Republican racist attacks on Kamala Harris have already backfired

House Republican leaders have warned lawmakers to stop making racist remarks about presumptive Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.

Politico reported:

House Republican leaders have instructed lawmakers to focus on criticizing Vice President Harris’ record regardless of race or gender, following harsh comments from some Republican lawmakers attacking her based on her identity.

During a closed-door meeting Tuesday morning, House Republican Campaign Chairman Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) and others issued the warning following a series of comments by members that focused on Harris’ race and claimed she was an advocate for “DEI,” according to two people who were present at the meeting.

…

Harris’ comments about race have privately infuriated some Republicans, who feel they are drawing attention to Republicans rather than Democratic failures.

Here’s a sampling of what House Republicans are saying about Harris:

When asked about Kamala Harris candidate, translator Calls @VP “DEI Hiring.”

“Intellectually speaking, she’s really the worst person. I think she was hired because of DEI, that’s what we’re seeing and I don’t think there’s anyone else better suited.” pic.twitter.com/Dj9y4pKHrj

â€” Josh Rultenberg (@JoshRultNews) July 23, 2024

Republicans in the Trump era have shown they have no problem making bigoted or racist remarks if they think it will benefit them politically.

House Republican leaders are telling lawmakers to stop the racist attacks because they’re already seeing evidence that it’s backfired.

House Republican leadership seems to prefer abusing its power to try to impeach Democratic candidates rather than being overtly racist.

It’s not that House Republican leaders want to be less racist, they just want their racism cloaked in the guise of official House behavior.

Racist attacks won’t work. It didn’t work against Obama, and it won’t work against Harris. The country is changing and diverse, and the path Trump has set his party on is a path to defeat.

Jason is Editor in Chief and a Congressional Correspondent for the White House Press Pool and PoliticusUSA. Jason holds a BA in Political Science and graduate studies with a focus on public policy and social change movements.

Awards and Professional Associations

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and the American Political Science Association