Trump accepts Harris' challenge, hours after he said 'she happened to turn Black' (2024)

Editors' Note: This story has been updated to reflect that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was accepting Vice President Kamala Harris' challenge to compare their records while in office.

Former President Donald Trump "accepted" Vice President Kamala Harris' call to compare their records during a rally in Pennsylvania on Wednesday evening, hours after accusing her of flip-flopping on her racial and ethnic identity for political leverage.

"Well, Kamala, let's go, challenge accepted," he said, to loud cheers from the crowd in Harrisburg.

Trump said he "would compare our records" as he criticized Harris' role in the Biden administration's immigration policy, support for electric vehicles, 80% tax rates and even taking away Americans' access to red meat.

"She is the most unpopular vice president in American history," Trump said.

Here are seven takeaways from Wednesday's rally and other political events.

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1. Trump's discussion at Black journalists conference goes in 'horrible manner'

At the National Association of Black Journalists convention in Chicago earlier Wednesday, Trump engaged in a flinty, at times tense interview in which he complained was "disgraceful" and carried out in a "horrible manner."

He lashed out at ABC News (one of the panelists was ABC News reporter Rachel Scott) as "fake news" and griped, and alleged, that a microphone issue delayed the start of the interview. He seethed he had been "invited under false pretenses."

Trump said his record showed he supported Black entrepreneurs via opportunity zones provided by legislation sponsored by U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-South Carolina.

"I love the Black population of this country," he said. "I've done so much for the Black population of this country," he said.

He boasted: "I have been the best president for the Black population since Abraham Lincoln."

The Harris campaign scoffed at Trump's assertion and criticized his demeanor at the NABJ event.

“Trump lobbed personal attacks and insults at Black journalists the same way he did throughout his presidency — while he failed Black families and left the entire country digging out of the ditch he left us in. Donald Trump has already proven he cannot unite America, so he attempts to divide us," the campaign said in a statement.

2. Trump on Harris at Black journalist convention: 'She happened to turn Black'

Trump was asked if he believed Harris owes her position as vice president to diversity, equity and inclusion programs, a statement first raised by Tennessee Republican Rep. Tim Burchett.

Trump equivocated before insulting Harris by lobbing a falsehood about how she has portrayed her ethnic and racial background in the past.

"I didn't know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black and now she wants to be known as Black," Trump said. "Because she was Indian all the way and then all of a sudden she made a turn and she became a Black person."

Harris has Indian and Jamaican-born parents and attended Howard University, a historically black university where joined the predominantly black Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. She became a member of the Congressional Black Caucus after entering the Senate in 2017.

Trump also repeated his eyebrow-raising claim that illegal immigrants are taking "Black jobs."

"I will tell you coming from the border are millions and millions of people that happen to be taking Black jobs," he said.

Asked to define what a "Black job" is, he said: "A Black job is anybody that has a job. They are taking the employment away from Black people."

3. Trump lays out key attack points against Harris at Pennsylvania rally

A key attack strategy against Harris will be her role in guiding the Biden administration's immigration policy.

During the Harrisburg rally, Trump said Harris supported sanctuary cities and called to abolish the Immigration Customs Enforcement arm in the Department of Homeland Security. He called Harris the "architect of the border invasion."

Trump also alleged that Harris supported ending private health insurance and "slash consumption of red meat." He also said Harris opposes the practice of fracking in energy production.

Trump brought up age in the election, as Biden is 81 and Trump is 78. He said the problem with Biden is that he is a "a bad 81." Trump said age in itself is not a factor, noting that a friend, Home Depot founder Bernie Marcus, is 95 and still going strong.

But one Trump hit on Harris, that she is a "bought-and-controlled" politician, was odd considering Trump himself has accepted more than $100 million in contributions from some of the richest people on the planet.

Trump has often said his wealth allows him to run campaigns that are self-financed. But in reality, he has raised money from Americans of all walks of life. And during at least one evening this spring on the exclusive island of Palm Beach, where Trump's primary residence, Mar-a-Lago, sits, he raised $50 million among some of his wealthiest neighbors.

4. Trump defends references from 'Silence of the Lambs'

Trump's often repeated references to Hannibal Lecter, the fictional character from the 1991 Oscar-winning movie "Silence of the Lambs" have drawn ridicule, if not befuddlement.

In Harrisburg, Trump said the analogy to the serial killer was appropriate and accurate in describing people coming across the southern border with Mexico.

"It makes a lot of sense," he said. "They're coming into the country and they're coming from insane asylums."

5. Trump did not discuss Project 2025

Trump did not mention Project 2025, the so-called blueprint for a new Trump White House term that is heavy on extremist views and rhetoric. The Trump campaign has sought to disavow and distance itself from the 900-page plan.

"Reports of Project 2025’s demise would be greatly welcomed and should serve as notice to anyone or any group trying to misrepresent their influence with President Trump and his campaign — it will not end well for you," wrote Trump campaign officials Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita in a statement.

But the Harris campaign was having none of that.

“Project 2025 is on the ballot because Donald Trump is on the ballot. This is his agenda, written by his allies, for Donald Trump to inflict on our country," said Harris campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez in a statement.

6. Trump also did not say much about the stumbles of running mate J.D. Vance

Trump's relative silence on Ohio U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance was peculiar since part of the reason Vance was added to the ticket was to help win Pennsylvania and other "blue wall" states.

Trump and Vance are scheduled to host a joint rally in Atlanta on Saturday.

A poll released Tuesday morning by Florida Atlantic University and Mainstreet Research suggests Trump's choice of Vance as his running mate has not "augmented" the ticket's appeal.

Vance, who has struggled to explain derogatory statements about women as "childless cat ladies," exited the convention as relatively unpopular and polarizing, FAU pollsters said. Just 23% of those surveyed viewed him as "strongly favorable" while 34% said they viewed him as "strongly unfavorable."

FAU pollster Luzmarina Garcia said Vance's choice was aimed at bringing youthfulness to the ticket. But the resurfacing of interviews in which Vance had been harshly critical of Trump and a New York Times story citing emails showing how Vance has flip-flopped on issues have been damaging.

"It also brought quite a bit of conflict," Garcia said of Vance's addition to the ticket. "The evidence is kind of really building up that this is a person who quickly changes their opinion and that really makes people hesitant to support that ticket with a second in command like that."

Overall, the poll had Trump and Harris in a "statistical tie" with each getting 46% support from the voters surveyed.

Harris showed strength among women, Black and Latino respondents, while Trump fared strongly with young voters ages 18 to 35.

7. Trump notes rally shooter 'disturbed' but still defends gun rights

Trump's Harrisburg rally was his first visit to Pennsylvania since he was nearly assassinated during an outdoor rally in Butler on July 13.

Trump thanked the crowd for their prayers and support, noted he was happy to hear the two others wounded in the mass shooting are recovering and held a moment of silence for Corey Comperatore, who was killed by gunfire while shielding his family.

Trump noted the assailant was a "disturbed" young man but did not otherwise discuss motives or controversies that surged about the U.S. Secret Service protection that day.

Late in the speech, however, he did insist he remains a Second Amendment rights advocate.

Antonio Fins is a politics and business editoratThe Palm Beach Post, part of theUSA TODAY Florida Network.You can reach him atafins@pbpost.com.Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.