Donald Trump's comments about Kamala Harris' race before the Association of Black Journalists has the GOP reeling, treating the statements as radioactive

Donald Trump and moderator Rachel Scott, of ABC News (Getty)

 

Donald Trump apparently did not win any friends by questioning Kamala Harris' race at the National Association of Black Journalists convention in Chicago. Trump also might have lost some supporters in his own political party. Trump's remarks are being viewed as abhorrent and tone deaf across the political spectrum, as outlined in this report from The New Republic (TNR),which says Republicans are in panic mode over remarks they view as "awful," even "crazy," with a number of GOPers not even bothering to defend the statements of their 2024 presidential nominee.

Here is more insight from Axios, under the headline "Republicans reel at Trump's "embarrassing" remarks about Harris: 

Former President Trump's comments about Vice President Harris to the National Association of Black Journalists are being treated as radioactive by many Republicans.

Why it matters: The tense interview is being met with GOP reactions ranging from qualified concern to outright shock, with some Republicans questioning Trump's ability to adapt to the new Democratic ticket.

• "It was awful," one House Republican said of the interview, telling Axios it raised concerns about whether Trump can contain his impulses while running against the first woman, Black and Asian American vice president.
• Sen Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said of the Trump campaign: "Maybe they don't know how to handle the campaign, and so you default to issues that just should simply not be an issue."
• "That was not a demonstration on how to win over undecided voters," another House Republican said.

As often is the case with Trump, his comments were laced with false information, Axios reports: 

Driving the news: Trump suggested falsely during his appearance at the NABJ's annual convention that Harris "became a Black person" after identifying primarily as Indian.

* Interviewer Rachel Scott quickly undercut that claim by noting Harris attended Howard University, a historically Black college.

• Trump also said he would challenge Harris to a cognitive test, claiming she "failed her law exam, so maybe she wouldn't pass a cognitive test." Harris passed the bar exam and was the attorney general of California.
• Trump was also combative with his interviewers during the 35-minute long sit-down, calling Scott, an ABC News reporter, "very rude" and "nasty."

While some Republicans spoke anonymously out of fear that Trump would seek retribution against them, others put their names behind their words:

What they're saying: A handful of high-profile Republicans went on the record to chastise Trump.

• Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a GOP candidate for U.S. Senate, said in a post on X that it is "unacceptable and abhorrent to attack Vice President Harris or anyone's racial identity," without mentioning Trump by name.
• Murkowski rattled off a litany of what she described as "very unfortunate" recent Trumpworld missteps: "Childless cat women, DEI candidates, now, 'Is she black? Is she Indian?'"

Yes, but: Many Republicans did not want to put their names to criticisms of Trump – who is well known to try to exact retribution against GOP critics – with others dodging questions about his comments entirely.

• "No comment," Rep. John Duarte (R-Calif.), a swing-district House member, told Axios when asked about Trump's remarks.
• Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) told reporters: "I haven't seen them and I haven't seen the context in which they were made, so I don't have anything for you."