Trump Boasts About Interview as Harris Cites 'Disrespect'

Addressing Donald Trump's remarks casting doubt on her racial identity earlier in the day, Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday night said his comments showed "divisiveness and disrespect." Speaking to the Sigma Gamma Rho sorority's gathering in Houston, per the New York Times, Harris said, "The American people deserve better." Trump did not wait until his rally Wednesday night in Pennsylvania to talk about the confrontational interview in Chicago. While opponents issued statements condemning his remarks, Trump posted on Truth Social that his appearance at the National Association of Black Journalists conference was a triumph, writing, "The questions were rude and nasty, often in the form of a statement, but we CRUSHED IT!" He posted praise from supporters as it arrived, per the Times.

Doug Emhoff, Harris' husband, told a fundraiser in Maine that Trump's comments show a lack of character, per the Washington Post. The former president, Emhoff said, showed himself to be "a worse version of an already horrible person" who should "never be near the White House again." Before Trump spoke at the rally, screens showed news articles from when Harris was elected to the Senate describing her as Indian American; Harris is of Jamaican and Indian heritage. Other reaction Wednesday came from:

• Sen. John Thune: The Senate's No. 2 Republican said, "The campaign is, needs to be, mostly about the issues."

• Lynne Patton: The senior adviser to the Trump campaign criticized the media for an "unhinged and unprofessional commentary" about the NABJ appearance.
• Sen. Chuck Schumer: The Senate majority leader said, "Donald Trump's meltdown at the NABJ shows just how unfit he is to be president."
• Larry Hogan: "It's unacceptable and abhorrent to attack Vice President Harris or anyone's racial identity," said Hogan, a former governor and current Senate candidate. "The American people deserve better."
• P Rae Easley: The Chicago radio host, who's supporting Trump and was at the NABJ convention, said, "He did a really good job coming into an adversarial situation."
• Angel Crawford: The attendee at the Houston event called Trump's comments "just wrong," adding, "He acts like an infant just to get attention."

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