Donald Trump said that Kamala Harris “happened to turn Black” after “only promoting Indian heritage” while interviewing Wednesday at the National Association for Black Journalist (NABJ) conference.
Speaking with a series of prominent Black journalists at the live streamed (and factchecked) event, the former president and Republican nominee suggested that his presumed Democratic opponent in the 2024 presidential election was not actually Black and that “somebody should look into that.”
“She was always of Indian heritage, and she was only promoting Indian heritage. I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black and now she wants to be known as Black. So I don’t know, is she Indian or is she Black?” Trump said. “I respect either one. I respect either one. But obviously she doesn’t because she was Indian all the way and then all of a sudden she made a turn and she went, she became a Black person. And I think somebody should look into that.”
Further asked whether or not he believed the vice president was a “DEI hire,” Trump said he didn’t know.
“I really don’t know, I mean, I really don’t know. Could be, could be. There are some and there are plenty.”
Elsewhere in the contentious event, which saw his team pull him offstage and cut the interview short after remarks on the vice president’s race and Project 2025, Trump called out Harris for skipping out on the conference due to scheduling conflicts. He also insulted the NABJ over what he deemed a “very rude introduction” by them and some female journalists for their “very hostile, nasty tone.”
“I think it’s a very rude introduction. I don’t know exactly why you would do something like that. Let me go a step further: I was told my opponent, whether it was Biden or Kamala, I was told my opponent was going to be here,” Trump said at NABJ’s convention in front a crowd at the Hilton Hotel in Chicago.
Trump continued to slam Harris while taking jabs at the convention’s audio technology, saying “the mics are really in lousy shape.” He also wrote on his platform Truth Social ahead of the event, which was delayed, “I’ve been waiting for a half hour. The speaker equipment at the NABJ is not working properly. Don’t blame me for being late!”
“It turned out my opponent isn’t here; you invited me under false pretenses. And then you said you can’t do it with Zoom. Well, where’s Zoom? She’s going to do it with Zoom and she’s not coming. And then you were half an hour late — just so we understand, I have too much respect for you to be late. They couldn’t get their equipment working or something.”
During the conversation, the rotation of journalists also discussed Trump’s decision to bring JD Vance on as his running mate, his “Black jobs” remark, and whether or not he’d consider stepping down if his age and cognitive ability were questioned as President Joe Biden’s were. He responded “absolutely” and added that he also wouldn’t mind taking a “cognitive test” alongside Harris.
Trump drew in criticisms from Black Americans after he stated during his debate against Biden that Black Americans are losing employment opportunities in the U.S. because of migration.
“A Black job is anybody that has a job,” Trump said. “That’s what it is. Anybody that has — they’re taking the employment away from Black people. They’re coming in, and they’re coming in, they’re invading.”
As far as his thoughts on Vance, he said he picked him “because he’s a strong believer in work and the working man and working woman.”
“He’s a very smart guy … He got into Yale Law School [and] was one of the top students,” Trump said. “He was in the military with great distinction … I have to believe in that.”
Trump was also questioned about the GOP-led acts against abortion and reproductive rights. He said he believes in former President Ronald Reagan’s “three exceptions.”
“Rape, incest, life of a mother,” Trump said. “I happen to believe in the three exceptions, most Republicans believe in the three exceptions.”
The Q&A was moderated by ABC News correspondent Rachel Scott, Fox News’ Harris Faulkner and Semafor politics reporter Kadia Goba. The event was closed off to the public, but was live streamed on YouTube and NABJ’s Facebook page.
Trump’s appearance came after the Republican presidential nominee made a last-minute decision to take part in a moderated conversation. Trump’s attendance was met with backlash from some of the group’s membership base.
On Tuesday, NABJ president Ken Lemon double down on the organization’s decision to have Trump appear.
“While NABJ does not endorse political candidates as a journalism organization, we understand the serious work of our members, and welcome the opportunity for them to ask the tough questions that will provide the truthful answers Black Americans want and need to know,” Lemon said.
