CHICAGO– CHICAGO (AP) — Donald Trump Kamala Harris’ race was wrongly questioned during a appearance for the National Association of Black Journalists in Chicago, which quickly responded hostilely on Wednesday.
The former Republican president alleged that Harris, the first Black woman and Asian American to serve as vice president, had only promoted her Indian heritage in the past.
“I didn’t know she was black until a few years ago, when she happened to be black and now she wants to be known as black. So I don’t know, is she Indian or is she black?” Trump said during his speech at the group’s annual convention.
As an undergraduate, Harris attended Howard University, one of the nation’s leading historically black colleges and universities, where she also joined the historically black Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. As a U.S. senator, Harris served on the Congressional Black Caucus, where she sponsored legislation from her colleagues aimed at strengthening voting rights and police reform.
Trump has repeatedly attacked his opponents and critics on the basis of race. He rose to prominence in Republican politics by spreading false theories that President Barack Obama, the nation’s first black president, was not born in the United States. During this year’s Republican primaries, he once referred to former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley, the daughter of Indian immigrants, as “Nimbra.”
Trump’s appearance at the organization’s annual meeting immediately became heated, with the former president feuding with ABC News interviewer Rachel Scott, accusing her of giving him a “very rude introduction” with an awkward first question about his past criticism of black people and black journalists.
“I think it’s a disgrace that I came here with a good feeling. I love the black people of this country, I’ve done so much for the black people of this country,” Trump said.
The former president’s invitation to address the organization sparked an intense internal debate within NABJ that was leaked online. Organizations for journalists of color typically invite presidential candidates to speak at their summer gatherings during election years.
But Trump’s acceptance of NABJ’s invitation prompted at least one prominent member of the organization to resign as co-chair of the convention. Others expressed concern that Trump would be given a platform to make false claims or appear to have the group’s backing.
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Price reported from New York. Associated Press writer Gary Fields in Chicago contributed to this report.