USA "Is she black?" - Trump provokes with attack on Harris

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has sparked outrage with a bizarre attack on his opponent Kamala Harris.

Harris had long campaigned exclusively with her Indian ancestry and then "suddenly became black", Trump claimed during an appearance before the National Association of Black Journalists in Chicago. There, the Republican was generally aggressive, launched further attacks against Harris and also sharply attacked the black female presenters. Harris accused him of "division" and "disrespect".

Trump launched his offensive shortly before today's start of an online vote lasting several days, with which the US Democrats want to officially nominate Harris as their presidential candidate ahead of their party conference in Chicago in mid-August. She is to run against Trump in the presidential election in November.

"Is she Indian or is she black?"

"She's always been of Indian descent and has only campaigned on her Indian descent," Trump said of Harris during his appearance. "I didn't know she was black until she suddenly became black a few years ago. And now she wants to be known as black." The former US president then said, "So I don't know: is she Indian or is she black?" He respects both, Trump claimed - only to add: "I think somebody should look into it."

Harris is the first woman, the first black woman and the first American with Asian roots to take the oath as US Vice President. She was born in Oakland in the US state of California. Her father had immigrated to the USA from Jamaica to study economics. Her mother - a cancer researcher and civil rights activist - came from India.

It is bizarre that the white ex-president questioned Harris' identity as a black woman in a room full of black journalists and suggested that the Democrat did not really belong, but was pandering to black voters for political reasons. Political commentators, including from the Republican camp, complained that Trump was only alienating potential black voters in this way. An unnamed Republican MP told the news portal "Axios" that Trump's performance was "terrible".

"Insulting" and "repulsive"

The White House reacted indignantly to Trump's statements. Spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre - the first black woman to hold the post of White House spokeswoman - called the remarks "offensive" and "disgusting".

Harris herself did not go into detail about her opponent's attacks. At a campaign appearance in the state of Texas, she said that Trump had delivered "the same old show" of "division" and "disrespect" in Chicago. "The American people deserve better."

Not an isolated incident with Trump

Trump had already given space to racist conspiracy theories about the Democrat in 2020, before Harris took office. It was questioned whether she was even allowed to be vice president because her parents were not yet US citizens at birth.

Years earlier, Trump had already participated in conspiracy theories that questioned former President Barack Obama's place of birth and thus his qualification for the highest office in the land. At the time, Trump was one of the most prominent proponents of the false claim that Obama was born in Kenya. The first black president of the United States was born in the US state of Hawaii.

Trump also regularly makes racist and dehumanizing remarks - for example about migrants who enter the country illegally. He refers to them as "animals" and disparages them as criminals and lunatics.

During his appearance in Chicago - on stage with three black female journalists - Trump was asked about racist remarks of all kinds right at the start and immediately went into attack mode. The Republican launched into a tirade, complained about the "terrible" welcome, although he had come to the event with the best of intentions, and repeatedly complained about the microphones not working and the "hostile" attitude of the female questioners. The ex-president could have tried to win over an important group of voters at the meeting.

He also claimed there that Harris had not passed her law exam - which is also untrue. Harris was the first black female district attorney of San Francisco and later the first female attorney general in her home state of California.

At a campaign rally in the state of Pennsylvania, Trump later continued his attacks on Harris, calling her, among other things, the worst vice president of all time. She wanted to open the country's borders to migrants and abolish the police. Her "liberal extremism" is dangerous. "She's an extreme left-wing lunatic," he scolded.

Harris' online selection as candidate begins

Today, the US Democrats begin several days of online voting to officially nominate Harris as their presidential candidate. Delegates from all states attending the party convention in Chicago in mid-August will cast their votes via an online platform. The Democratic Party announced that the vote will run until Monday of next week. Harris is the only candidate to have qualified for this virtual election.

This means that the 59-year-old will be the frontrunner before the Democratic Party convention in Chicago from August 19 to 22. The meeting there will then have a more ceremonial character. The early nomination has to do with deadlines in the states by which the parties must have confirmed their candidates in order to be on the ballot.

In the next few days, Harris also wants to announce who she will pick as her vice-presidential candidate. As early as next week, the Democrat wants to tour particularly contested states with this person.