Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump Photo: Evan Vucci / AP / Profimedia
On Wednesday, during a conversation with African-American journalists in Chicago, Republican candidate Donald Trump made accusations against Vice President Kamala Harris, claiming that she “became” a black person for electoral reasons, according to AFP.
“She blacked out,” the former president said of Harris. “She was a pure-blooded Indian and suddenly she changed and became dark-skinned,” he added.
Kamala Harris was born to a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, making her the first black woman of South Asian descent to run for president. In her 50s, she identifies as a “black woman.”
Trump as “the best president for black people”
With less than 100 days to go before the US presidential election, Donald Trump is forced to revise his election strategy after the unexpected decision of his previous opponent, Democrat Joe Biden, not to participate in the election.
The Republican has made the health of the 81-year-old president a central theme of his campaign, portraying him as an old man who has lost his strength. However, ten days ago, he had a new opponent – a black woman 18 years younger, and Trump is forced to look for new arguments against her.
White House press secretary Karin Jean-Pierre immediately condemned Trump’s comments about Kamala Harris’ racial identity, calling them “offensive.” “No one has the right to tell someone how they should identify themselves,” she said.
During the same conversation with reporters in Chicago, Donald Trump also called himself “the best president for black people since Abraham Lincoln,” who abolished slavery.
Accusations of supporting abortion
Seventy-year-old Trump has repeatedly made harsh statements against the vice president. At an event in North Carolina last week, he falsely accused her of supporting the “killing of babies” because of her pro-abortion stance.
Additionally, in an interview with Fox News earlier this week, Trump hinted that Harris would not be able to effectively stand up to other world leaders.
Trump, known for his love of derisive nicknames for his opponents, has yet to settle on a final nickname for his Democratic challenger, experimenting with “Kamal the Liar,” “Hilarious” and “Crazy.”
The former president continues to actively participate in the election campaign and plans to hold a rally in Pennsylvania at 22:00 GMT. On Saturday, he will visit Atlanta, Georgia, for a political event with his running mate, vice-presidential candidate JD Vance.
