Kamala Harris responds to Tim Scott's claim that "America is not a racist country"

Washington DC – Vice President Kamala Harris was asked to weigh in on Senator Tim Scott's claim that "America is not a racist country" during an exclusive interview with Good Morning America on Thursday.

Vice President Kamala Harris agreed "America is not a racist country" in a Good Morning America interview on Thursday.
Vice President Kamala Harris agreed "America is not a racist country" in a Good Morning America interview on Thursday.  © IMAGO / ZUMA Wire

Speaking on the Biden administration's first 100 days in office, Harris touted the president's coronavirus response strategy and bipartisan approach to negotiations.

Then the conversation turned to the Republican response to Joe Biden's joint address to Congress, delivered by Senator Tim Scott.

In the speech, Scott claimed, "America is not a racist country. It’s backwards to fight discrimination with different types of discrimination. And it’s wrong to try to use our painful past to dishonestly shut down debates in the present."

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"No, I don’t think America is a racist country," Harris agreed, before proceeding to add, "But we also do have to speak truth about the history of racism in our country and its existence today. I applaud the president for always having the ability and the courage, frankly, to speak the truth about it."

Harris identified "domestic terrorism" carried out by white supremacists as the biggest threat to America's national security.

"It doesn’t help to heal our country, to unify us as a people, to ignore the realities of that," she said.

Harris seemed to be trying to strike a balance between not alienating potential voters or Republican colleagues and acknowledging that there are, indeed, racial justice issues in America.

Before becoming vice president, Harris was one of only four (now three) Black senators. Scott is the only Republican in that group.

Cover photo: IMAGO / ZUMA Wire

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