As the November presidential election approaches Republican party candidate Donald Trump took a few swings at the presumptive Democratic candidate Kamala Harris at the National Association of Black Journalists conference Wednesday.
Former President Trump spoke at the NABJ in Chicago and sparred with multiple journalists who interviewed him during stage Q&A. Trump spoke about Vice President Harris' race, making controversial comments about her identifying as Black and Indian.
“She was always of Indian heritage, and she was only promoting Indian heritage,“ he said. “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.”
Harris swung back at a Black sorority event in Houston, Texas.
“It’s the same old show,” she said. “The division and the disrespect. And let me just say the American people deserve better.”
As both aim to win the presidency, political analyst Larry Gerson said it’s also about strategy.
John Burris, a civil rights attorney who’s known Harris since 1989, said it can further add a divide.
“It really was trying to drive a wedge between the African American community and her… on the grounds of thinking, ‘Well she really isn’t black. Why should you give your support to her? ‘,” he said.
John Dennis, the chairman of the San Francisco GOP, said the nation has not heard the last about Harris’ race.
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“People who are concerned about such things are going to vote whatever way they connect with her,” Dennis said. “So I don’t think it has a big impact either way.”
