Trump Calls Kamala Harris “Lazy,” Reviving Racial Tropes \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Donald Trump used racially charged language to attack Vice President Kamala Harris, calling her “lazy” during a campaign event in Florida. The term, historically used to demean Black people, was aimed at Harris, who has been traveling for 14 consecutive days in key battleground states. Trump’s comments come as part of a broader pattern of questioning Harris’s competence and intelligence. His remarks have sparked controversy, especially given his past use of racially divisive rhetoric. Harris’s campaign pointed out Trump’s own recent cancellations of campaign events.
Trump’s Attack on Kamala Harris: Quick Looks
- Racially charged term: Trump called Harris “lazy,” a term tied to historical racist stereotypes.
- Busy campaign: Harris had been campaigning in key swing states for 14 straight days before taking a day in Washington, D.C.
- History of racially divisive remarks: Trump’s use of racially tinged attacks dates back to the 1970s and includes his controversial stance on the Central Park Five case.
- Broader pattern: Trump’s criticism of Harris focuses on her competence and intelligence, echoing similar attacks on Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton.
- Harris campaign response: While Harris did not respond directly, her team noted Trump’s recent event cancellations.
- Escalating attacks: Trump continues to question Harris’s fundamental capability to lead, implying her selection as VP was based on race and gender.
Deep Look
Donald Trump ramped up his racially charged attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris during a campaign stop in Doral, Florida, on Tuesday. In a move that has drawn widespread condemnation, Trump referred to Harris as “lazy,” invoking a term steeped in racist connotations long used to degrade Black people. His remarks took aim at Harris’s campaign schedule, despite the fact that she had just completed 14 consecutive days of travel to key battleground states.
“Who the hell takes off when you have 14 days left?” Trump asked the crowd of supporters, before accusing Harris of being “lazy as hell.” The attack came on a day when Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee for 2024, was in Washington, D.C., for meetings and media interviews after a grueling stretch of campaign travel. Harris had just wrapped up a three-state tour the day before, visiting Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, all crucial swing states in the upcoming election.
Trump’s use of the word “lazy” to describe Harris, a Black and South Asian woman, carries significant weight due to its historical associations with the demeaning of Black people. Throughout American history, Black Americans have often been stereotyped as lazy, unintelligent, and unfit for leadership. These stereotypes were widely used to justify the economic exploitation and oppression of Black people during slavery and later segregation. According to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, such stereotypes were crucial in the commodification of Black bodies and served to rationalize their subjugation.
The museum notes, “Laziness, as well as characteristics of submissiveness, backwardness, lewdness, treachery, and dishonesty, historically became stereotypes assigned to African Americans.” These stereotypes, although challenged and dismantled by many, remain pervasive and harmful, often surfacing in subtle or overt forms in political and social discourse. By labeling Harris as “lazy,” Trump evoked a painful history of racial tropes used to undermine Black Americans’ contributions and qualifications.
Trump’s criticism of Harris fits into a broader pattern of attacks he has employed against political opponents, questioning their energy, stamina, and physical or mental fitness for office. In 2020, during his campaign against Joe Biden, Trump frequently accused Biden of “campaigning from his basement” amid the COVID-19 pandemic, framing him as weak and incompetent. He similarly attacked Hillary Clinton in 2016, calling her physically weak and suggesting she lacked the energy to be president.
However, Trump’s attack on Harris, given its racial undertones, is especially troubling to many observers. Harris, the first Black and South Asian woman to hold the vice presidency, has faced repeated attacks on her competence and intelligence, with Trump often questioning her qualifications in ways that many find racially coded. On Tuesday, Trump extended his criticism by calling Harris “slow” and claiming she has a “low IQ.” These comments echo Trump’s earlier assertions that Harris was chosen for her race and gender rather than her qualifications.
This kind of rhetoric is not new for Trump. His history of racially charged remarks dates back decades. In the 1970s, Trump and his father were sued by the federal government for allegedly discriminating against Black apartment seekers in their rental properties. The case was settled, but Trump has since faced repeated accusations of racial bias. Perhaps most famously, Trump sparked outrage in 1989 when he called for the reinstatement of the death penalty for five Black and Latino teenagers, known as the Central Park Five, who were wrongfully convicted of raping a white woman in New York City. Despite DNA evidence and a confession from the actual perpetrator, Trump has never apologized for his comments and has continued to insist that the men were guilty.
Recently, the Exonerated Five, as they are now known, filed a defamation lawsuit against Trump, citing his continued false claims about their involvement in the crime. During a recent debate with Harris, Trump wrongly stated that the victim of the Central Park attack had been killed and that the five teenagers had pleaded guilty. The lawsuit accuses Trump of defamation, arguing that his continued misinformation has further harmed the men’s reputations, even after their exoneration.
Trump’s ongoing attacks on Harris reflect a strategy that appears to be increasingly focused on discrediting her competence and capacity to lead. In North Carolina, following his remarks in Florida, Trump suggested that Harris might believe she is losing the election, speculating that her decision to take a day off from public campaigning indicated she “knows something that we don’t know.” Trump went on to imply that Harris’s candidacy was driven by her race and gender, saying, “She’s running because they want to be politically correct.”
This narrative has been central to Trump’s criticisms of Harris, with the former president often casting her as unqualified for the role of vice president. During a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, Trump attacked Harris’s competence in even starker terms, suggesting that her shortcomings are innate. “Crooked Joe Biden became mentally impaired,” Trump told the crowd. “Sad. But lying Kamala Harris, honestly, I believe she was born that way. There’s something wrong with Kamala. And I just don’t know what it is, but there is definitely something missing. And you know what, everybody knows it.”
Despite Trump’s attacks, Harris has not responded directly to the remarks. However, her campaign team has been quick to point out Trump’s own failures to maintain a rigorous campaign schedule. Ian Sams, a spokesperson for Harris, highlighted Trump’s decision to cancel a town hall with allies Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard, writing on X (formerly Twitter), “Donald Trump continuing his recent trend of canceling campaign events… With just two weeks to go… Granted, this one seemed like a real peach, so don’t blame them for wanting to call it off!”
Trump’s racially charged language, including his latest attacks on Harris, remains a hallmark of his political strategy. His use of derogatory language aimed at race, gender, and identity has drawn widespread criticism but also energized parts of his base. As the 2024 election draws closer, Trump’s rhetoric has increasingly focused on Harris’s fundamental capabilities, suggesting that her role as vice president is the product of political correctness rather than merit.
This framing echoes past instances where Trump has questioned the abilities of his opponents. His repeated claims that Harris is “lazy,” “slow,” and lacking in intelligence evoke stereotypes that have long been used to dismiss and devalue the contributions of people of color, particularly women of color. While Trump’s supporters may view these attacks as fair criticism, many others see them as racially coded dog whistles designed to appeal to certain segments of the electorate.
Harris, who has been a consistent target of Trump’s attacks, remains focused on her campaign efforts in the final weeks leading up to Election Day. With the stakes high and the nation’s political landscape more divided than ever, Trump’s use of racially charged rhetoric is likely to remain a central feature of his strategy as he seeks to regain the presidency.
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