CHICAGO — Donald Trump made a combative appearance at a conference of black journalists on Wednesday during a heated question-and-answer session that at times focused squarely on Vice President Kamala Harris’ race.
Trump said he did not know until a few years ago that Harris, who is Indian-American and black, was black. He then baselessly suggested that she had only recently decided to “turn black” for political gain.
“I’ve known her for a long time, indirectly,” Trump said. “And she was always of indigenous origin and was just promoting indigenous heritage. I didn’t know she was black until a few years ago when she became black and now wants to be known as black.”
“I respect any of them,” he added, “but she obviously doesn’t, because she was Indian all along and then suddenly she turned a corner and…she became black. … Someone should look into this too.”
“Is she Indian or black?” he asked.
ABC News’ Rachel Scott, one of three panel moderators from the National Association of Black Journalists, emphasized that Harris, the de facto Democratic presidential candidate, attended Howard University, a historically black college. Trump did not respond directly to the comment.
The exchange came after Scott’s question about a growing number of Republicans saying Harris is a “DEI contractor,” a term that refers to workplace policies that promote “diversity, equity and inclusion.” It has been increasingly used by some on the right to discredit people of color with opposing political views.
Trump ultimately said he was “not sure” whether he thought Harris was a DEI contractor.
Harris’ campaign responded to Trump’s showing at the NABJ event by calling it an “absolute disaster.”
“He’s like that,” said a campaign spokesperson.
Harris was unable to attend the group’s annual convention, but the two sides are working to reunite in the future.
When NBC News reached out to the Trump campaign for a response to the almost immediate backlash he faced for his comments about Harris’ race, communications director Steven Cheung responded: “Truth backlash?”
“These people must be disturbed,” he said.
During the White House press conference, which was taking place at the same time, NBC News read Trump’s comments to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and asked her to respond.
“As a person of color – as a black woman who is in this position who is before you at this podium, behind this pulpit – what he just said, what you just read to me is repulsive. It’s an insult. And you know, no one has the right to tell someone who they are, how they identify. This is not right for anyone,” she said.
A source close to Harris also said Trump’s comments were “hurtful.”
“It’s simply a lie and easily refuted,” this person added. “She went to Howard, for God’s sake! She is an AKA.
While a student at Howard, Harris was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, which is a historically black organization.
Trump was also asked to clarify his comments during the June presidential debate, when he said immigrants were coming to the United States and taking “black jobs.”
“A black job is anyone who has a job,” he said. “That’s what it is. Whoever did this is taking away black people’s jobs. They’re coming in, and they’re coming in, they’re invading.”
There was a concerted effort put forward by the Trump campaign in early 2024 to say they would try hard to win over more black voters. The 12% he won in 2020 was the highest percentage achieved by a Republican presidential candidate in modern times, and the goal was to try to get around 20%. A recent NBC News poll showed Trump with 12% of black voters, a number that came before President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and was almost certainly replaced by Harris at the top of the Democratic ticket.
In the days leading up to the NABJ event, there was a whirlwind of controversy within the organization over whether Trump should have been invited to speak. In the past, Trump has referred to a black prosecutor as an “animal,” told black Democratic members of Congress to “go back” to where they came from, and referred to black female journalists as “stupid,” “losers,” and “unpleasant”. — comments that in 2019 attracted conviction from NABJ.
Several members of the group expressed their opposition to his invitation on social media, and NABJ co-president Karen Attiah resigned in apparent reaction to Trump’s invitation.
“While my decision was influenced by a variety of factors, I was not involved or consulted in any way with the decision to platform Trump in this format,” said Attiah, the Washington Post columnist. wrote on social media.
Tia Mitchell, Washington correspondent for the Atlanta Journal Constitution and co-chair of the event, defended Trump’s invitation on social media.
“Some of you need to take a step back and ask why you are questioning why a group of JOURNALISTS wants to ask questions of former and possibly future President Trump,” she said.
Malik Mitchell, a high school sports reporter for North Metro TV in Minnesota who attended, said he was hearing from family members about the controversy.
“Arriving at the hotel this morning, my family was sending me articles about Trump being here and already reacting,” he said. “I knew it would probably be a big mess.”
He said the event is about “Black excellence” and he doesn’t think Trump “fits into that bubble.”
“It’s like someone disrespected you on the street and suddenly you invited them to dinner,” he said. “That’s how I see it.”
Amya Henry, a recent Howard University graduate who also participated, said she wanted to “see for herself” what Trump’s comments would be.
“I think it went well,” Henry said. “At first I was a little skeptical… but you know, it was an interesting time.”
Trump did little to ease the pressure as the question-and-answer session began, responding to Scott’s question about why black voters should trust him by calling the delivery of the question “distasteful.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever been asked a question in such a horrible way,” Trump said.
He also said he was invited under “false pretenses” because his Democratic opponent was also not present, and he attacked Scott and ABC News several times during the event. Trump’s feud with ABC News has been growing in recent weeks because he is unhappy that the network is scheduled to host the next presidential debate.
Trump sparred directly with Scott throughout most of the event and at one point appeared to reach out and grab his water bottle to close the cap.
After the initial back and forth with Scott, Trump began to defend his record with black voters.
“I think it was a very unpleasant question,” Trump said. “I was the best president for the black population since Abraham Lincoln.”
Scott asked whether former President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965, but Trump did not respond directly.
Trump was also asked about his running mate, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, who has had a rocky launch after renewed scrutiny over his past comments about “hot women without kids,” a term Vance has used to question people’s ability to lead. , mainly women. who choose not to have children.
Trump said moderators would have to “ask” Vance directly, but shared his interpretation of the comments that have defined Vance since he became Trump’s running mate.
“What he’s saying is that the family experience is an important thing, a very good thing,” Trump said.
At the same time, he downplayed Vance’s political importance.
“Historically, the vice president in terms of the election has no impact whatsoever,” Trump said. “You have 2 to 3 days where there’s a lot of commotion… and then it’s over and it’s about the presidential choice.”
Trump was also asked about comments he made during a rally in Wisconsin in May about giving police “immunity from prosecution.”
Semafor journalist Kadia Goba questioned Trump on the matter in relation to a recent incident in Illinois where Sonya Massey, a black woman, was shot and killed by police after calling 911. The officer, Sean Grayson, declared himself innocent to charges of first-degree murder, aggravated assault with a firearm and official misconduct.
Trump appeared to backtrack and say that police should not get full immunity and that the Chicago shooting “didn’t look good to me.”
“There’s a big difference between being a bad person and making an innocent mistake,” Trump said. “But if someone made an innocent mistake, I would want to help that person.”
He went on to say that there should be immunity for police officers when the situation is “near and very dangerous.”
Matt Dixon reported from Tallahassee, Florida; Yamiche Alcindor and Michelle Garcia reported from Chicago.
This story originally appeared on NBCNews.com read the full story
