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- Kamala Harris criticized President Trump and other Republican figures who have previously mockingly mispronounced her name.
- “It’s about respect and it’s about respect for all that comes with a name,” Harris told PEOPLE Magazine.
- Harris’s comments come as Trump accused her of getting “very upset” when people mispronounce her name, adding that Harris doesn’t know how to pronounce her own name.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris fired back at President Trump and other prominent Republicans who purposely mispronounce her name.
In an interview published on Saturday, Harris told PEOPLE Magazine that names are “very important” and should be respected.
“I think that the name that your parents give you, whoever you are, meaning whatever your gender or race or background or the language your grandmother speaks, is a very special thing,” said Harris, according to PEOPLE magazine.
“Many cultures have naming ceremonies. It is a gift that is an incredible, familial gift. The family gives the child a name and so I come at it from that: not about myself, but for everyone … It’s about respect and it’s about respect for all that comes with a name.”
Harris’ comments come as President Trump accused her of getting “very upset” when he and other Republicans appear to purposely mispronounce her name, adding that she doesn’t know how to pronounce it herself.
Speaking at a rally in Waterford Township, Michigan on Friday, Trump said: “Biden’s running mate is America’s most liberal senator. She makes Bernie look like a conservative. Crazy Bernie is like a conservative compared to her,” according to Forbes.
“KAH-ma-la. You have to pronounce it exactly right, otherwise, she gets very upset, even though she can’t pronounce it right,” he added.
Watch the moment below:
—Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 30, 2020
While Harris didn’t directly address Trump’s comments in the People interview, she has previously dismissed the president’s personal attacks on her as “predictable” and “childish.”
Speaking on ABC News on Monday, Harris said: “[The] name-calling is not new to me — it’s not new to anybody who played on the playground as a child. But this is not the playground.”
Mispronouncing Harris’ name has become one of Trump’s more frequent jokes at his campaign rallies.
However, he’s not the only person who has mocked her name.
GOP Sen. David Purdue (R-Ga.), who worked with Harris for three years in the US Senate, prompted outrage after mockingly mispronouncing Harris’ name at a campaign rally for President Trump on October 17.
“KAH-mah-lah? Kah-MAH-lah? Kamala-mala-mala? I don’t know. Whatever,” Perdue, said.
His communications director later said that Perdue “didn’t mean anything by it” and that he “simply mispronounced Senator Harris’ name.”
Fox News host Tucker Carlson also took jabs at the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, accusing her of mispronouncing her name at an event in Cleveland in a segment aired earlier this week.
Harris has said that she makes a point to address people by their full name and that her team will sometimes give her “acknowledgment cards” that acknowledge the full names of people at events she attends so she can address them appropriately.
- Read more:
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