Trump tries to downplay false claims about Harris’ race at first debate
By Carl Samson
Former President Donald Trump attempted to make light of his past false comments on Vice President Kamala Harris’ racial identity at their first debate on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Harris firmly addressed his history of racial division, marking her first direct response to his attacks on her race during the 2024 campaign.
- The facts: Harris, the daughter of a Jamaican father and Indian mother, has consistently identified as both Black and South Asian American. Despite this, Trump falsely suggested in a July interview with the National Association of Black Journalists that Harris “turned Black” after previously promoting only her Indian heritage. Trump repeated this at the debate, claiming, “I read where she was not Black, and then I read she was Black,” even though Harris has long publicly identified both sides of her identity.
- Walking back: When pressed by the moderators, Trump said he “couldn’t care less” about Harris’ racial identity, stating, “Whatever she wants to be is OK with me.” In response, Harris confronted Trump’s history of racial rhetoric, bringing up his role in the Central Park Five case and his past discriminatory housing practices. Harris emphasized the need for unity, saying, “We don’t want this kind of approach that is just constantly trying to divide us, and especially by race,” and highlighted Trump’s long record of racial division throughout his career.
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