Republicans reel at Trump's "embarrassing" remarks about Harris

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Axios

11 hours ago


Former President Trump's comments about Vice President Harris to the National Association of Black Journalists are being treated as radioactive by many Republicans.

Why it matters: The tense interview is being met with GOP reactions ranging from qualified concern to outright shock, with some Republicans questioning Trump's ability to adapt to the new Democratic ticket.

"It was awful," one House Republican said of the interview, telling Axios it raised concerns about whether Trump can contain his impulses while running against the first woman, Black and Asian American vice president.

Sen Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said of the Trump campaign: "Maybe they don't know how to handle the campaign, and so you default to issues that just should simply not be an issue."

"That was not a demonstration on how to win over undecided voters," another House Republican said.

Driving the news: Trump suggested falsely during his appearance at the NABJ's annual convention that Harris "became a Black person" after identifying primarily as Indian.

Interviewer Rachel Scott quickly undercut that claim by noting Harris attended Howard University, a historically Black college.

Trump also said he would challenge Harris to a cognitive test, claiming she "failed her law exam, so maybe she wouldn't pass a cognitive test." Harris passed the bar exam and was the attorney general of California.

Trump was also combative with his interviewers during the 35-minute long sit-down, calling Scott, an ABC News reporter, "very rude" and "nasty."

What they're saying: A handful of high-profile Republicans went on the record to chastise Trump.

Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a GOP candidate for U.S. Senate, said in a post on X that it is "unacceptable and abhorrent to attack Vice President Harris or anyone's racial identity," without mentioning Trump by name.

Murkowski rattled off a litany of what she described as "very unfortunate" recent Trumpworld missteps: "Childless cat women, DEI candidates, now, 'Is she black? Is she Indian?'"

Read more: https://www.axios.com/2024/07/31/house-senate-republicans-trump-nabj-interview

[Hermit-The-Prog]

1. Scott opened with a hardball question and Fred Trump resurrected to hit back.

The first 3 minutes tells you everything.

Other journalists could learn a lot from Scott.

[underpants]

3. This man came up to me, tears in his eyes, he said sir, more rope or a bigger shovel, Sir?

He is never questioned only praised in his bubble.

[underpants]

2. Talk radio here was silent on it yesterday afternoon

We have a local guy in the morning and afternoon drive times. If there was an agreed upon defense of Trump or attack on either the hosts or media they hadn’t got the message yet. That’s telling. That happens from time to time (like May 34th) but they usually come back out firing once they message has been coalesced.

Their big bit yesterday? Sen. Kaine wants YOU to pay for other people’s daycare. Regarding the bipartisan plan 🙄.

I’ll tune in this morning to see if they have a message yet or if they even talk about it.

[Mr. Mustard 2023]

21. Thanks for reporting Republicon hate radio

to us so we have a sense of what's happening with Republicons.

Republicon hate radio is a main driver of uneducated white men (who I am sick and tired of coddling their feelings).

[underpants]

31. Nothing this AM. Former Gov. Wilder was the guest

Pretty informative. He has a school of government at VCU. Nothing major. Just some general stuff about what Kamala’s campaign should do. If they talked about Trump I missed it.

[twodogsbarking]

4. He is racist. Duh.

[ThreeNoSeep]

5. Is she Black? Is she Indian?

Are you stupid?

[Lovie777]

6. Actually, is she human...........................

since many GQP feel that many POC are not.

[NCDem47]

8. Trump: "Someone should look into that."

[Farmer-Rick]

35. Yeah, I heard that

He's telling his minions what conspiracy they need to make up.

It doesn't matter if the conspiracy is true (much like belief in gods) just as long as it works.

[COL Mustard]

38. I'm surprised he hasn't started with the birtherism argument

You know it's coming, unless they lost their asses when they did that with Obama.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

51. Laura Loomer posted Harris's birth certificate last night so it's already here

Apparently Loomer's concerned because Harris's father is "Jamaican".

[MorbidButterflyTat]

52. Loomer wasn't "concerned"

when Kamala Harris was running as VP in 2020?

[eShirl]

14. Is he German? Is he Scottish?

[Farmer-Rick]

36. Is he white? Is he orange?

He was always known as German up to a couple of years ago. Then he happened to turn white. I didn't know he was white. I thought he was orange. Someone should look into that.

[AverageOldGuy]

7. Meanwhile, here in Virginia . . .

I'm not aware of a single Virginia Republican commenting on Trump's attacks on African-Americans at the NABJ interview.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin remains an enthusiastic Trump supporter, likely angling for a job in a Trump administration.

Ditto for Atty General Jason Miyares.

LtGov Winsome Sears -- herself a Black woman -- split with Trump two years ago, however, she supports and is supported by Trump's people in VA.

[Orrex]

9. Bullshit. They'll still vote for him. And, if pressed, they'll still campaign for him.

There is no good Republican. The closest thing we have to a good Republican is one who's willing to make a public show of disapproving of some aspect of Trump's infinite shittiness, mostly to appear reasonable to an uncertain constituency, but every single one of them will fall in line when ordered to do so.

[cstanleytech]

12. Actually a good Republican would be one that acknowledges they are an asshole and resigns.

[Orrex]

19. The Jeff Flake gambit

AKA: “obediently tongue-swab Trump’s taint until your retirement or your electoral defeat is already imminent, then clutch your pearls and weep in meaningless indignation .”

[ouija]

10. Don-old Trump is finished

[ArizonaLib]

11. I remember how silent the right's media was after Bin Laden was eliminated

It was right after the correspondent's dinner where Obama had some good fun at Trump's expense.

[agingdem]

13. Now Republicans are reeling???

Were they reeling when, as president, he insulted Black reporters, referenced third world countries as "shit-hole" countries, spotted a Black man at a rally and said "Look at my African American"?

Republicans are upset because they're seeing what was a sure-thing Donald Trump win eleven days ago evaporate and they're are terrified.. when he goes down he takes party with him..

[Beartracks]

32. Right? HIs tirades on other topics were A-OK as long as his political fortune wasn't at risk.

Please, Trump, take your party down with you. That will make America a better place.

=============

[Bengus81]

15. They've never reeled before at his racist statements,their not doing it now either......

A couple of them here and there being suddenly outraged at Trump is meaningless. I don't care please keep him on the ticket,a change wouldn't help Dems.

[Lonestarblue]

16. I doubt they're truly shocked because Trump is the Republican Party.

Trump is a racist and has always been, and the Republican Party has been pushing racism since the days of Nixon’s Southern Strategy.

[djacq]

17. Republicans nominated this Racist Felon.

This is who they are.

[mwb970]

18. This what flailing looks like.

[johnnyfins]

20. He challenged her to a "cognitive test"

Bwahahahaa. He really thinks that was an accomplishment.

[Prof. Toru Tanaka]

40. Trump: Person, Woman, Man, Camera, TV.

Harris: Trump, Crimes, Indictment, Conviction, Prison.

[Brainfodder]

22. I want Tim Scott's take!

There is a statement I thought I might live to never make!

[SomedayKindaLove]

23. Not all are reeling

JD Vance thought it was hysterical. Because, you know, racism is soooo damn funny.

[GreenWave]

24. That sleepy fartdog wants to dominate the news cycle.

Now he will play the victim card. Boo-hoo, they did not ask me Faux and Fiends easy questions.

[NoMoreRepugs]

25. The educated successful Republican who brushes aside the SlobFather's ugliness is something I will NEVER comprehend.

[Demobrat]

53. They think a Repuke is always automatically good

for business. They don’t care about anything else, and it doesn’t matter if it’s true. That’s their story, and they’re sticking to it.

[BoRaGard]

26. It took them to 2024 to get a clue?

Lord have mercy on the wayward republicon souls.

Decent folk learn the difference between right and wrong
by kindergarten.

Sheesh.

[Hope22]

27. All I want to know is...why is his EAR completely healed with zero sign of any residual healing.

He had his right ear to the camera during the interview plain as day!

[mucholderthandirt]

56. It was truly a tiny little nick. Those heal within days.

[Hope22]

57. Well, he wore a maxi pad for days.....n/t

[Prairie Gates]

28. Is the media going to call it a "disastrous interview" every time they write about it?

[LaMouffette]

29. Every Republican politician who still supports Trump is like a heroin addict, but their "drug" is their seat in Congress

They will do anything, say anything, then say the exact opposite and deny that they did the thing that everyone KNOWS they did, just to keep their job. Not an ounce of integrity in any of them.

Pathetic.

[travelingthrulife]

30. They didn't notice he hates women and all people who are not white?

n/t

[Talitha]

33. "Trump also said he would challenge Harris to a cognitive test"

[DownriverDem]

34. MAGAs on Yahoo

say she claimed being an Indian when she ran in the past. The biggest population group now is bi-racial. This isn't 2015.

[azureblue]

37. and trump wil only get worse

he always doubles down when he screws up, and tries to ignore it..
He must have snorted a pile of Adderall before that disaster, so no doubt he will get high, and screw up again and again.

[hay rick]

39. Republican campaigns ABSOLUTELY WANT to be painted as racist. It is key to their voters' victimhood.

"DEI hire" is crucial to the Trump and Republican campaigns. They get constant media exposure with their denials which reinforces the message that Republican voters are being unfairly portrayed as racists for things said by other people.

[Owens]

41. It was a deliberate disaster

Trump wants the attention on him, not Vance and Harris.

[Skittles]

58. that's a given

he still made an utter fucking fool of himself

[area51]

42. "...concerns about whether Trump can contain his impulses ...."

What, four years of a #DementiaDonnie presidency didn't give them a clue?

[wolfie001]

43. Fatso dump stated she never got her law degree. What a lying racist PIG!!!!

Harris then returned to California to attend the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly the University of California, Hastings College of the Law) through its Legal Education Opportunity Program (LEOP).[54] While at UC Law SF, she served as president of its chapter of the Black Law Students Association.[55] She graduated with a Juris Doctor in 1989[56] and was admitted to the California Bar in June 1990.[57]

-From Wikipedia

[sybylla]

44. I absolutely fail to understand why. THIS. IS. WHO. HE"S. ALWAYS. BEEN.

He's been waving his whole ass on racism and misogyny since the beginning. I guess they were okay with it as long as it was some nebulous target like BLM, immigrants, some women but not all women, etc.

Fuck Trump and everyone who's pretending now that he's somehow magically sunk even further.

[BigDemVoter]

45. I don't know why those assholes have waited this long to "reel."

This was awful, but it certainly wasn't something new. He's always been a hog, and I mean to cast no aspersions on real animals.

[PSPS]

46. We can expect the media to start hounding trump daily asking "when will you step aside." Amirite? LOL.

[BumRushDaShow]

47. They really need to

and do it 24/7... unanimously.

[Bayard]

48. NOW they're embarrassed?

Like nominating a felon to be President of the U.S. is not an embarrassment?

[ificandream]

49. I have to admit I wasn't expecting much from the NABJ event.

I was happily surprised and delighted that two of the three panel members (I won't lump them all as "journalists" because Fox's Harris Faulkner isn't one) confronted him on issues. He really showed his true colors. It'll be interesting to see how Fox and the rest of the right wing hate media spins it.

[Beartracks]

50. But they worship this guy. They believe he'll get them what they want - only at the cost of their souls. n/t

[Old Crank]

54. It is who they are.

They have spent decades playing the racist game. Now they are concerned that people might think they are racists and not vote for their hate spewing monster.

[Kashkakat v.2.0]

55. Re: "concerns about whether Trump can contain his impulses" seriously?

Ten years later this person is just now becoming "concerned"?