WATCH: Vivek Ramaswamy Destroys Kamala Harris For Abandoning Her Indian Identity - 'She Wore That When It Was Convenient'

After President Donald Trump's Q&A panel with the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) on Wednesday, former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy reacted to one of the Republican nominee's more controversial comments about the vice president's heritage.

During the event, hosted by ABC News correspondent Rachel Scott, Fox News's Harris Faulkner, and Semafor reporter Kadia Goba, Trump explained that he didn't know that Vice President Kamala Harris "was black" until she began to run for office. He explained that she used to identify as Indian-American until it became more advantageous to promote her African-American roots.

"Some of your own supporters, including Republicans on Capitol Hill, have labeled Vice President Kamala Harris, who is the first black and Asian-American woman to be on a major party ticket, as a DEI hire. Is that acceptable language to you, and will you tell those Republicans and those supporters to stop it?" Scott asked. After Trump repeatedly asked for a definition of diversity, equity, and inclusion, Trump stated that Harris has been fluid with how she identifies herself.

"She was always of Indian heritage," Trump said. "I didn't know she was black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn black. ... So is she Indian, or is she black? But you know, I respect either one, but she obviously doesn't. She was Indian all the way, and all of a sudden, she made a turn, and she was a black person. I think somebody should look into that."

In response to his comment, Vivek Ramaswamy, who's parents immigrated to America from the same region of India that Harris's mother emigrated from, doubled down on Harris's use of race to get ahead. 

"It's jsut a fact, many Indian-Americans in the US are indeed somewhat offended by the way Kamala has suddenly cast aside the Indian-American side of identity. She leaned into it when she ran for office in California, big Indian-American and Asian-American population so she wore that when it was convenient," he explained. "She's wearing a different identity now when it's politically convenient on a national stage."

"Personally, I don't think we should be relying on these ethnic identities at all. We're actually American, and the problem is that when you are Kamala Harris, and you actually lean into your identity politics, you open the door to that type of criticism," Ramaswamy explained. "But if you ask me, that shouldn't be how this election is decided one way or another. It should be decided on our own identity as Americans and what our vision is for the future of our country. The one thing that is lacking from Kamala Harris's candidacy is that she lacks that vision for the country."

WATCH:

Vivek on Kamala's Heritage:

"Many Indian-Americans in the US are indeed somewhat offended by the way Kamala has suddenly cast aside the Indian-American side of identity... She wore that when it was convenient. She's wearing a different identity now." pic.twitter.com/Si7Pzk7zRJ

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) July 31, 2024

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