Vice President Kamala Harris debunked a rumor on Tuesday regarding singer Janet Jackson, after the famous singer allegedly claimed that she wasn't black. Harris responded to Janet Jackson's remark and the uproar it caused during a town hall discussion with Charlamagne Tha God in Detroit, Michigan
Charlamagne questioned Harris about a circulating social media rumor, suggesting Jackson was upset with her because Harris prosecuted her brother, iconic pop star Michael Jackson. Charlamagne also slammed Harris for dodging a listener's question at the event. He also challenged her on the mishandling of issues at the border, as the discussion, which was highly anticipated, aimed at boosting her support among Black voters.
Harris Slammed by Charlamagne
"That's just not true on either count," Harris said, laughing as she debunked rumors that she wasn't black. When questioned about whether Janet Jackson was upset with her, Harris acknowledged that she hadn't spoken to Jackson since the controversy arose.
"I don't know, I haven't talked to her, but it certainly isn't true about her brother," the Vice President said.
Janet Jackson, 58, raised questions about Harris' racial identity during an interview with The Guardian in September.
"She's not Black. That's what I heard. That she's Indian," Janet Jackson remarked when asked about her thoughts on the possibility of Harris becoming the first Black female president of the United States.
"Her father's white. That's what I was told," Jackson continued. "I mean, I haven't watched the news in a few days. I was told that they discovered her father was white."
Harris identifies as Black, with her father hailing from Jamaica and her mother from India. The controversy intensified when Janet Jackson disassociated herself from an apology issued in her name to Harris and dismissed the person who attempted to resolve the situation.
Throughout her career, Harris has often faced questions about her racial identity, regularly brushing off critics who challenge her Black heritage.
Harris and Her Campaign Plans
The vice president had an extensive conversation with Charlamagne, whose real name is Lenard McKelvey, about campaign matters, as the occasionally critical host asked her to clarify several online controversies related to her campaign during their hourlong interview, which was carried on iHeartRadio's website and streamed live on CNN.
"There are certain things that must be repeated to ensure that I have everyone know what I stand for and the issues that I think are at stake in this election. And so it requires repetition," she insisted.
Charlamagne pressed Harris on topics like foreign aid to other nations—an issue former President Donald Trump, 78, has promised to limit. He also pressed her on her history of prosecuting marijuana offenders and her role as President Biden's lead figure on tackling illegal immigration, which has instead increased.
When a listener voiced fears that Trump, who has pledged mass deportations of undocumented immigrants, might place anyone who isn't white into camps, Harris responded by addressing the border situation.
"Yeah, so you've hit on a really important point and expressed it, I think so well, which is he is achieving his intended effect to make you scared," Harris began, adding: "He prefers to run on a problem instead of fix a problem, and we got to call it out and see it for what it is."
Harris also pushed back against the idea that she and Biden mismanaged the border and should bear "a lot of the blame."
