Wed. Oct 9th, 2024
Kamala Harris comments on former President Donald Trump spreading racist lies about Haitian immigrants during an interview in Philadelphia with the National Association of Black Journalists on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (Source: Screenshot - C-SPAN)

PHILADELPHIA — Vice President Kamala Harris slammed former President Donald Trump on Tuesday for continuing to spread debunked claims about Haitian immigrants that have stirred fear and led to a spike in threats in the small town of Springfield, Ohio.

During an interview with the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), Harris called Trump and his running mate JD Vance’s lies “hateful” and said they were intended to divide Americans.

“When you are bestowed with a microphone that is that big, there is a profound responsibility that comes with that is an extension of — that should not be lost at this moment — that is public trust. To then understand what the public’s trust means. It means that you have been invested with trust and responsible int eh way that you use your words, much less how you conduct yourself. Especially when you have been and seek again to be president of the United States of America,” Harris told the panel.

“And so I go back to it’s a crying shame. Literally, what’s happening to those families, those children in that community, not to mention what is happening — look, you say you care about law enforcement. Law enforcement resources being put into this because of the serious threats that are being issued against a community that is living a productive, good life before this happened. And spewing lies that are grounded in tropes that are age old,” she continued.

Watch Harris’ full interview with the NABJ.