In a contentious exchange at the National Association for Black Journalists (NABJ) on Wednesday, former US President and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump questioned Vice President Kamala Harris’s ethnicity. Hours later, far-right commentator Laura Loomer posted Harris’s birth certificate, listing her mother’s ethnicity as “Caucasian,” ostensibly supporting Trump’s claim that Harris is not Black.
The post was met with mixed responses, with many pointing out the lack of logic in it, stating that Harris’s father could be both Black and Jamaican. This echoed Trump’s comment where the Republican nominee could not seem to understand that Harris could be of both Indian and Black origins.
I have a copy of Kamala Harris’s @KamalaHarris’s birth certificate.
Nowhere on her birth certificate does it say that she is BLACK OR AFRICAN. @KamalaHQ is a liar.
Donald Trump is correct. Kamala Harris is NOT black and never has been.
She is also the descendent of slave… pic.twitter.com/E0uq1TCfFy
— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) July 31, 2024
Kamala Harris’ heritage
Harris’s mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was an Indian-American biomedical scientist, and her father, Donald Harris, is a Jamaican-American professor emeritus at Stanford University. Despite these facts, Trump’s questioning of Harris’s racial identity has stirred significant controversy.
In response, Harris’s team issued a statement condemning Trump’s remarks: “The hostility Donald Trump showed on stage today is the same hostility he has shown throughout his life, throughout his term in office, and throughout his campaign for president as he seeks to regain power and inflict his harmful Project 2025 agenda on the American people.”
Fact-checkers clarify Harris’ certificate does not mention race
Fact-checkers, including Snopes, have clarified that California birth certificates in the 1960s often did not specify a child’s race. Harris’s team reiterated that her mother’s listing as “Caucasian” does not alter her identity.
Controversy around Obama’s ethnicity and birthplace
This incident also echoes similar allegations faced by former US President Barack Obama. During and after his 2008 campaign, Obama’s birthplace and citizenship were widely questioned, with theories falsely claiming he was born in Kenya or that he lost his US citizenship by becoming an Indonesian citizen.
These claims have been largely characterised as racially motivated attacks against Obama, the first African-American president of the United States.
Ultimately, Obama had the White House release his birth certificate in 2011, while he was in office, to end conspiracy theories around his birth and citizenship.
Trump’s interview with Black journalists
During his interview at the NABJ event in Chicago, Trump repeatedly questioned Harris’s racial identity. When pressed about his previous comments questioning the birthplace of prominent Black figures, including Obama, and why Black voters should support him in the 2024 elections, Trump deflected, criticising the interviewer’s “hostility” and the network they represented.
“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 remarked.
One of the moderators tried to point out that Harris has always identified as Black and attended a historically Black university; however, their comments were ignored.
In a bizarre move, Trump went on to compare himself to Abraham Lincoln, claiming he was the best President for Black voters since Lincoln, who ended slavery and paved the way for civil rights.
HERE’S PICTURE OF KAMALA IYER HARRIS’S BIRTH CERTIFICATE☝🏻
at time of Kamala’s birth, her parents were not U.S. citizens.
They were foreign students.
she was daughter of non-citizens. This makes her an anchor baby. She is not eligible to hold office of President. pic.twitter.com/eU8ulqQguQ— MJK (@MJK10797588) July 27, 2024
Additionally, Trump reiterated his promise to pardon January 6 rioters, including those convicted of assaulting police officers.
This latest incident highlights the enduring racial tensions and controversies in American politics, highlighting the challenges faced by minority leaders in their pursuit of public office.
According to a Bloomberg poll, Harris is currently leading in five of seven battleground states against Trump. The US presidential polls are scheduled for November 5.