Kamala Harris calls herself ‘the president’ during eulogy

Kamala Harris had a brief slip-up while delivering a eulogy for Democratic Representative Sheila Jackson Lee. Watch video.

US Vice-President Kamala Harris has had a brief slip-up while delivering a eulogy for Democratic Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, causing the crowd to go wild.

Ms Harris was speaking about the late congresswoman’s career when she mistakenly referred to herself as “president”, before quickly correcting herself.

She remembered that Jackson Lee had introduced legislation to establish Juneteenth, the day commemorating the end of slavery in the US, as a federal holiday.

Vice President Kamala Harris gives the eulogy during Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee's during funeral service. Picture: AFP

“Which as a US Senator, I was proud to co-sponsor and then as presi–,” Ms Harris said about her role in getting the bill through, before correcting herself.

“As vice president it was my honour – with the president! With the president!,” she said as the crowd applauded and cheered.

“It was my honour – it was my honour, with our president Joe Biden to stand beside Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee as our president signed her bill into law.”

FOLLOW UPDATES BELOW:

TRUMP GAG ORDER SETBACK

Donald Trump’s bid to dismiss a partial gag order was denied in a major setback to his presidential campaign.

The New York appeals court’s decision means Mr Trump can’t publicly rail against his conviction over hush money payments until sentencing.

Justice Juan Merchan is due to sentence Mr Trump on September 18, more than a week after the previously scheduled September 10 debate against Ms Harris; which the former president has since pulled out of.

It comes as Vice President Kamala Harris was set to cruise to the Democratic nomination as voting opened in the party’s “virtual roll call”.

While voting will continue until after the weekend, Ms Harris has no declared challengers and is set to clinch the nomination once the roll call receives the majority of votes from delegates.

Ms Harris will then make her first joint appearance with her vice presidential pick at a campaign rally in Philadelphia on Tuesday, local time.

HARRIS FIRES BACK AT TRUMP ‘BLACK’ COMMENTS

Kamala Harris has fired back over Donald Trump’s comments about her racial heritage, saying it was “the same old show” and that the “American people deserve better”.

It came after Mr Trump told a panel of black journalists in Chicago that Mr Harris “happened to turn black” a few years ago.

Mr Trump told the panel that Ms Harris, whose was born to an Indian mother and a Jamaican father, had “all of a sudden … made a turn” in her identity.

Kamala Harris speaks at Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc’s 60th International Biennial Boule in Houston, Texas. Picture: AFP

Secret Service agents open the door for US Vice President and 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris as she arrives at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. Picture: AFP

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris is in Houston. Picture: AFP

Speaking in Houston, where she addressed the historically black Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority and met with donors at a campaign fundraiser, Ms Harris blasted Mr Trump’s comments as disrespectful.

“Today, we were given yet another reminder,” she said. “This afternoon, Donald Trump spoke at the annual meeting of the National Association of Black Journalists, and it was the same old show, the divisiveness and the disrespect.

“Let me just say, the American people deserve better,” the Vice President said.

Earlier, Mr Trump fired the first grenade in the race issue by claiming Kamala Ms had misled voters about her heritage and was “turning black”.

Both campaigns are targeting one of the US election’s most consequential voting blocks, which has been shifting towards the Republican Party in increasing numbers since the 2020 election.

Donald Trump told a room full of black journalists that ‘somebody should look into’ Kamala Harris after she appeared to “turn black”. Picture: AFP

Speaking at a convention hosted by the National Association of Black Journalists, Mr Trump unloaded on panel moderator Rachel Scott as “disgraceful” for asking questions in “a horrible manner” after the ABC journalist said the former president “hosted white supremacists” at Mar-a-Lago.

When questioned about whether he thought Ms Harris was only the candidate because she was a black woman, Mr Trump said he didn’t know she was black until recently.

Trump: "I've known [Kamala] a long time indirectly. She was always of Indian heritage and she was only promoting Indian heritage. I didn't know she was black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn black. I respect either one." pic.twitter.com/3PuTRrh892

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) July 31, 2024

“I’ve known her a long time indirectly … and she was always of Indian heritage and she was only promoting Indian heritage. I didn’t know she was black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn black,” he said.

Kamala Harris’s fake southern accent puts Hillary Clinton to shame. pic.twitter.com/pXh1F2ljB5

— Ian Haworth (@ighaworth) July 30, 2024

“And now she wants to be known as black. So I don’t know, is she Indian or is she black? But you know what, I respect either one. But she obviously doesn’t. Because she was Indian all the way, then all of a sudden she made a turn and became a black person. I think somebody should look into that too.”

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre Said it was “repulsive” and “insulting” for Mr Trump to make such comments about Ms Harris, whose parents emigrated from India and Jamaica.

Originally published as Kamala Harris calls herself ‘the president’ during eulogy