Jeers as Trump questions whether Harris is Black

Donald Trump has drawn criticism for questioning whether Kamala Harris is Black. (AP PHOTO)

US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has questioned whether his Democratic rival Kamala Harris is Black, during a contentious interview at the country's largest annual gathering of Black journalists.

"Is she Indian or is she Black?" Trump said on Wednesday of his opponent in the presidential race, drawing a smattering of jeers from an audience of about 1000 people. 

"She was Indian all the way, and all of a sudden she made a turn and became a Black person."

Harris, who is of Indian and Jamaican heritage, has long self-identified as both Black and Asian. She is the first Black and Asian American to serve as US vice president.

"What he just said is repulsive," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at a briefing in response to Trump's remarks. 

"It's insulting."

Since launching her White House campaign earlier this month, Harris has faced a barrage of sexist and racist attacks online, with some far-right accounts questioning her racial identity. Republican Party leaders have urged lawmakers to refrain from personal attacks and focus on her policy positions.

Trump himself has used personal insults against Harris and said he was going to ignore advice that he tone down his rhetoric in this campaign. 

"I'm not gonna be nice!" he told supporters at one campaign rally.

Trump also declined to say on Wednesday whether Harris was a "DEI hire," as some Republicans have claimed, saying, "I don't know."

DEI stands for "diversity, equity and inclusion" initiatives aimed at increasing representation of women and people of colour in the workforce to address longstanding inequities and discrimination. The term "DEI hire" is now used to suggest a person is not qualified and was chosen on the basis of race or gender.

The panel interview at the National Association of Black Journalists' annual convention in Chicago started on a tense note, when ABC News reporter Rachel Scott listed a series of racist comments Trump had made and asked why Black voters should support him.

In response, Trump called the question "horrible," "hostile" and a "disgrace" and described ABC as a "fake" network.

"I have been the best president for the Black population since Abraham Lincoln," he boasted.

Kamala Harris
US Vice President Kamala Harris has long self-identified as both Black and Asian.

Trump's invitation had received a backlash from some members, prompting a co-chair of the convention to step down in protest. During the interview, some of Trump's false statements were met with murmurs and laughter from the crowd.

At one point, someone yelled out, "Sir, have you no shame?" before others shushed him.

Trump has been actively courting Black voters and has held events in cities with large Black populations, including Atlanta, where he plans a rally on Saturday.

He had made inroads with Black men in particular after President Joe Biden, his former Democratic opponent, struggled to mobilise Black voters, traditionally the most loyal Democratic voting bloc. Biden won Black voters 92 per cent to eight per cent over Trump in 2020, according to Pew Research.

But Biden's decision to step down in favour of Harris could make it more challenging for Trump to hold his gains.

Donald Trump
Donald Trump has been actively courting Black voters as the presidential race heats up.

The presidential race is likely to come down to narrow margins in a handful of battleground states. A national Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Tuesday showed Trump leading Harris 43-42 per cent, within the poll's margin of error.

The Black journalists' association, founded in 1975, regularly invites presidential candidates to address its annual gathering, but Trump was the first Republican to accept the offer since George W. Bush in 2004.

Harris, who did not attend the convention, is scheduled to speak to a Black sorority in Houston later on Wednesday. 

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