OPINION:
Lost in all of this hand-wringing about Vice President Kamala Harris’ ethnic background is the political calculation that led former President Donald Trump to make the comments he made to the National Association of Black Journalists (“Trump’s talk with Black journalists turns hostile,” web, July 31).
The stark truth is that Ms. Harris has promoted her Indian heritage and denied her Black heritage in the past; there are many videos and recordings showing as much. Why? She did what was to her advantage at the time. (She has also hidden the fact that she is a descendant of the largest slave-owning family in Jamaican history.)
Then, in 2020, she reversed course when it suited her. So why did Mr. Trump raise the subject? Because it matters to minority communities. It shows that Ms. Harris was willing to use them for her gain and it is a reminder of the basic contempt the left-wing elitists have for everyone else. What’s more, it will resonate with the critical Hispanic and Black demographics who already resent the damage illegal immigrants have done to them.
The elitists are offended, but Mr. Trump’s comments were not for their consumption. This election will be determined by Mr. Trump peeling off significant percentages of Black and Hispanic voters and the turnout of the working and middle classes. All of these groups see Ms. Harris as questionable and every character issue raised opens the cracks in the Democratic base. Mr. Trump’s move was a smart one. For confirmation, see the nearly hysterical response from the mainstream media.
JAMES BARENDS
Wayne, Pennsylvania
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