Former President Donald Trump drew criticism for comments about Vice President Kamala Harris' racial identity at a gathering of black journalists in Chicago, according to CNN.
Trump questioned Harris' heritage, suggesting she "happened to turn black" in recent years. "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," Trump said at the National Association of Black Journalists convention.
Harris, born to an Indian mother and Jamaican father in Oakland, California, is the first female, black, and Asian American vice president. She responded to Trump's remarks at a separate event, calling them "the same old show, the divisiveness and the disrespect."
The White House condemned Trump's comments, with Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre describing them as "repulsive" and "insulting." Harris' campaign accused Trump of attempting to divide Americans.
During the same event, Trump faced tough questioning about his past statements regarding people of color. ABC News' Rachel Scott asked why black voters should trust him given his previous controversial remarks. Trump dismissed the question as "disgraceful" and touted his administration's achievements for black Americans.
