Hulk Hogan Highlights Trumpworld’s Attack on Kamala Harris’ Race

At a recent promotional event for his new beer, WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan revived a controversial attack on Vice President Kamala Harris’s racial identity. Known as a supporter of former President Donald Trump, Hogan made a joke regarding Harris’s Indian heritage and raised eyebrows with comments implying she might be a “chameleon.”

The incident, which unfolded on Monday night, featured Hogan offering to “body slam” Harris, eliciting cheers from the crowd. This lively exchange caught the attention of a pro-Harris account on X and was initially highlighted by TMZ.

This outburst appears to have resurfaced tensions from earlier comments made by Trump at the National Association of Black Journalists conference, where he brazenly claimed that Harris “happened to turn Black” after previously identifying predominantly as Indian-American.

Trump did not stop there; he later reinforced this narrative on Truth Social, sharing a video of Harris discussing her Indian roots while labeling her “Crazy Kamala” and deriding her for supposedly switching her racial identity for political gain. In response, Harris denounced the remarks as part of a repetitive and divisive narrative meant to undermine her character and identity.

Hogan’s comments on Monday were notably laced with elements of humor, although many found them problematic. “You wanna get crazy?” he posed to the audience, prompting enthusiastic responses with each follow-up question. He continued, “You want me to throw more beers out? You want me to body slam somebody? You want me to body slam Kamala Harris?”

He went on to question Harris’s racial identity directly, asking, “Is Kamala a chameleon? Is she Indian?” This was met with laughter from the crowd, but Hogan quickly attempted to soften his remarks saying, “I’m gonna get heat for that one, brother. That was not me, that was the beers talking.”

His remarks echo the often outlandish and aggressive persona associated with professional wrestling, where hyperbolic rhetoric is commonplace. When approached for comments, Hogan’s talent agency defended his statement by suggesting Harris had previously presented herself primarily as Indian-American, casting doubt on her current emphasis on her Black heritage.

Agency representative Linda Bose cited a headline from the Times of India to support claims regarding her Indian identity. However, she fell short in asserting that Harris is neither the first Black presidential candidate nor the first Indian-American prosecutor in U.S. history, despite the fact that should Harris succeed in her political aspirations, she would indeed make history as the first female president.

Kamala Harris, whose roots trace back to India and Jamaica, made history as the first Indian-American senator in the United States. She has often brought attention to her biracial identity and has celebrated her heritage across various platforms during her career.

The fallout from Hogan’s comments raises larger concerns within the Republican Party. Many members worry that this focus on racial and gender-based attacks could detract from substantive issues the party should address. House Speaker Mike Johnson previously warned fellow Republicans against targeting Harris based on her ethnicity or gender after several offensive jests labeling her a “DEI hire” circulated in July.

Yet, this call for restraint appears to have fallen on deaf ears. Several prominent Republicans, including Kellyanne Conway, Senator Lindsey Graham, and Governor Larry Hogan, have encouraged Trump and the party to temper their personal attacks, yet Trump has chosen to maintain his divisive rhetoric.

In a political climate fraught with tension and division, the focus on personal identity by the GOP continues to spark controversy, indicating a persistent challenge for the party as it heads into the upcoming election cycles. It remains to be seen whether these tactics will resonate with voters or backfire in the long run, as public sentiment continues to evolve regarding matters of race and identity in American politics.

Source: Business Insider