Ever since Kamala Harris first ran for president in the 2020 Democratic primary, Donald Trump and his loyal lackeys have mispronounced her first name—an intentional tactic to delegitimize and “other” a remarkable and accomplished woman of Indian and Jamaican descent.
Trump’s son Eric mispronounced the vice president’s name during a Thursday appearance on Fox News, where he also falsely stated that the Federal Emergency Management Agency is giving a single payment of $750 to Hurricane Helene victims. FEMA has since debunked that assertion.
Campaign adviser Corey Lewandowski botched her name on CNN Wednesday while spewing lies about the 2020 election—and got called out on the microaggression.
“Corey, I think you’re a mature grown-up,” said anchor Jim Acosta. “It’s Kama-la Harris. Can you say Kama-la?”
In a shocking display of malice, Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina pronounced it the right way before catching herself and intentionally mispronouncing it during a CNN panel in September.
“I will say Ka-MAH-la’s name any way that I want to,” Mace insisted when two Black panelists attempted to correct her.
And Trump himself has done it again and again and again.
This behavior is more than just petty, and it can’t be explained away as a slip of the tongue. It serves as a racist dog whistle and a cowardly way to slight the vice president without resorting to overt name-calling. And as Acosta pointed out, it’s also quite immature.
Like many people of color, Harris has had to remind white people to show her the simple respect of pronouncing her name the right way. One surprising exception: Trump’s running mate JD Vance, who has never pretended he can’t say her “exotic” name correctly. That might have to do with the fact that his wife Usha is Indian American.
So, for the record, the name that means lotus flower in Sanskrit is pronounced "Kama-la," or phonetically: “comma-la.” During the Democratic National Convention, Harris’ adorable great-nieces even made an appearance to teach everyone in attendance how to pronounce it correctly—and illustrate that if small children can manage it, then grown-ass men certainly can too.
Harris has chosen to take the high road, finding clever ways to respond. She has been reminding people how to pronounce her name since 2016, often involving kids in her messaging.
After all, there’s a big difference between people who should know better and 5-year-olds struggling to get a name right.
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