Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) said she’s skipping a criminal justice forum in South Carolina after President Donald Trump was given an award for helping pass the First Step Act.
Harris, a Democratic presidential candidate, committed to speak at the 2019 Second Step Presidential Justice Forum at Benedict College in South Carolina.
But she backed out late on Oct. 25, hours after Trump was given the Bipartisan Justice Award and a day prior to her scheduled appearance.
“As the only candidate who attended an HBCU [Historically Black College or University], I know the importance that these spaces hold for young Black Americans,” said Harris in a statement.
“Today, when it became clear Donald Trump would receive an award after decades of celebrating mass incarceration, pushing the death penalty for innocent Black Americans, rolling back police accountability measures and racist behavior that puts people’s lives at risk … I cannot in good faith be complicit in papering over his record.”
I won’t be complicit in papering over Trump’s record. pic.twitter.com/eF27XpaRZy
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) October 26, 2019
Badly failing presidential candidate @KamalaHarris will not go to a very wonderful largely African American event today because yesterday I recieved a major award, at the same event, for being able to produce & sign into law major Criminal Justice Reform legislation, which will..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 26, 2019
….greatly help the African American community (and all other communities), and which was unable to get done in past administrations despite a tremendous desire for it. This and best unemployment numbers EVER is more than Kamala will EVER be able to do for African Americans!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 26, 2019
Harris decided to host students from the Columbia area for her own criminal justice roundtable as a replacement for attending the forum, she said. She said she “stopped HBCU students from attending” the 2019 Second Step Presidential Justice Forum after learning Trump had been given an award.
Trump hit Harris over backing out from the forum in his own statement early Saturday.
“Badly failing presidential candidate @KamalaHarris will not go to a very wonderful largely African American event today because yesterday I received a major award, at the same event, for being able to produce & sign into law major Criminal Justice Reform legislation, which will greatly help the African American community (and all other communities), and which was unable to get done in past administrations despite a tremendous desire for it,” Trump wrote.
“This and best unemployment numbers EVER is more than Kamala will EVER be able to do for African Americans!”
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