Democratic strategist Aisha Mills declared that “Donald Trump is going to Donald Trump” before questioning a CNN discussion on the former president’s racist claim about Vice President Kamala Harris’ identity on Wednesday.
“There are many people in this country who are biracial people who absolutely identify as the fullness of who they are,” said Mills in an appearance on CNN’s “Erin Burnett OutFront.”
She continued, “And the fact that you have someone who is a former president, that’s running for president again, that is making a mockery of the heritage of anybody is really the fine point on all of this that we should be talking about here. It is ridiculous.”
The Republican nominee, in a wild Q&A at the National Association of Black Journalists convention, said Harris “happened to turn Black” and “now wants to be known” as such in remarks that his attorney has appeared to double down on.
GOP strategist and Trump 2016 campaign senior adviser David Urban told Burnett that there’s been instances in the media that “really played” up Harris’ Indian American identity in response to a 2019 clip where she said she was born — and will die — Black.
“And look, she’s mixed, she’s mixed race. She’s both, she’s both,” said Urban, who added that he’s “both” Italian and Polish due to his ancestors.
Mills, who earlier in the program said Harris has “always been” a Black woman and can’t hide it, wasn’t having it with Urban’s comments.
“We’re not talking about ancestors. Can we just talk about how ignorant this whole conversation is?” Mills asked.
“Yeah, I think we’re all amazed that we’re having —,” Burnett replied.
“This is a biracial woman in America,” Mills said.
The Democratic strategist emphasized that the talk isn’t about “ancestors off of a boat” but rather a woman whose father was a Black Jamaican man and whose mother was an Indian woman.
Urban later said it’s “ridiculous” they were talking about the remarks and not about Harris’ record.
“And President Trump put himself in that position. So instead here tonight of debating her failed policies of the Biden administration, we’re talking about this,” he said.
“And it’s a distraction. It’s a distraction in American people. I’m sure it’s a distraction to the American people who don’t want this to be talking about.”