Democracy Dies in Darkness

Trump attack on Harris racial identity strikes a nerve at Black church watch party

The predominantly Black crowd responded with deep sighs and some laughter when Tuesday night’s debate turned to the Republican’s baseless broadside against the vice president.

6 min
From left, Tracey Garland, 65, Marta Jones, 65, Branford Jones, 32, and Stephanie Wilson, 68, watch the debate at the Salem Baptist Church of Abington in Abington, Pa., on Tuesday. (Hannah Yoon for The Washington Post)
By

ABINGTON, Pa. — The predominantly Black crowd here responded with deep sighs and some laughter when the discussion in Tuesday night’s presidential debate turned to Donald Trump’s baseless attack on Kamala Harris’s racial identity.

Why, a moderator asked the former president, did he believe it was appropriate to weigh in on such a topic?

“I don’t. And I don’t care. I don’t care what she is,” Trump replied.

One woman in the crowd retorted loudly, “Then why’d you say it?!”

Skip to end of carousel