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The Conversation
The Conversation
Politics
Marya T. Mtshali, Lecturer in Studies in Women, Gender, and Sexuality, Harvard University

The racist ‘one-drop rule’ lives on in how Trump talks about Black politicians and whiteness in America

Donald Trump Kamala Harris Barack Obama America Vice President
Donald Trump watches a video of Vice President Kamala Harris during a campaign rally in Las Vegas on Sept. 13, 2024. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Americans who heard former President Donald Trump claim that Vice President Kamala Harris previously identified as “not Black” in a July 2024 interview may wonder why he continuously emphasized former President Barack Obama’s blackness during his first presidential campaign.

As a scholar focused on race and gender issues, I recognize that these seemingly inconsistent definitions of blackness are not inconsistent at all. They demonstrate a consistent position on whiteness.

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