Kamala Harris is “black” during a contentious interview at the country’s largest annual gathering of black American journalists on Wednesday.
US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump questioned whether his Democratic rival Kamala Harris is “black” during a contentious interview at the country’s largest annual gathering of black journalists on Wednesday.
“Is she Indian or is she black?” Trump said of his opponent in the presidential race, drawing a smattering of jeers from an audience of about 1,000 people.
“She was Indian all the way, and all of a sudden she made a turn and became a black person.”
‘It’s insulting’
Harris, who is of Indian and Jamaican heritage, has long self-identified as both black and Asian. She is the first black and Asian American to serve as US vice president.
“What he just said is repulsive,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at a briefing in response to Trump’s remarks. “It’s insulting.”
Since launching her White House campaign earlier this month, Harris has faced a barrage of sexist and racist attacks online, with some far-right accounts questioning her racial identity. Republican Party leaders have urged lawmakers to refrain from personal attacks and focus on her policy positions.
Kamala Harris, who did not attend the National Association of Black Journalists’ annual convention in Chicago, is scheduled to speak to a Black sorority in Houston later on Wednesday. Source: AAP / John Raoux
Trump invitation received backlash
The panel interview at the National Association of Black Journalists’ annual convention in Chicago started on a tense note, when ABC News reporter Rachel Scott listed a series of racist comments Trump had made and asked why Black voters should support him.
In response, Trump called the question “horrible,” “hostile” and a “disgrace” and described ABC as a “fake” network.
“I have been the best president for the black population since Abraham Lincoln,” he boasted.
Trump’s invitation had received a backlash from some members, prompting a co-chair of the convention to step down in protest. During the interview, some of Trump’s false statements were met with murmurs and laughter from the crowd.
The Black journalists’ association, founded in 1975, regularly invites presidential candidates to address its annual gathering, but Trump was the first Republican to accept the offer since George W Bush in 2004.
