Trump sparked a furor when he questioned Harris’s Black identity. Harris is both Black and of Indian descent.
“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,” Trump said during the National Association of Black Journalists’ convention, speaking about Harris. “So I don’t know, is she Indian or is she Black?”
He also said Harris “could be” a “DEI hire.” DEI stands for diversity, equity and inclusion, and some Republicans on Capitol Hill have lobbed the phrase at Harris.
CNN host Kaitlan Collins asked Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) about Trump’s comments on her show on Wednesday night, with Cotton seeking to turn the attention back to Harris and her previous remarks.
“And he also said either — either is fine. Both is fine. He loves African Americans. He loves Indian Americans. He loves all Americans,” Cotton said.
“The point is that we don’t know where she stands politically, because she spent her entire life as a dangerous San Francisco liberal, and now in the last 10 days, she’s tried to flip flop on every single position.”
Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), Trump’s running mate, was also asked about Trump’s remarks. He told a group of reporters on his plane that they were “hysterical.”
“I think he pointed out the fundamental chameleon-like nature of Kamala Harris,” Vance said. “And you guys saw yesterday, she was in Georgia, and she put on a southern accent for a Georgia audience. She grew up in Vancouver. What the hell is going on here? She is not who she pretends to be.”
Some Republicans and Democrats were less impressed. The comments come less than 100 days ahead of the election, with Black voters playing a critical role in determining who heads to the White House. Trump’s comments have raised questions over how much his remarks might impact his standing with Black voters in November.
