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The Conversation
The Conversation
Politics
Kathryn Schumaker, Senior Lecturer in American Studies, University of Sydney

‘Happened to turn Black’: how Donald Trump evoked a history of white authorities using their power to define race

Donald Trump Kamala Harris United States Vice President

In late July, former President Donald Trump told a room of Black journalists that Vice President Kamala Harris, his rival in the 2024 presidential election, “happened to turn Black” recently.

“She was Indian all the way, and then all of a sudden she made a turn […] she became a Black person,” Trump said, prompting surprised laughter from the audience. When asked about Trump’s comments, Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance demurred, saying Harris is a “fundamentally fake person”.

Trump’s comments implied that Harris, who is the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, is a racial impostor who adapted her racial identity to score political points with Black voters.

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