THE NEW YORK TIMES: In an appearance before the National Association of Black Journalists, Donald Trump also said his choice of Senator JD Vance as vice president will not matter to voters.
Former President Donald J. Trump questioned Vice President Kamala Harris’s identity as a Black woman on Wednesday in front of an audience of Black journalists, suggesting his opponent for the presidency had adopted her racial profile as a political “turn.”
“She was Indian all the way, and then all of a sudden, she made a turn, and she went, she became a Black person,” he said of Ms. Harris, whose mother is Indian American and whose father is Black.
The former president was addressing a gathering of the National Association of Black Journalists in Chicago, where Mr. Trump repeated falsehoods about immigration, sparred with reporters over the merits of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and told the group that he was “the best president for the Black population” since Abraham Lincoln.
The event proved to be one of the most unusual appearances of the presidential campaign so far. Mr. Trump has favored friendly appearances with conservative television, radio and podcast hosts, but he had ample warning that the panel awaiting him in Chicago would be tough. Facing three Black women, he insulted the first Black woman on the top of a major-party ticket and seemed perfectly comfortable disparaging his hosts, even as he tried to appeal to Black voters as their best choice for safeguarding Black well-being. (+ video) » | Jonathan Weisman and Maya King, Jonathan Weisman and Maya King reported from Chicago | Wednesday, July 31, 2024
