Janet Jackson questions vice president Kamala Harris's ethnicity during interview

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In a recent interview, musician Janet Jackson raised questions about Vice President Kamala Harris's ethnicity, suggesting that she had heard Harris is "not black" but rather of Indian descent. Jackson made the comments while promoting her European tour, after being asked about the possibility of the United States electing its first female black president in the 2024 election.

Jackson remarked, "That’s what I heard, that she’s Indian." The interviewer clarified that Harris is of both black and Indian heritage. Despite this, Jackson continued, stating, "Her father’s white. That’s what I was told."

Kamala Harris, whose father is of Jamaican descent and mother is Indian, has spoken openly about embracing both her identities. She attended Howard University, a historically black institution, and was a member of the Congressional Black Caucus during her time as a California senator.

When asked if the U.S. is ready for Harris to serve as president, Jackson expressed uncertainty, saying, "I think there might be mayhem, either way it goes, but we’ll have to see."

The debate over Harris’s ethnicity has been ongoing, with former President Donald Trump questioning her racial identity in July. Trump claimed Harris had previously identified as Indian and only later began identifying as African-American. Republican Congressman Byron Donalds defended Trump’s remarks, pointing to a 2016 Associated Press article that referred to Harris as the first Indian woman to win a Senate seat.