Representative Byron Donalds (R-FL) appeared on ABC’s “This Week” with George Stephanopoulos, where he was accused of using a racial slur against Vice President Kamala Harris during a discussion about comments made by former President Donald Trump (R) at the National Association of Black Journalists (NAJB) conference.
At the event, President Trump questioned the racial identity of his opponent Vice President Kamala Harris (D).
"I've known [Harris] a long time indirectly, not directly, very much. And 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," said President Trump. "So I don't know, is she Indian, or is she Black?"
Stephanopoulos asked Rep. Donalds about Trump’s comments and whether they have credible backing.
Rep. Donalds responded by saying that he himself didn’t pose the question of VP Harris’ racial identity but stated that it is being talked about on social media and then attempted to move on.
“George, now that you’re done yelling at me, let me answer” – @ByronDonalds to ABC’s @GStephanopoulos in contentious “interview” in which Stephanopoulos repeatedly accused Donalds of repeating a “slur” Stephanopoulos kept bring up. #ThisWeek pic.twitter.com/TocOy8thMW
— Brent Baker 🇺🇦 🇮🇱 (@BrentHBaker) August 4, 2024
“Well, 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,” said Donalds.
Stephanopoulos then interrupted and accused Donalds of using “a slur” toward the Vice President.
Donalds replied, “George, now that you’re done yelling at me, let me answer. [Trump] talked about it on a stage just today in Atlanta for what, two minutes? He spent more than 35-40 minutes going after her record, talking about how radical of a senator that she was. She was the most liberal senator in the United States, as in the United States Senate. That is a fact. He talked about the job that she did as Vice President of the United States. A job I will add, which has been a failure for the American people. I know you guys like to glom on to this that he talks about in jest or in a serious manner for about a minute or so, which you do not cover is the litany of failures of Kamala Harris. That's what you’re not covering George.”
When Stephanopoulos asked if talking about VP Harris’ identity incorrectly was okay for only a few minutes, the Florida congressman rebutted that this issue doesn’t matter to the American people.
“George, I'm gonna tell you again, he brought it up. AP is the one that wrote the headline when she first came into the United States Senate didn't talk about her being black talked about her being the first Indian American senator, AP brought that up,” said Donalds. “I mean, George, we can have this conversation for the entire segment. But none of this matters to the American people. What matters to the American people is, are we going to have the same policies of the Biden-Harris administration that has been destructive of the American people, or are we going to have the policies of the Trump administration, which put America first had low inflation, prosperous Americans, no matter your race, no matter your color, no matter your creed, and a foreign policy that kept America safe? Those are the facts that truly matter because this issue is going to come and go. The lives of the American people are what's going to remain and that's what matters more than anything else.”
Stephanopoulos accused Donalds of “repeating it” (referring to the “slur”). Donalds responded by saying that he is answering the questions that had been posed to him by the TV host.
It is not sure when and where (and if) President Trump and Vice President Harris will debate, but dates of an early September debate have been floated around.
