Kamala Harris has acknowledged the need to win over Black male voters, as concerns arise that this traditionally Democratic voting group is turning towards Donald Trump. During an interview hosted by the National Association of Black Journalists in Philadelphia, Harris emphasized that she does not assume Black men will vote for her solely because she is Black. Instead, she stated that she is actively working to earn their vote ahead of the November presidential election. Harris also criticized Trump’s rhetoric, particularly his racist “birther” conspiracy about Barack Obama and recent claims about immigrants stealing and eating pets.
Both Harris and Trump are campaigning for votes from Black Americans. In response to the interview, Janiyah Thomas, media director for the Trump campaign, issued a statement claiming that Harris admitted to failing Black Americans by acknowledging high grocery prices and unattainable dreams for young Americans after three and a half years of her policies.
While enthusiasm among Black Americans has increased since Harris became the Democratic nominee in July, doubts remain about her ability to secure support from Black men in key battleground states like Georgia and North Carolina. According to an NAACP poll published on Friday, one in four Black men plan to back Trump in November. The latest NYT/Siena poll found that 17 percent of all Black voters support Trump with 9 percent undecided.
In contrast to Tuesday’s conversation with Kamala Harris, President Trump faced a contentious interview during the annual convention of black journalists in Chicago back in July. Attendees repeatedly heckled and booed him as he questioned Harris’s racial identity and claimed he had been the best president for black voters since Abraham Lincoln.
During Tuesday’s event with Kamala Harris, organizers warned attendees not to cheer for her during their conversation. The small audience greeted her with mild applause while some wore salmon pink and apple green—the colors associated with her sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha.
Moderators from news organizations NPR, Politico, and theGrio interrupted Harris multiple times during the discussion while pressing for direct answers on topics such as gun violence and Israel-Hamas war.
Harris condemned Trump’s promotion of conspiracy theories about Haitian migrants eating pets in Springfield Ohio during their conversation. She emphasized that such rhetoric was divisive and called into question his fitness to hold office again.
Harris also expressed her desire to cap childcare costs at 7 percent of working families’ income as part of her economic message focused on reducing living expenses. Additionally, she mentioned reaching out personally after what appeared to be an attempt on President Trump’s life over the weekend—stating there is no place for political violence—and expressed confidence in Secret Service protection despite recent security concerns surrounding them.
