Rep. Donalds defends Trump over 'phony' Harris race controversy

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., defended former President Donald Trump after some criticized his recent comments as "racist." Trump attracted criticism after he accused Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris of playing up her black identity for electoral advantage.

Donalds referred to the outrage as a "phony controversy" in an ABC "This Week" interview on Sunday, The Hill reported.

The controversy erupted when Trump on Wednesday said Harris "happened to turn black." Trump made the comment during an interview at the National Association of Black Journalists convention.

"This is really a phony controversy," Donalds told ABC's George Stephanopoulos. "I don't really care. Most people don't."

Donalds criticized The Associated Press for creating the "phony controversy," noting the outlet touted "Harris’s election as the first Indian-American senator."

"The AP did not say that Kamala Harris is not black. She is biracial. She is Indian. She is black," Stephanopoulos pushed back while accusing Donalds and Trump of "repeat[ing] the slur."