Jonah Patel
Former US Vice President Kamala Harris and former US President Donald Trump have a history of exchanging words. In 2024, Trump reportedly used a four-letter word to describe Harris during a 90-minute speech in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. This incident, along with a genitalia joke, sparked discussions about the normalisation of fascism in America. Trump has also been reported to have used a slur often targeted at women to describe Harris during private conversations.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the four-letter word | R-word |
| Person who used the word | Donald Trump |
| Person the word was used to describe | Kamala Harris |
| Location | Trump Tower penthouse |
| Date | 29th September |
| Attendees | Betsy DeVos, Paul Singer, Warren Stevens |
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What You'll Learn
Trump's reported use of the R-word
In 2024, former US President Donald Trump was reported to have used a four-letter word to describe Kamala Harris, his opponent in the upcoming presidential election. According to The New York Times, Trump used the term while hosting a gathering at his Trump Tower penthouse on September 29. The outlet reported that Trump "lashed out" about donors not appreciating him and aired grievances about the 2024 presidential race.
In addition to his reported use of the R-word, Trump has also intentionally mispronounced Harris's first name and called her the "worst" vice president during a 90-minute ramble in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. He has also made false claims about Harris's race and spread disinformation about her statements. Trump's bluntness and controversial statements have been a consistent feature of his political career, and his words have often landed him in trouble.
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Trump's history of derogatory statements
Donald Trump has a long history of making derogatory statements, particularly those targeting racial, religious, and ethnic minorities, women, and political opponents. While he and his supporters deny that his comments are racist, many of his statements have been widely condemned as such.
One of the most well-known instances of Trump's derogatory remarks was his call for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States" following the San Bernardino shooting in 2015. This statement triggered widespread condemnation from both major political parties, with Trump justifying it as necessary to protect the country from "horrendous attacks."
Trump has also made numerous offensive comments about Black people, including expressing a belief in the racist stereotype that "laziness is a trait in Blacks" and stating that he prefers to have "short guys that wear yarmulkes all day" counting his money instead of Black people. In an interview in 1989, he remarked that "a well-educated black has a tremendous advantage over a well-educated white in terms of the job market," a sentiment he has echoed in more recent years with comments about immigrants from Haiti and African countries.
Trump's derogatory statements have also targeted political opponents, including Kamala Harris. In 2024, less than a month before the election, Trump reportedly called Harris the ""r-word" during a dinner with billionaire donors. He has also intentionally mispronounced her name and referred to her as a "s--- vice president."
Trump's rhetoric often employs coded racial messaging and echoes America's history of portraying Black people as inferior. He has used terms like "animal" and "racist" to describe Black district attorneys and prosecutors, made unsupported claims about their personal lives, and deployed language that rhymes with racial slurs.
In addition to his racist and xenophobic remarks, Trump has a history of making offensive comments about women. In 1999, he told Playboy that he hated having "black guys counting my money," expressing a preference for Jewish men in financial roles.
Trump's supporters often deny that his comments are racist or derogatory, with spokesman Steven Cheung claiming that Trump "doesn't have a racist bone in his body." However, his long history of offensive statements suggests otherwise, and his rhetoric continues to appeal to far-right supporters, as evidenced by the "I'm Voting for the Convict" flags and yard signs seen at his rallies.
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Kamala Harris' response to losing to Trump
In 2024, Kamala Harris lost the US presidential election to Donald Trump. Harris's response to losing the election was to tell her supporters, "do not despair". However, she was criticised for failing to make a case for how she would be different from her boss, President Joe Biden, and for focusing too much of her campaign on attacking Trump. Veteran Republican pollster Frank Luntz commented that "voters already know everything there is about Trump – but they still wanted to know more about Harris’ plans".
In the months leading up to the election, Trump reportedly called Harris the "r-word" during a private dinner with billionaire donors. This incident received media attention and may have contributed to the negative perception of Harris's campaign.
Following her loss, Harris's longtime friend and mentee, Democratic California Rep. Lateefah Simon, was chosen to deliver the response to Trump's Congressional address in March 2025. Simon emphasised the need for a government that represents working people rather than billionaires.
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Trump's claims about Harris' race
In 2024, former US President Donald Trump was accused of using a racial slur when referring to Vice President Kamala Harris. According to a report by the New York Times, Trump called Harris the "r-word" while hosting a gathering at his Trump Tower penthouse. This incident occurred less than a month before Election Day, during which Trump and Harris were running against each other for the presidency.
Trump has a history of making controversial and false statements about Harris's race. In August 2024, during an appearance with the National Association of Black Journalists in Chicago, Trump falsely suggested that Harris, the first Black woman and Asian American to serve as vice president, had misled voters about her race. Harris is the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, both immigrants to the US. Trump claimed:
> I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black and now she wants to be known as Black. So, I don’t know, is she Indian or is she Black?
Harris responded to Trump's comments during her address to a sorority group in Houston, calling his remarks "the same old show: the divisiveness and the disrespect." She emphasised that Americans deserved better and that their differences should not divide them but rather be a source of strength.
In addition to his direct comments about Harris's race, Trump also approved a series of negative advertisements during the 2024 presidential campaign. These ads, aired more than 30,000 times in every swing state, targeted Harris's stance on transgender issues. One ad featured a flamboyantly costumed transgender person and an interview in which Harris seemed to support gender-altering surgery for prison inmates at taxpayer expense. The punchline of the ad was "Kamala is for they/them, President Trump is for you."
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Harris' warnings about a second Trump presidency
During her 2024 bid for the White House, former Vice President Kamala Harris warned of the perils of a second Donald Trump presidency. In a video posted to TikTok in late February 2025, Harris highlighted how Trump's plans would reverse progress in the U.S., hike up prices, and lead to the elimination of the Department of Education—as outlined in Project 2025.
Harris's warnings about a second Trump presidency were prescient, as many of Trump's actions in his early days in office for the second term reflected the priorities laid out in Project 2025. For instance, Trump's Education Secretary, Linda McMahon, expressed support for dissolving the Department of Education, and a recent email directed the closure of several department offices. Additionally, Harris cautioned that a Trump presidency would result in detrimental cuts to Medicaid, which was corroborated by a Congressional Budget Office analysis indicating that Republicans would need to cut billions from government health programs to meet their budget goals.
Harris's warnings about the dangers of a second Trump term extended beyond domestic policy. In the lead-up to the 2024 election, Harris argued that Trump posed a "clear and present danger to democracy." This assertion was based on Trump's stance on abortion, where he declared that each state should decide the matter for itself and vowed to veto a national abortion ban. While this modulated position helped him avoid paying a political price, it outraged many longtime foes of abortion. Harris also faced challenges during her campaign, including her association with the unpopular Biden administration and her inability to create a clearer political profile, which opened her up to attacks from the Trump campaign.
In the end, Trump emerged victorious in the 2024 election, sweeping the swing states and improving his vote share across the board. He also led the Republican Party to a larger-than-expected Senate majority. Harris's warnings about the potential consequences of a second Trump presidency did not come to fruition, as his victory signaled a new era in American politics.
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Frequently asked questions
Trump called Harris the "r-word" during a private dinner with billionaire donors.
The r-word is a slur often targeted at women.
The r-word is slang for "retard".
Trump has also called Harris a "bitch" and a "shit vice president".
