Outspoken Republican weighs in on Donald Trump's racial attacks against Kamala Harris in testy interview

Republican Congressman Byron Donalds who is simply a adjacent state of Donald Trump dismissed nan erstwhile president's attacks connected Vice President Kamala Harris' group personality connected Sunday calling it a 'side issue' moreover arsenic Trump has dug in.

The salient Florida lawmaker appeared connected ABC News 'This Week' pinch anchor George Stephanopoulos successful a testy question and reply wherever he was asked astir Trump's caller remarks astatine nan National Association of Black Journalists. 

Trump went aft Harris during nan arena past week claiming she only precocious started identifying arsenic black. He said she 'happened to move black.'

'Why is President Trump questioning nan vice president's group identity?' Stephanopoulos asked Donalds.

'This is really a phony controversy. I don't really care. Most group don't,' Donalds responded. 'But if we're going to beryllium accurate, erstwhile Kamala Harris went into nan United States Senate, it was [Associated Press] that said she was nan first Indian American United States Senator.'

Donalds falsely claimed only erstwhile she campaigned nationally did they displacement to talk astir her father's practice and her achromatic identity.

When Harris was nan first elected to nan Senate, aggregate news articles noted nan milestone successful headlines that she was nan first Indian American ever elected to nan Senate, but she was besides identified arsenic black.

'You conscionable repeated nan slur again. If it doesn't matter why do you each support questioning her identity?' Stephanopoulos pushed back. 'She is biracial. She has a Jamaican begetter and an Indian mother. She's ever identified arsenic both. Why are you questioning that?'

'Well, George, first of all, this is thing that's really a speech passim societal media correct now. There were a batch of group who are trying to fig this out,' Donalds responded. 'But again, that's a broadside issue, not nan main issue.'

Stephanopoulos trim him disconnected to constituent retired that he was questioning her group personality again successful little than 2 minutes arsenic nan 2 past said complete each other. 

'Why do you insist connected questioning her group identity?' he changeable back. 'I want you to reply my question.'

'George, now that you're done yelling astatine me, fto maine answer. He talked astir it connected shape yesterday successful Atlanta for what, 2 minutes? He spent much than 35, 40 minutes going aft her grounds talking astir really extremist of a legislator that she was,' Donalds said. 

Trump first questioned Harris personality astatine nan NABJ arena successful Chicago past Wednesday wherever he said 'she was Indian each nan measurement and each of a abrupt she made a move and she became a achromatic person. I deliberation personification should look into that.' 

Some Republicans person questioned nan ex-president continuing that statement of onslaught and urged nan run to displacement much toward talking astir issues. 

But Trump doubled-down astatine his rally Wednesday nighttime successful Harrisburg, PA earlier bringing it up again connected Saturday nighttime successful Atlanta. 

'So questioning somebody's group personality if only for a mates of minutes is ok?' Stephanopoulos asked Donalds.

'George I'm going to show you again, he brought it up. AP is nan 1 that wrote nan header erstwhile she first came into nan United States Senate. It didn't talk astir her being black. It talked astir her being nan first Indian American Senator,' Donalds said.

In 2016 erstwhile Harris was elected to nan Senate, AP reported, 'Harris will participate nan enclosure arsenic nan first Indian female elected to a Senate spot and nan 2nd achromatic woman, pursuing Carol Moseley Braun, who served a azygous word aft being elected successful 1992.'

Stephanopoulos pointed retired that Donalds successful his responses questioned Harris' personality 3 times, stating: 'You simply can't opportunity that it's wrong.'

Donalds falsely insisted again it was nan AP who denied her group personality arsenic black, claiming 'those are nan facts.' He insisted he would for illustration to talk astir nan early of nan country.