Trump falsely accuses Harris of deciding to ‘turn Black’ during a combative panel with Black journalists

CHICAGO — Donald Trump made a combative look Wednesday at a convention of Black journalists throughout a heated question-and-answer session that at instances centered squarely on the race of Vice President Kamala Harris.

Trump claimed that he didn’t know till a couple of years in the past that Harris, who’s Indian American and Black, was Black. He then baselessly steered that she had determined to “flip Black” solely just lately for political achieve.

“I’ve recognized her a very long time, not directly,” Trump stated. “And he or she was at all times of Indian heritage, and she or he was solely selling Indian heritage. I didn’t know she was Black till a variety of years in the past when she occurred to show Black, and now she desires to be often known as Black.”

“I respect both one,” he added, “however she clearly doesn’t, as a result of she was Indian all the best way, after which swiftly, she made a flip and … she turned Black. … Someone ought to look into that, too.”

“Is she Indian or is she Black?” he requested.

ABC Information’ Rachel Scott, one of many three moderators on the Nationwide Affiliation of Black Journalists panel, identified that Harris, the de-facto Democratic nominee for president, attended Howard College, a traditionally Black school. Trump didn’t immediately reply.

The trade got here after Scott requested about an growing variety of Republicans saying that Harris is a “DEI rent,” a time period referring to office insurance policies selling “variety, fairness and inclusion.” It’s getting used an increasing number of by some on the correct to discredit folks of shade with opposing political opinions.

Trump lastly stated he was “unsure” whether or not he thought Harris was a DEI rent. 

Harris’ marketing campaign referred to as Trump’s exhibiting on the NABJ occasion an “absolute catastrophe.”

“That is who he’s,” a marketing campaign spokesperson stated.

Harris herself addressed the controversy Wednesday night time in Houston, at an occasion for the traditionally Black sorority Sigma Gamma Rho.

“It was the identical outdated present — the divisiveness and the disrespect,” Harris stated. “And let me simply say the American folks deserve higher. The American folks deserve higher.”

Harris was unable to attend the group’s annual conference, however the two sides are engaged on a time sooner or later to fulfill.

When NBC Information reached out to the Trump marketing campaign for a response to the just about fast backlash to his feedback about Harris’ race, communications director Steven Cheung replied, “Backlash from the reality?”

“These folks have to be deranged,” he stated.

A supply aware of conversations between NABJ management and the Trump marketing campaign informed NBC Information that a part of the preliminary pressure needed to do with the concept he felt blindsided by NABJ’s partnership with PolitiFact to fact-check the trade in actual time. 

Trump’s staff came upon after opening remarks by an ABC journalist that referenced the very fact verify have been leaked, the supply stated.

A member of NABJ’s management staff informed the marketing campaign, “I do not know something about that’’ when confronted by Trump’s staff concerning the stay truth verify, the supply stated.

Trump’s marketing campaign was assured that the NABJ would accommodate any requests it had, which included format, in keeping with the supply.

An NABJ spokesperson didn’t reply to a request looking for remark.

In the course of the White Home press briefing on Wednesday, which was occurring similtaneously the NABJ occasion, NBC Information learn Trump’s feedback to White Home Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and requested her to reply.

“As an individual of shade — as a Black lady who’s on this place that’s standing earlier than you at this podium, behind this lectern — what he simply stated, what you simply learn out to me is repulsive. It’s insulting. And , nobody has any proper to inform somebody who they’re, how they establish. That’s nobody’s proper,” she stated.

A supply near Harris additionally stated Trump’s feedback have been “painful.”

“It’s merely a lie and simply disproved,” this particular person added. “She went to Howard for Christ sake! She’s an AKA.”

Whereas a pupil at Howard, Harris was a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, a traditionally Black group.

Trump was additionally requested to make clear his feedback in the course of the June presidential debate, when he stated immigrants have been coming to america and taking “Black jobs.”

“A Black job is anyone that has a job,” he stated. “That’s what it’s. Anyone that has — they’re taking the employment away from Black folks. They’re coming in, and so they’re coming in, they’re invading.”

There was a concerted effort put ahead by Trump’s marketing campaign in early 2024 to say it was going to push exhausting to win over extra Black voters. The 12% he gained in 2020 was the best proportion earned by a Republican candidate for president in fashionable instances, and the marketing campaign was aiming to get round 20% in November. Latest NBC Information polling had Trump at 12% with Black voters, in a survey that was taken earlier than President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and Harris changed him because the presumptive Democratic nominee.

Within the days main as much as the NABJ occasion, there was a whirlwind of controversy from inside the group about whether or not Trump ought to have even been invited. Trump up to now has referred to a Black prosecutor as an “animal,” informed Black Democratic members of Congress to “return” to the place they got here from and referred to Black feminine journalists as “silly,” “loser” and “nasty” — feedback that in 2019 drew condemnation from NABJ.

A number of of the group’s members expressed their opposition to his invitation on social media, and NABJ co-chair Karen Attiah stepped down in obvious response to the Trump invite.

“Whereas my determination was influenced by quite a lot of elements, I used to be not concerned or consulted with in any method with the choice to platform Trump in such a format,” Attiah, a Washington Submit columnist, wrote on social media.

Tia Mitchell, the Washington correspondent for The Atlanta Journal-Structure and the occasion’s co-chair, defended the Trump invite on social media.

“A few of yall must take a step again and ask why you’re questioning why a gaggle of JOURNALISTS desires to ask former and probably future President Trump questions,” she stated.

Malik Mitchell, a highschool sports activities reporter for North Metro TV in Minnesota who attended the conference, stated that he was listening to from family concerning the controversy.

“Coming into the resort this morning, my household was sending me articles about Trump being right here and already reacting,” he stated. “I knew it was in all probability going to be a giant fuss.”

He stated the occasion is about “Black excellence” and doesn’t assume Trump “matches in that bubble.”

“It’s like if there’s somebody who has disrespected you on the road, and swiftly you’re inviting them for dinner,” he stated. “That’s how I see it.”

Amya Henry, a latest graduate of Howard College who additionally attended, stated she wished to “see for herself” what Trump’s feedback can be.

“I believe it went effectively,” Henry stated. “At first I used to be a little bit skeptical … however , it was simply an attention-grabbing time.”  

Trump did little to show down the warmth because the question-and-answer session started, responding to Scott’s query about why Black voters ought to belief him by calling the supply of the query “nasty.”

“I don’t assume I’ve ever been requested a query in such a horrible method,” Trump stated. 

He additionally stated that he was invited underneath “false pretenses” as a result of his Democratic opponent was not additionally in attendance and took a number of swipes at Scott and ABC Information all through the occasion. Trump’s feud with ABC Information has been constructing in latest weeks as a result of he’s sad the community is scheduled to host the following presidential debate.

Trump immediately sparred with Scott for many of the occasion, and at one level appeared to succeed in over and seize her water bottle to tighten the cap.

After the preliminary back-and-forth with Scott, Trump went on to defend his document with Black voters.

“I believe it was a really nasty query,” Trump stated. “I’ve been the most effective president for the Black inhabitants since Abraham Lincoln.”

Scott adopted up by asking about President Lyndon Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965, however Trump didn’t immediately reply. 

Trump was additionally requested about his working mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, who has had a rocky rollout after new scrutiny on previous feedback about “childless cat girls,” a time period Vance used to query the management skill of individuals, largely girls, who select to not have kids.

Trump stated that the moderators must “ask” Vance immediately however shared his interpretation of the feedback which have come to outline Vance since he has turn into Trump’s working mate.

“What he’s saying is that the household expertise is a vital factor, an excellent factor,” Trump stated.

In the identical breath, he downplayed Vance’s political significance.

“Traditionally, the vp by way of the election doesn’t have any impression,” Trump stated. “You’ve gotten 2-3 days the place there’s a variety of commotion … after which that dies down and it’s concerning the presidential decide.”

Vance, for his half, informed reporters Wednesday night on the tarmac on the Phoenix airport that Trump’s look at NABJ confirmed “one of many good issues about him, the president doesn’t do scripted BS stuff.”

“He truly goes into hostile audiences,” Vance continued. “He solutions robust questions. He pushes again in opposition to him, however he truly solutions them and the way good it’s to have an American chief who’s not afraid to enter hostile locations and really reply some robust questions.”

Vance went on to criticize Harris as a “chameleon,” saying she’s “flip-flopped on each problem.”

“I believe he identified the basic chameleon like nature of Kamala Harris,” Vance continued. “I imply, you guys noticed yesterday she was in Georgia, and she or he placed on a southern accent for a Georgia viewers.”

Requested if Vance questions whether or not Harris is Black, he responded, “What I query is why she presents a unique posture, regardless, relying on which viewers that she’s in entrance of, she’ll say one factor to at least one viewers to say one other factor to a different viewers to say one thing completely completely different to a different viewers.”

Trump was additionally requested about feedback he made throughout a Wisconsin rally in Might about giving police “immunity from prosecution.”

Kadia Goba, a journalist from Semafor, questioned Trump concerning the problem in relation to a latest case in Illinois, the place Sonya Massey, a Black lady, was shot and killed by police after she referred to as 911. The officer, Sean Grayson, has pleaded not responsible to costs of first-degree homicide, aggravated battery with a firearm, and official misconduct.

Trump appeared to backtrack and say that police shouldn’t get blanket immunity, and that the Chicago capturing did “not look good to me.”

“There’s a massive distinction between being a foul particular person and making an harmless mistake,” Trump stated. “But when somebody made an harmless mistake, I’d wish to assist that particular person.”

He went on to say there ought to be immunity for cops when it’s a “shut name and really harmful.” 

Matt Dixon reported from Tallahassee, Fla.; Yamiche Alcindor and Michelle Garcia reported from Chicago.