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The Daily Show has ridiculed Donald Trump for sharing a video of actor Mindy Kaling teaching Kamala Harris how to cook a Southeast Indian dish while attempting to justify his recent claims that Harris just “happened to turn Black.”
On Thursday’s (August 1) episode of Comedy Central’s hit satire news show, correspondent and guest host Ronny Chieng addressed Trump’s unhinged flub, saying: “Things took a weird turn this week, and now it seems like the most dominant issue is Indians?
“As you all know, Vice President Kamala Harris is of Indian and Jamaican descent, and who better to understand the nuance of being mixed race than this guy?”
Earlier this week, during an appearance at the annual National Association of Black Journalists convention in Chicago, Trump told the moderator: “[Harris] was Indian all the way, and then all of a sudden, she made a turn and she became a Black person.”
The former President, who has faced backlash for his remarks, later shared a 2020 clip of comedian Kaling and Harris cooking Masala dosa on his Truth social platform.
“Crazy Kamala is saying she’s Indian, not Black. This is a big deal. Stone cold phony. She uses everybody, including her racial identity!” he wrote in the post’s caption.
In the video, The Mindy Project alum begins by telling Harris: “What we’re going to cook today is an Indian recipe because you are Indian!” with the VP enthusiastically concurring.
“But actually, we’re both South Indian,” Kaling adds, as Harris interjects: “You look like the entire one half of my family.”
“Damn, I forgot how weird The Office got after Michael Scott left,” Chieng joked. “So Trump posted this video but I’m like, how did he even find this? Was he doing deep oppo research on Mindy Kaling’s Instagram page? Like, how far down the Mindy rabbit hole did he go? Is he gonna come out next week like, ‘Kamala Harris is not Black, and Mindy and BJ Novak belong together, ok? Do the right thing BJ. Make an honest Indian out of her.’”
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Novak and Kaling were in an on-and-off relationship in the early aughts after having first met as co-stars on The Office. They ended their relationship in 2007 but still remain close friends.
“Also, this doesn’t even prove his point,” Chieng continued. “He’s saying that Kamala identified as Indian and not Black. And this is a video of her saying, ‘I’m half Indian.’ Like, what does Trump think the other half is? Woman?
“How does this guy not understand what half means?” the Crazy Rich Asians actor asked incredulously. “Like he constantly tells us he’s a genius, but he can’t comprehend a golden doodle?”
Concluding with a zinger, Chieng said: “By the way, Trump doesn’t get to decide how Black a Black person is. Only Kendrick Lamar can do that, ok? So Kendrick, weigh in here.”
Chieng’s quip is in reference to Lamar’s six-minute diss track, “Euphoria,” in which he hits out at Drake’s biracial identity.
