In a heated exchange on ABC News, Republican Congressman Byron Donalds defended former President Donald Trump’s statement at the National Association of Black Journalists Conference that he only became aware of Vice President Kamala Harris’ race a few years ago. Donalds pushed back against host George Stephanopoulos’ question about the controversial remarks, asserting that Harris’ racial identity has been “played up” over the years.
“This is really a phony controversy,” Donalds declared. “I don’t really care, and most people don’t. But if we’re going to be accurate, when Kamala Harris went into the United States Senate, it was AP [News] that said she was the first Indian American United States senator. It was actually played up a lot when she came into the senate, now she’s running nationally, obviously the campaign has shifted.”
Stephanopoulos continued to press Donalds on why Trump and the lawmaker have furthered questions into Harris’ background, emphasizing that she has always “identified” as biracial due to her Indian mother and Jamaican father.
“George, first of all, this is something that’s actually a conversation throughout social media right now. There are a lot of people who are trying to figure this out, but again, that’s a side issue, not the main issue,” Donalds retorted. “The main issue -”
“Sir, one second. You just did it – You just did it again!” Stephanopoulos interrupted. “Why do you insist on questioning her racial identity?”
The two continued to argue back and forth, with Donalds repeating that the Associated Press had published an article playing up Harris’ Indian background when she first won a senate seat for California.
“George, actually, I’m not the one who keeps repeating it. You’re the one who’s bringing it up now,” Donalds pointed out.
“Sir, you’ve done it three times. Every single answer you gave me – now let me finish, sir! Every single answer you gave me repeated the slur,” Stephanopoulos said, exasperated.
Donalds persisted in defending himself, stating, “So then what you’re saying – I want to get off this topic because it’s not the only thing that’s going on, but George, now you’re saying that AP is the one that slurred Kamala Harris? Because those are the facts. You can go to the internet and look at the clips George if you want to or we can talk about this now.”
Stephanopoulos refused to let Donalds off the hook, calling out Trump and the lawmaker for not acknowledging the inaccuracy of Trump’s statement.
“AP did not say that Kamala Harris is not black. She is biracial. She is Indian, she is black. You continue to repeat the fact – you continue to repeat the slur. I don’t understand why you and the president do it. But it’s clear you’re not going to say that it’s wrong, and you’ve now established that for our audience,” Stephanopoulos said firmly.
Donalds reiterated his stance that the focus should be on the issues facing the country and criticized Harris for her failures, particularly at the border.
“I prefer to talk about the future of our country because the American people are struggling. The American people do need serious policy decisions to be made, and they need serious leadership on the world stage. Kamala Harris has not proven that she can do that. Donald J. Trump has proven that he can do that,” Donalds declared.
Clearly, Donalds and Trump are not trying to attack or question Harris’ racial identity. They are simply stating the facts and pointing out how her background has been portrayed in different ways throughout her political career. Stephanopoulos’ attempts to accuse them of repeating a slur are baseless and unfounded.
Trump’s statement at NABJ was not meant to be offensive or divisive. It was simply an observation about Harris’ background that he shared in a candid and honest manner. As for Donalds’ comments, he was simply pointing out how Harris’ identity has been highlighted more prominently in her current role as vice president.
Harris has demonstrated a lack of leadership and effectiveness in her role as vice president, particularly when it comes to the crisis at the border. She has not provided solutions or taken significant action to address the issue, causing harm to both Americans and immigrants.
This whole issue is a distraction from the real problems facing our country. Donalds and Trump should not be criticized for simply acknowledging the facts. It’s time to focus on the important issues and hold our leaders accountable for their actions and failures, not their racial identities.