Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Trump-Backed Tax-Cut and Spending Bill Passes US Senate

3 hours ago

Israeli Officials to Hold Ceasefire Talks in Washington Amid Military Escalation in Gaza

5 hours ago

Trump Escalates Feud With Musk, Threatens Tesla, SpaceX Support

5 hours ago

Musk Vows to Punish Lawmakers Who Back Trump’s Spending Bill

21 hours ago

Fresno Man Sentenced to Nearly 6 Years for $4.2 Million Tech Startup Fraud

21 hours ago

Suspect Identified in Ambush Shooting That Killed 2 Idaho Firefighters

23 hours ago

Will Valadao Spoil Trump’s Plan for July 4th ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Signing?

24 hours ago

Shaver Lake and Reedley 4th of July Shows Are Wednesday. Who Else Is Celebrating?

1 day ago
Donald Trump Falsely Questions Kamala Harris' Race as He Appears at Gathering of Black Journalists
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 11 months ago on
July 31, 2024

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump walks on stage at the National Association of Black Journalists, NABJ, convention, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Chicago. (AP/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Share

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

CHICAGO — Donald Trump falsely suggested Kamala Harris had misled voters about her race as the former president appeared before the National Association of Black Journalists in Chicago Wednesday in an interview that quickly turned hostile.

Trump Makes False Claims on Harris

The Republican former president 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.

Harris is the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, both immigrants to the U.S. 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 to strengthen voting rights and reform policing.

Trump has leveled a wide range of criticism at Harris since she replaced President Joe Biden atop the likely Democratic ticket last week. Throughout his political career, the former president has repeatedly questioned the backgrounds of opponents who are racial minorities.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked during her briefing with reporters on Wednesday about Trump’s remarks and responded with disbelief, initially murmuring, “Wow.”

Jean-Pierre Called Trump’s Comment ‘Repulsive’

Jean-Pierre, who is Black, called what Trump said “repulsive” and said, “It’s insulting and no one has any right to tell someone who they are how they identify.”

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. “Birtherism,” as it became known, was just the start of Trump’s history of questioning the credentials and qualifications of Black politicians.

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 Wednesday at the annual gathering of Black journalists 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 who have pursued cases against him 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 Continues Attack

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 with the Biden campaign.

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,” drawing groans from the room.

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.

Scott asked Trump about his pledge to pardon people convicted for their roles in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol and specifically whether he would pardon those who assaulted police officers.

Trump said, “Oh, absolutely I would,” and said, “If they’re innocent, I would pardon them.”

Scott pointed out they have been convicted and therefore are not innocent.

“Well, they were convicted by a very, very tough system,” he said.

He then falsely claimed that people were not arrested in the unrest in Minneapolis and other cities following the death of George Floyd by Minneapolis police in 2020.

Trump Sought to Compare Insurrection to Pro-Gaza Protests

Trump also sought to compare the 2021 insurrection at the Capitol to pro-Gaza protests near the same building last week, in which there were skirmishes with police and many demonstrators were arrested for publicly defacing property with anti-Semitic tropes and propaganda. There were no reported injuries of police or protesters at the recent demonstrations, unlike the Capitol riot, where a mob of Trump’s angry supporters assaulted more than 140 police officers.

As Trump made the comparison, a man in the back of the room shouted out: “Sir, have you no shame?”

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.

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.

Harris Campaign Said Trump Would Lie

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.

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?”

Trump later Wednesday is scheduled to hold a campaign rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania at 6 p.m. EDT.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Clovis Police Seek Public’s Help in Finding Missing 82-Year-Old Woman

DON'T MISS

Fresno Woman Killed in Head-On Collision, CHP Investigating

DON'T MISS

Musk Vows to Punish Lawmakers Who Back Trump’s Spending Bill

DON'T MISS

Fresno Man Sentenced to Nearly 6 Years for $4.2 Million Tech Startup Fraud

DON'T MISS

Bryan Kohberger Pleads Guilty in Murders of Four Idaho Students, ABC News Reports

DON'T MISS

Wildfire Near Lake Madera Country Estates Burns 12 Acres, Now 100% Contained

DON'T MISS

Fresno County CHP Arrest Two in Interstate 5 Drug, Gun, and Counterfeit Money Bust

DON'T MISS

California Seizes Over 600,000 Pounds of Illegal Fireworks. Newsom Calls for Safe Celebrations

DON'T MISS

Where Trade Talks Stand With Major US Partners Ahead of Tariffs-Hike Deadline

DON'T MISS

Labor Icon Huerta Breaks Ground on Fresno Park Bearing Her Name

UP NEXT

Fresno Woman Killed in Head-On Collision, CHP Investigating

UP NEXT

Musk Vows to Punish Lawmakers Who Back Trump’s Spending Bill

UP NEXT

Fresno Man Sentenced to Nearly 6 Years for $4.2 Million Tech Startup Fraud

UP NEXT

Bryan Kohberger Pleads Guilty in Murders of Four Idaho Students, ABC News Reports

UP NEXT

Wildfire Near Lake Madera Country Estates Burns 12 Acres, Now 100% Contained

UP NEXT

Fresno County CHP Arrest Two in Interstate 5 Drug, Gun, and Counterfeit Money Bust

UP NEXT

California Seizes Over 600,000 Pounds of Illegal Fireworks. Newsom Calls for Safe Celebrations

UP NEXT

Where Trade Talks Stand With Major US Partners Ahead of Tariffs-Hike Deadline

UP NEXT

Labor Icon Huerta Breaks Ground on Fresno Park Bearing Her Name

UP NEXT

DOJ Announces Arrest, Indictments in North Korean IT Worker Scheme

US Senate Strikes AI Regulation Ban From Trump Megabill

1 hour ago

Fresno Police, CHP Crack Down on Impaired Driving for July 4th

1 hour ago

Despite Last-Minute Changes, Senate Bill Deals Big Blow to Renewable Energy

2 hours ago

Zohran Mamdani Officially Wins Democratic Primary for New York City Mayor

2 hours ago

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Amaury Fernandez

3 hours ago

CA Rolls Back Its Landmark Environmental Law to Speed Housing Construction

3 hours ago

Visalia Police Investigate Deadly Shooting Near Bethlehem Center

3 hours ago

Trump-Backed Tax-Cut and Spending Bill Passes US Senate

3 hours ago

Homeland Security Secretary Noem Says CNN May Be Prosecuted Over Report on Migration App

4 hours ago

Musk Promises a New Political Party if the GOP Bill Passes

4 hours ago

Sex Abuse Scandal Forces Fresno’s Catholic Diocese to Declare Bankruptcy

The Catholic Diocese of Fresno filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Tuesday, according to a news release from the religious organization. The fil...

15 minutes ago

15 minutes ago

Sex Abuse Scandal Forces Fresno’s Catholic Diocese to Declare Bankruptcy

50 minutes ago

California Republicans Send Message to Trump: Deport Criminals, Not Our Vital Workers

Fresno police arrested a suspect on suspicion of DUI Tuesday, July 1, 2025, morning after they showed up intoxicated to work, caused a disturbance, and struck another vehicle before arriving. (GV Wire/Anthony W. Haddad)
53 minutes ago

Fresno Police Arrest Intoxicated Employee Following Morning Disturbance

The U.S Capitol and an office are reflected in a window inside the Hart Senate Office Building as Republican lawmakers struggle to pass U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping spending and tax bill, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 1, 2025. (Reuters/Nathan Howard)
1 hour ago

US Senate Strikes AI Regulation Ban From Trump Megabill

1 hour ago

Fresno Police, CHP Crack Down on Impaired Driving for July 4th

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks during a press conference after the Senate passes U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping spending and tax bill, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 1, 2025. (Reuters/Annabelle Gordon)
2 hours ago

Despite Last-Minute Changes, Senate Bill Deals Big Blow to Renewable Energy

Zohran Mamdani addresses supporters on primary night, in New York, June 24, 2025. Mamdani, the democratic socialist whose blend of populist ideas and personal magnetism catapulted his upstart candidacy, has won the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City, according to The Associated Press. (Shuran Huang/The New York Times)
2 hours ago

Zohran Mamdani Officially Wins Democratic Primary for New York City Mayor

Amaury Fernandez is Valley Crime Stoppers' Most Wanted Person of the Day for July 1, 2025. (Valley Crimes Stoppers)
3 hours ago

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Amaury Fernandez

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend