Donald Trump falsely questioned Kamala Harris’ race during an appearance before the National Association of Black Journalists in Chicago that quickly turned hostile on Wednesday.
The Republican former president and presidential candidate claimed that Harris, the first Black woman and Asian American to serve as vice president, had in the past only promoted her Indian heritage.
“I didn’t know she was Black until a number of 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?” Trump said while addressing the group’s annual convention.
As an undergraduate, Harris attended Howard University, one of the nation’s most prominent historically Black colleges and universities, where she also pledged the historically Black sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha. As a U.S. senator, Harris was a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, supporting her colleagues’ legislation aimed at strengthening voting rights and reform policing.
Trump has repeatedly attacked his opponents and critics on the basis of race. He rose to prominence in Republican politics by propagating false theories that President Barack Obama, the nation’s first Black president, was not born in the United States.
During this year’s Republican primary, he once referred to former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, the daughter of Indian immigrants, as “Nimbra.”
Trump’s appearance at the organization’s annual gathering immediately became heated, with the former president sparring with interviewer Rachel Scott of ABC News and accusing her of giving him a “very rude introduction” with a tough first question about his past criticism of Black people and Black journalists, his attack on Black prosecutors and the dinner he had at his Florida club with a white supremacist.
“I think it’s disgraceful that I came here in good spirit. I love the Black population of this country, I’ve done so much for the Black population of this country,” Trump said.
Trump continued his attacks on Scott’s network, ABC News, which he has been arguing should not host the next presidential debate, despite his earlier agreement to that.
The Republican also repeated his false claim that immigrants in the country illegally are “taking Black jobs.” When pushed by Scott on what constituted a “Black job,” Trump responded by saying was “any job.”
At one point he said, “I have been the best president for the Black population since Abraham Lincoln.”
The audience responded with a mix of boos and some applause.
The former president’s invitation to address the organization sparked an intense internal debate among NABJ that spilled online. Organizations for journalists of color typically invite presidential candidates to speak at their summer gatherings in election years.
But Trump’s acceptance of NABJ’s invitation prompted at least one high-profile member of the organization to step down as the co-chair of the convention. Others expressed concerns that Trump would be given a platform to make false claims or give the impression he had the group’s endorsement.
As he campaigns for the White House a third time, Trump has sought to appear outside his traditional strongholds of support and his campaign has touted his efforts to try to win over Black Americans, who have been Democrats’ most committed voting bloc.
His campaign has emphasized his messages on the economy and immigration as part of his appeal, but some of his outreach has played on racial stereotypes, including the suggestion that African Americans would empathize with the criminal charges he has faced and his promotion of branded sneakers.
Trump and NABJ also have a tense history over his treatment of Black women journalists. In 2018, NABJ condemned Trump for repeatedly using words such as “stupid,” “loser” and “nasty” to describe Black women journalists including Yamiche Alcindor of NBC News; Abby Phillip of CNN; and April Ryan of The Grio.
The Harris campaign said ahead of Trump’s appearance that Trump would lie about his record.
“Not only does Donald Trump have a history of demeaning NABJ members and honorees who remain pillars of the Black press, he also has a history of attacking the media and working against the vital role the press play in our democracy,” Jasmine Harris, the director of Black Media for the campaign, said in a statement.
Harris is not related to the vice president.
The vice president is not scheduled to appear at the convention, but the NABJ said in a statement posted on X that it was in conversation with her campaign to have her appear either virtually or in-person for a conversation in September.
Trump posted on his social media network that he was told he could not do the event virtually.
“She declined, and I am getting ready to land in Chicago in order to be there,” Trump wrote. “Now I am told that she is doing the Event on ZOOM. WHAT’S GOING ON HERE?”
