Trump and Allies Attack Kamala Harris, Labeling Her ‘Dumb’ and a ‘DEI’ Candidate Based on Race and Gender

Ted Cruz, who had a contentious relationship with Trump following their 2016 primary battle, has since reconciled with him and is now supporting his campaign.

Kamala Harris has faced racially and gender-based attacks from Trump and his allies. In 2020, Trump promoted the unfounded “birther” conspiracy that questioned Harris’s eligibility for presidency, despite her being born in the U.S. Trump has similarly propagated birther theories about Cruz, former President Obama, and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.

In 2021, Senator JD Vance criticized Democrats with no biological children, disparaging them as “a bunch of childless cat ladies” who aim to make others miserable. He included Harris—who has two stepchildren—alongside Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in his remarks. Vance questioned the commitment of people without direct stakes in the country’s future.

Vance’s spokesperson, Taylor Van Kirk, emphasized that Vance’s success was influenced by strong female role models like his grandmother.

Former Democratic National Committee Chair Donna Brazile criticized the use of race in political discourse, stating, “We’re in the 21st century. I don’t believe that the American people are interested in a conversation that will further divide and polarize us.”

Some Republicans condemned the attacks on Harris. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy stated, “I disagree with DEI, but she is the vice president of the United States. These congressmen saying it are wrong in their instincts.”

Senator Lisa Murkowski also weighed in, calling the attacks inappropriate: “What, are they just going to say if you’re not a white male, it’s a DEI candidate?”