Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Colbert mocks Trump for reportedly calling Harris a ‘b****’ behind closed doors

This is far from Trump’s first sexist attack against the vice president

Kelly Rissman
Tuesday 13 August 2024 11:51 EDT
Comments
Stephen Colbert mocks Donald Trump's latest insult against Kamala Harris

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

The Late Show host Stephen Colbert mocked Donald Trump after reports surfaced claiming that the former president has called Vice President Kamala Harris a “bitch” in private on more than one occasion.

Trump has called Harris a “bitch” repeatedly in private on separate occasions, two sources told The New York Times.

“Sir, it’s pronounced karma. And yeah, it’s a bitch,” Colbert joked on Monday’s show.

When asked about Trump’s latest sexist attack against Harris, Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung told The Independent in a statement: “That is not language President Trump has used to describe Kamala and it’s not how the campaign would characterize her.”

“Although, Kamala has previously called herself that,” he added, along with a link to an undated Rumble clip of Harris telling a crowd: “As a woman, there’s a balance to be struck between being tough and being a bitch.”

Donald Trump speaks during an election campaign rally in Bozeman, Montana, on August 9, 2024. Reports say he has been calling Kamala Harris a ‘b****’ behind closed doors
Donald Trump speaks during an election campaign rally in Bozeman, Montana, on August 9, 2024. Reports say he has been calling Kamala Harris a ‘b****’ behind closed doors (AFP via Getty Images)

Trump’s sexist attacks against Harris are not new.

He has repeatedly attacked her intelligence. Trump has asserted that Harris has a “low IQ,” called her “dumb as a rock,” and claimed she is “not smart enough to do a news conference.”

On Fox & Friends last week, Trump said: “I heard she’s sort of a nasty person.” With this attack, Trump seems to be echoing his 2016 campaign against Hillary Clinton, when he repeatedly called the former Secretary of State “nasty.”

On top of this, he recently uttered another familiar sexist term, calling Harris “crazy” — an epithet he has reserved for former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in recent years.

Meanwhile, a resurfaced clip that has gone viral shows Trump’s running mate JD Vance describing Harris as “childless cat lady” who doesn’t have a “direct stake” in the country’s future — a remark he has defended in recent days.

Former Clinton spokesperson Karen Finney told The Guardian last month that these types of attacks, like insulting one’s intelligence, are “pretty common tropes that we see used against women.”

Donna Brazile, a Democratic strategist close to Harris, also commented on the familiarity of Trump’s attacks against women, telling theWashington Postlast month: “I don’t think we should spend any time worried about what nickname he gives the vice president of the United States. It’s what he has done to the women of the United States.”

Trump has also joined into the barrage of Republicans’ racist remarks made about Harris.

The former president has gone so far as to question the vice president’s race. Speaking at a National Association of Black Journalists Conference last month, Trump claimed that Harris only “happened to turn Black” recently and then asked: “Is she Indian or is she Black?”

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in