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“Donald Trump’s appearance [last] Wednesday at the National Association of Black Journalists’ annual convention in Chicago almost immediately went off the rails, as the Republican presidential nominee cast doubt on his rival’s ethnicity and clashed with members of the panel…
“‘She was always of Indian heritage and she was only promoting Indian heritage,’ Trump [stated]. ‘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?’ he said. ‘She was Indian all the way, and all of a sudden, she made a turn and she became a Black person.’” CNBC
The left is critical of Trump’s comments, arguing that he ignores the complexity of racial identity.
“As ABC News’ Rachel Scott pointed out to Trump, Harris ‘has always identified as a Black woman. She went to a historically Black college.’ (Harris graduated from Howard University, where she was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, a historically African American sorority.) But in Trump’s worldview, you’re either Indian or you’re Black. You cannot be both…
“At his rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, that same day, his campaign displayed a graphic quoting Harris as having referred to herself as the ‘first Indian-American senator.’ Which, of course, she was… Trump fails to grasp what census takers recognized more than two decades ago and what Walt Whitman wrote two centuries ago: We contain multitudes. Harris is Indian. Harris is Black. This isn’t a contradiction.”
Sarah E. Gaither and Samuel R. Sommers, MSNBC
“His comments seemed designed to convince African Americans that Ms. Harris is not authentically Black, and, therefore, African Americans should not vote for her. This move also suggests to Indian Americans that Ms. Harris has abandoned her Asian identity, and so they should not support her either…
“The idea that only one racial group can succeed at a time and that such progress must come at the expense of other minorities is not new… [But] History reminds us that ethnic minorities always lose when we battle one another for the scraps from America’s bounty, instead of contending for more opportunity for everyone. The goal is not to secure a place in the racial hierarchy but to dismantle it.”
Esau McCaulley, New York Times
“It was evident Wednesday that giving Trump a platform isn’t the same as giving him an advantage. ‘People should see this! A grumpy, cruel, hard-of-hearing, race-baiting, asshole having to actually answer for his track record in an environment outside of his comfort zone,’ the ‘never-Trump’ Republican strategist Tim Miller posted on X…
“With Trump out of the White House and off Twitter (now known as X), Americans could be forgiven for not remembering just how much they disliked Trump and how much he remains the same man who ran for office in 2016 and 2020. The campaign is in full swing and the spotlight is back on Trump, and this much is clear: Give Trump the opportunity to show the public who he is, and he’ll gladly do it.”
Christian Paz, Vox
The right is generally critical of Trump’s comments, arguing that he should focus on the issues.
The right is generally critical of Trump’s comments, arguing that he should focus on the issues.
“I know there are some in the African-American community who wonder whether Harris is as authentically black as they are. But when Donald Trump makes that argument, he comes across just as tone-deaf, racially obsessed, and presumptuous as Joe Biden declaring, ‘If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black.’ (Biden apologized; Trump probably never will.)…
“We can argue whether ‘authentically black’ is a real concept or not, or whether it’s just politically correct stereotyping that shoehorns African Americans into believing, saying, and doing particular things. But if there is such a thing as ‘authentically black,’ old white guys don’t get to define it.”
Jim Geraghty, National Review
“The discourse over Harris’s ethnic background does nothing to improve Trump’s electoral prospects. This sort of racially charged rhetoric could threaten the surge in support the former president has enjoyed from black voters. In addition, Trump could also lose support among moderates and suburbanites, demographics that are typically highly adverse to being branded a ‘racist.’…
“Moreover, the more Trump focuses on Harris’s race, the less she has to defend her record or explain her policy positions. Harris has a long history of pushing far-left, electorally toxic policies. I am sure that she is thrilled the media is more busy debating whether she’s ‘actually black’ than investigating her failure as Biden’s border czar.”
Corey Walker, Washington Examiner
“Mr. Trump has a good case that his economic policies helped black voters in his first term, especially compared to the Biden-Harris inflation that has cut real wages. Mr. Trump also cited his support for historically black colleges and universities, as well as low inflation, robust economic growth, and border controls as reasons to support him…
“[Host Rachel] Scott said the NABJ is working to schedule an event with Kamala Harris in September. Ms. Harris originally declined the association’s invitation to appear in person, and she’s doing almost no interviews these days where she might get a hard question…
“Give the NABJ credit for standing by its invitation to both candidates, and Mr. Trump for facing a hostile crowd.”
Editorial Board, Wall Street Journal
