Janice R. Andrews
During a heated discussion on ABC News’ “This Week,” Republican Congressman Byron Donalds downplayed recent remarks made by former President Donald Trump regarding the racial identification of Vice President Kamala Harris. Donalds, a key Trump friend, called the problem a “side issue” despite Trump’s persistent abrasion.
George Stephanopoulos, the host, questioned the well-known Florida senator over Trump’s comments made during the National Association of Black Journalists function last week. It was only lately, according to Trump, that Harris “happened to turn Black.”
“This whole topic is a hoax. Really, I don’t care. The majority of people don’t “Duff replied. “But if we’re going to be accurate, when Kamala Harris went into the United States Senate, it was [Associated Press] that said she was the first Indian American United States Senator.”
Donalds incorrectly stated that the media only started talking about Harris’s Black identity once she launched a national campaign. At first, he contended, Harris was solely acknowledged for her Indian ancestry. Nonetheless, she was noted in several news reports upon her initial Senate election as the first Black and Indian American senator.
Donalds’ claim was refuted by Stephanopoulos, who noted that Harris had always identified as multiracial, having an Indian mother and a Jamaican father. She has always recognised herself as both. What makes you doubt that? Philippopoulos enquired.
“Well, George, to start with, there is a discussion about this topic on social media at the moment. Many individuals are attempting to solve this puzzle,” Donalds retorted. “But again, that’s a side issue, not the main issue.”
Stephanopoulos interrupted, pointing up that throughout their brief exchange, Donalds had asked Harris many times what race she was. “Why do you insist on questioning her racial identity?” he demanded.
“George, please stop shouting at me so I can respond. What, two minutes on stage yesterday in Atlanta, was all he said about it? In an effort to draw attention away from Harris’ political background, Donalds said that Harris had spent more than 35 or 40 minutes attacking her record and discussing how radical of a senator she was.
At the NABJ function in Chicago on Wednesday, Trump initially questioned Harris’ identity. “She was always Indian, but all of a sudden, she changed her identity and became Black. Trump replied, “I think somebody should look into that,” drawing a mixed response from his detractors and supporters.
While some Republicans have pushed Trump to put more of his attention on policy matters rather than personal jabs, Trump repeated his statements on Saturday night in Atlanta and at a rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. His insistence on casting doubt on Harris’ identification has generated controversy and discussion both inside and outside of the GOP.
“So questioning somebody’s racial identity, if only for a couple of minutes, is okay?” Donalds was asked by Stephanopoulos.
“Let me tell you again, George brought it up. When she was first elected to the US Senate, AP was the one who created the headline. It made no mention of her race, Black. Donalds emphasised, “It mentioned that she was the first Indian American senator.
As the AP noted upon Harris’s election to the Senate in 2016, “Harris will enter the chamber as the first Indian woman elected to a Senate seat and the second Black woman, following Carol Moseley Braun, who served a single term after being elected in 1992.”
Three times throughout their talk, Stephanopoulos brought up Donalds’ questioning of Harris’ identification, emphasising, “You simply can’t say that it’s wrong.”
Donalds maintained that the AP first rejected Harris’ identify as Black even after it was rectified, saying “those are the facts.” He said that he would rather talk about the bigger problems the nation is now experiencing.
The conversation elucidates the persistent strain within the Republican Party about personal assaults and the emphasis on policy matters. In American politics, the nuances and sensitivities of racial identity are shown by Trump’s comments and Donalds’ defence of them. These kinds of disputes are probably going to be at the centre of political conversation as the 2024 election draws near.
