Kamala Harris insists she has to 'earn' Black male votes but gets slammed for 'vague rhetoric'

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA: Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris discussed her plan to win the support of Black male voters during her appearance at a National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) event in Philadelphia on Tuesday, September 17.

Harris faced a three-journalist panel who questioned her about Black voters possibly feeling left out in the current economy and lending their support to her Republican rival, former president Donald Trump.

A poll released by the NAACP on September 13 showed declining support for Democrats among young Black men, reported Newsweek.

Harris leads Trump 63% to 13% overall among Black voters, and her support among Black women stands strong at 67%. However, among Black men under 50, the figure drops to 49%.

Kamala Harris' message for Black male voters

"Black men are like any other voting group. You've got to earn their vote," Kamala Harris stated at the event.

"I'm working to earn the vote, not assuming that I would have it because I'm Black, but because the policies and the perspectives that I have understands what we must do to recognize the needs for all communities."

She blamed the economic situation on the previous administration headed by Trump, saying, "We came in during the worst unemployment since the Great Depression. We came in at the worst public health epidemic in centuries. We came in after the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War. A lot of it is due in large part to the mismanagement of the former President. We had a lot of work to do to clean up a mess."

Touting the progress made under President Joe Biden's administration, which includes creating new jobs, lowering the unemployment rate, and capping medicine prices, Harris acknowledged that there was still a lot left to be done.

"Do we have more work to do? Yes. I do believe that I offer a new generation of leadership for our country that is about turning a page on an era that sadly has shown us attempts by some to insight fear and create division in our country," she continued.

She addressed all Black voters and Americans in general as she discussed her "opportunity economy" plan, which included additional housing and affordable childcare.

"I believe there are a lot of opportunities available to the American people if we just see people and understand what they want for themselves and their families and just meet them where they are," she added.

Donald Trump's attack on Kamala Harris on being Black

Kamala Harris' conversation at the NABJ event stood in sharp contrast with Donald Trump's appearance at the group's convention in Chicago in July.

The former president sparked a controversy by attacking Harris over her biracial identity at the event. The current Vice President is both Black and Indian, with a Jamaican father and Indian mother.

"I've known (Harris) 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 and now she wants to be known as Black," stated Trump at the event, asking, "So I don't know, is she Indian or is she Black?"

Conservatives call out Kamala Harris for not outlining a clear plan for Black voters

Netizens, especially conservatives, took to X (formerly Twitter) to express their views on Harris' NABJ event remarks.

Some complained that she did not highlight any plan to help Black male voters specifically.

"Can she ever answer a question without avoiding the question and spewing out a word salad?" asked one social media user.

"Translation: I don't have a plan," said another.

"She sure talks a lot but never says anything," wrote one person.

"Dodging the real question. Black men aren't in anyone's pocket, but they deserve real answers, not vague rhetoric," noted another.

"No policy mentioned. Nothing actually about the economy. No surprise," added one individual.

"The only thing Democrats do is pander to the black community every four years and then in between they don’t do a damn thing for them," expressed another.

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