During his appearance at the National Association of Black Journalists' annual conference, US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump inaccurately claimed that his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris had understated her African American heritage. Trump stated, "She was always of Indian heritage, and she was only promoting Indian heritage. I didn't know she was Black, until a number of years ago, when she happened to turn Black, and now she wants to be known as Black," eliciting a mix of jeers and disapproval from the audience of approximately 1,000 attendees.

Trump further questioned, "So I don't know, is she Indian or is she Black? But you know what, I respect either one, but she obviously doesn't, because she was Indian all the way, and then all of a sudden she made a turn, and she went - she became a Black person." Harris, who identifies as both Black and Asian, made history as the first Black and Asian American vice president. In response to Trump's remarks, Harris addressed a gathering of the historically Black sorority Sigma Gamma Rho in Houston, calling his comments "yet another reminder" of the divisiveness and disrespect under the former president.

Since announcing her presidential campaign, Harris has endured numerous sexist and racist attacks online, prompting Republican leaders to advise against personal attacks and to focus on her policy stances. Despite this advice, Trump has continued to use personal insults against Harris, stating, "I'm not gonna be nice!" during a campaign rally.

The interview at the NABJ convention in Chicago began tensely when ABC News reporter Rachel Scott, one of three Black women moderators, questioned Trump about his previous racist comments and asked why Black voters should support him. Trump dismissed the question as "horrible," "hostile," and a "disgrace," and labeled ABC as a "fake" network. He also repeated his claim that migrants would take away "Black jobs," a term that drew criticism from some Black leaders.

Trump declined to comment on whether Harris was a "DEI hire," a term used to suggest that a person was chosen based on race or gender rather than qualifications. He also expressed ignorance about the case of Sonya Massey, a Black woman killed by a sheriff's deputy in Illinois, stating that the incident "didn't look good to me."

The interview, delayed by over an hour due to audio equipment issues, ended abruptly after about 35 minutes. Later, at a rally in Pennsylvania, Trump did not address his comments about Harris' racial identity but focused on her stance on immigration and fracking.

Republican strategist Whit Ayres criticized Trump's questioning of Harris' racial background, stating that there were plenty of policy issues to address without attacking her identity. Trump's appearance at the NABJ convention was part of his broader effort to attract Black voters, despite facing backlash from some members of the organization.