In a combative interaction with African American journalists in Chicago, former President Donald Trump accused Vice President Kamala Harris of “turning Black” for political gain. The incendiary comments, made during an interview at the National Association of Black Journalists conference, marked a new level of vitriol in Trump’s attacks on Harris, whom he falsely accused of shifting her racial identity from Indian to Black.
“All of a sudden, she made a turn, and she became a Black person,” Trump stated, questioning, “So I don’t know, is she Indian or is she Black?” These remarks come despite Harris’s long-standing identification as Black and her graduation from a historically Black university.
Harris swiftly condemned the attacks, labeling them as “the same old show” of “divisiveness and disrespect” from Trump. “The American people deserve better,” she said in an address to a sorority gathering in Houston, Texas. “We deserve a leader who understands that our differences do not divide us, they are an essential source of our strength.”
The former president’s comments are likely to send shockwaves through the 2024 White House race, especially as Trump, who was convicted two months ago of felony fraud related to hush money payments, struggles to find a new strategy less than 100 days before the election.
Later that Wednesday, Trump continued his verbal assault on Harris during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, a key battleground state. He accused Harris of having a “phony” rollout and criticized her for allegedly adopting a Southern accent during a rally in Atlanta, Georgia. “Everything about Kamala Harris’s rollout, it’s phony,” he told the crowd. “On the one hand you have a radical left puppet candidate who is fake fake fake, and on the other hand you have a president who will fight fight fight for America.”
The political landscape dramatically shifted on July 21 when President Joe Biden withdrew his candidacy, endorsing Harris as the Democratic nominee. This seismic change has seen Harris’s favorability ratings soar and campaign donations exceed $200 million. Trump, who had previously focused on Biden’s health in his campaign, now faces a formidable opponent in Harris, who is nearly two decades younger and has made history as the first Black, female, and South Asian-origin vice president.
As Trump and the Republicans scramble to recalibrate their strategy, they appear to be struggling to find an effective line of attack against Harris. Attempts to brand her as “Lyin’ Kamala,” “Laughin’ Kamala,” and “Crazy Kamala” have failed to gain traction, leading to increasingly inflammatory and unfounded accusations.
Over the past week, Trump has falsely accused Harris of being anti-Semitic, despite her marriage to Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, who is Jewish. He has also outrageously claimed that she supports the murder of newborn babies. Traditional political attacks have focused on Harris’s shifts on positions she took during the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, including her stance on private health insurance, gun buybacks, fracking, and Supreme Court expansion.
Despite these efforts, Harris has managed to erase Trump’s lead in multiple key battleground states, according to a new Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll. Additionally, she has gained significant endorsements, including from over 100 venture capital investors, such as LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and billionaire Mark Cuban. In an open letter, these investors described themselves as “pro-business” and “pro-American dream,” emphasizing that “strong, trustworthy institutions are a feature, not a bug” of a successful system.
As the 2024 election approaches, the clash between Trump and Harris is shaping up to be a defining battle, with each candidate’s approach and rhetoric under intense scrutiny.
