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- Vicious attack. President Donald Trump yesterday spouted a new—and not so new—line of attack against Vice President Kamala Harris. In a controversial interview at the National Association of Black Journalists annual convention, he questioned Harris's biracial identity—and seemed to accuse her of playing up one or the other side of her heritage for political gain.
Harris is Black and Indian—and, if elected, would be the first female president, first Black woman president, and first South Asian president. Trump said: “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?”
The outrageous line of attack attempts to turn one of Harris's strengths into a liability. Harris's biracial identity helped rally 44,000 Black women to gather on Zoom and raise $1.5 million in three hours. That group then inspired others including South Asian voters, white women, and even "white dudes for Harris," who have raised millions.
As the AP points out, Harris's full identity has always been part of her political career. In the Senate, she was a member of the Congressional Black Caucus. Long before that, she attended the HBCU Howard University and pledged the historically Black sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha. She's often referenced the influence her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, had on her upbringing, and during the 2020 election cycle her campaign included a stop making dosa with fellow Indian-American Mindy Kaling. Harris has spoken about her mother's understanding that the world would view her two daughters as Black women, and her determination to raise them as Black while acknowledging their Indian heritage as well.
It's hardly the first time Trump has wielded race as an insult; during Nikki Haley's campaign for the GOP nomination, he seemed to mock Haley's birth name (Nimarata Nikki Randhawa), calling her "Nimbra." But it is the first time since Harris launched her 2024 presidential campaign—and since she's enjoyed a spurt of positive media coverage and popularity online—that Trump has tried this particular tactic. Going after Harris on her biracial identity in particular is likely familiar to the 10% of the U.S. population that identifies as multiracial.
It was likely only a matter of time until racism and sexism became part of this election. The questions now are: How far have we come since Trump's 'birtherism' campaign against Barack Obama and his 2016 denigrating of Hillary Clinton? And will voters see through the attack this time around?
Emma Hinchliffe
emma.hinchliffe@fortune.com
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