In a heated exchange on ABC’s “This Week,” Rep. Byron Donalds defended Donald Trump against accusations that the former president questioned Vice President Kamala Harris’ racial identity. The Florida Republican sparred with host George Stephanopoulos over Trump’s recent remarks, with both parties interrupting and challenging each other throughout the interview.
Donalds Dismisses Controversy
Rep. Byron Donalds labeled the issue as a “phony controversy,” asserting that most people, including himself, do not care about the matter. He referenced the Associated Press, stating, “When Kamala Harris went into the United States Senate, it was AP that said she was the Indian-American United States senator. It was actually played up a lot.”
Stephanopoulos Pushes Back
Stephanopoulos countered, emphasizing Harris’ consistent identification as a Black woman with a Jamaican father and an Indian mother. He questioned Donalds, “Why are you questioning that?” Donalds responded by saying the topic was prevalent on social media and downplayed its significance.
The conversation became more contentious when Stephanopoulos accused Donalds of repeating the slur, to which Donalds retorted that it was Stephanopoulos who kept raising the issue. The back-and-forth continued, with Stephanopoulos stressing, “Every single time you repeat the slur, that’s exactly my point.”
Trump’s Controversial Remarks
Trump, speaking at a National Association of Black Journalists conference in Chicago, suggested that Harris had only recently embraced her Black identity for political convenience. He remarked, “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.”
Reactions from Political Figures
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie criticized Trump’s attacks on Harris as impulsive rather than strategic. “You can’t imagine that anybody who understands anything about politics would say, hey, here’s a great idea: Go to the National Association of Black Journalists and question whether Kamala Harris is really black or not,” Christie said.
Christie, who has been critical of Trump, suggested that Trump’s rhetoric reflects panic about the changing dynamics of the race. Donna Brazile, a Democratic strategist, likened Trump’s comments to the birtherism questions during Barack Obama’s presidency, stating, “This is an old playbook. America’s tired of this playbook.”
Historical Context
The Associated Press had reported in November 2016 that Harris would enter the Senate as the first Indian woman elected to a Senate seat and the second Black woman, following Carol Moseley Braun. Different news organizations ran the story under various headlines, as is common with wire-service articles.
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