Donald Trump’s running mate J.D. Vance told reporters he thought Trump’s controversial remarks questioning the racial identity of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris were humorous and doubled down by attacking Harris as a “chameleon.”
“I thought it was hysterical,” Vance was quoted as saying, according to reporting from NOTUS, a publication from the nonprofit Allbritton Journalism Institute.
Trump came under fire after clashing with an interviewer at a conference for Black journalists Wednesday afternoon and insinuating Harris “made a turn and she became a Black person.”
During a plane ride with reporters Wednesday, Vance shared his reaction to Trump’s statements.Vance himself has been scrutinized for his history of making odd comments, including his attacks on childless adults and cat owners.
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Regarding Trump’s remarks, Vance bashed the media for “overreacting,” and praised the Republican presidential nominee as a “leader who’s not afraid to go into hostile places and actually answer some tough questions.”
“The president doesn’t do scripted B.S. stuff,” Vance was quoted as saying, according to the report. “He actually goes into hostile audiences, he answers tough questions, he pushes back against them, but he actually answers them.”
As for Harris’ racial identity (she is a graduate of the historically Black Howard University and has both Black and Indian heritage) Vance said Trump’s line of interrogation, “pointed out the fundamental chameleon-like nature of Kamala Harris."
“And you guys saw yesterday, she was in Georgia, and she put on a southern accent for a Georgia audience. She grew up in Vancouver. What the hell is going on here? She is not who she pretends to be,” Vance told reporters.
