Laura Coates Cuts off Trump Sr. Surrogate for Saying Kamala Harris ‘Did Run as Indian-American’

COATES: “Tia, well said. And frankly, many of the questions that were asked, if not all, had been on the minds of journalists all across the country, all across the globe, and they were asked at this event in Chicago for the National Association of Black Journalists. Let me turn to you, Bruce, because Trump has made headlines once again. I can‘t think of an opportunity when he has not made headlines. One of the big issues is that he was challenging the racial identity of Vice President Kamala Harris. And I wonder, from your perspective, why would that be the vehicle to attack her identity when there could possibly be policy differences that he could illuminate for the betterment of his own campaign?”
LEVELL: “Yeah, well, thanks for having me. Good afternoon. Good evening, should I say. Listen, I — I look at it in this perspective — and I just want to shout out to Kevin lemon, the president of NABJ, for putting on this great event and, you know, giving kudos and — to everyone that was involved, kudos to Tia in putting this together, I think it‘s important. I‘ve been a frequent visitor of the Atlanta Association of Black Journalism here in Atlanta and I have family that have benefited off of that program, because let‘s be Frank, I‘m one of the oldest person on this panel. I remember the 80s, it was the true conduit to get through to be a journalist, to get intern jobs here at CNN and other places. So, the answer to your question as it relates to that, you know, we all know, when Vice President Kamala Harris ran for attorney general, and you can fact-check me on this, news outlets said she‘s the first Indian American. She did run as Indian American, okay? And then she was chosen for the vice president nominee as the candidate for Joe Biden, and he was told that you will get a black woman, so then she said, ‘Well, here is a black woman.’ So in all fairness, when she asked that question to President Trump, that‘s a valid answer because that‘s based on her, where she was in her life, what she chose to be at that time. So that‘s where that answer comes in. So, she‘s the one that did this. She‘s the one that did it.”
MANIGAULT NEWMAN: “Oh, Bruce.”
COATES: “Hold on one second. I want to just make clear, I know we’re on this panel — excuse me — “
LEVELL: “But it’s true.”
COATES: “Excuse me, sir, do not overtalk me — no, no, I’m going to give you an opportunity to speak. Excuse me, do not overtalk me on my program. I’m trying to give — that‘s why, if you would allow me to speak, I would clarify the opportunities for each of you on the panel to have a chance to speak and have your own point heard to an audience who‘s eager and waiting with bated breath to hear your opinion, but you cannot talk over each other. I want everyone to hear. So when I hear — you hear this voice or this ding, ding, ding of the Laura Coates sound, please stop. Van, let me go to you, because you were reacting to what was being said, and I want you to have a chance to react to this thought that Kamala Harris only lately revealed herself as a black woman.”