I don’t care: Trump on Harris’ race

When Kamala Harris and Donald Trump sparred over her race during their first presidential debate.

Transcript

00:00I don't care what she is. I don't care.

00:02I read where she was not black, that she put out.

00:06And then I read that she was black. And that's OK.

00:09I think it's a tragedy that we have someone who wants to be president,

00:14who has consistently over the course of his career

00:19attempted to use race to divide the American people.

00:31Mr. President, you recently said of Vice President Harris, quote,

00:35I didn't know she was black until a number of years ago

00:38when she happened to turn black. And now she wants to be known as black.

00:41Why do you believe it's appropriate to weigh in on the racial identity of your opponent?

00:45I don't and I don't care. I don't care what she is. I don't care.

00:49You make a big deal out of something. I couldn't care less.

00:53Whatever she wants to be is OK with me.

00:56But those were your words. So I don't know. I don't know.

00:58I mean, all I can say is I read where she was not black, that she put out.

01:03And I'll say that. And then I read that she was black and that's OK.

01:09Either one was OK with me. That's up to her. That's up to her.

01:12I mean, honestly, I think it's a tragedy that we have someone who wants to be president,

01:19who has consistently over the course of his career

01:23attempted to use race to divide the American people.

01:26And let's remember how Donald Trump started. He was a land.

01:33He owned land. He owned buildings.

01:35And he was investigated because he refused to rent property to black families.

01:43Let's remember, this is the same individual who took out a full page ad in The New York Times

01:50calling for the execution of five young black and Latino boys who were innocent.

01:58The Central Park Five, they admitted, they said they pled guilty.

02:03And I said, well, if they pled guilty, they badly hurt a person, killed a person ultimately.

02:09And if they pled guilty, then they pled were not guilty.

02:12This is the same individual who spread birth or lies about the first black president of the United States.

02:20And I think the American people want better than that, want better than this.

02:26This is the most divisive presidency in the history of our country.

02:31There's never been anything like it. They're destroying our country.

02:35She is Biden. The worst inflation we've ever had.

02:39A horrible economy because inflation has made it so bad that you can't get away with that.

02:45Clearly, I am not Joe Biden and I am certainly not Donald Trump.

02:51And what I do offer is a new generation of leadership for our country.