'Desperate, scared old man': Harris VP short lister Mark Kelly blasts Trump for combative interview
Sen. Mark Kelly piled on to the criticism of former President Donald Trump’s combative interview with Black journalists Wednesday, insisting that Trump is a “scared old man” who is “not going to change.”
Speaking to reporters outside the U.S. Capitol, Kelly, D-Ariz., a vice presidential possibility whose every word now gains extra scrutiny, implied Trump is a racist unable to avoid racist statements.
Trump commented on the racial identity of Vice President Kamala Harris, whose parents were Black and Indian American.
“She was Indian all the way, and then all of a sudden she made a turn and she became a Black person,” Trump told reporters gathered in Chicago for the National Association of Black Journalists. His observation drew gasps and was part of a largely hostile 34-minute interview.
Kelly took a dim view of Trump’s words.
“I think those were the comments of a desperate, scared old man who, over the last week especially, has been having his butt kicked by an experienced prosecutor,” Kelly said. “And I think he’s worried. … His comments are not unexpected for him.”
Kelly has over the past week embraced a more aggressive tone toward Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio.
“It’s pretty obvious to me why he’s doing this,” Kelly said of Trump. Asked whether Trump’s words were rooted in racism, Kelly said, “It’s who he is. Yeah, sure. But it’s who the guy is. He’s always been like this.”
Kelly, who grew up in New Jersey, said Trump’s reputation as a “New Yorker business guy” hasn’t changed since Kelly was a kid in the 1980s. “He’s not going to change.”
Kelly is believed to be among the finalists for Harris’ running mate, along with others, including Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Earlier in the day, Kelly appeared on MSNBC to assail Trump and Vance, who was visiting Arizona on Wednesday, for derailing a bipartisan border-security bill.
“Like a lot of other Republicans, they don’t actually want to solve this problem. They just want to talk about it. That’s why his running mate, JD Vance, is down at the border to take a picture. That’s the only reason he’s there.”
Kelly has not commented about being in the running for the vice-presidential slot, though his social media included a campaign commercial showing biographical footage of himself as a Navy combat pilot and astronaut in a message touting the candidacies of fellow Democrats Harris and U.S. Senate candidate Ruben Gallego.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Harris VP prospect Mark Kelly calls Trump 'scared old man'
