New Delhi, India

Less than a month after stepping up as the Democratic presidential candidate, US Vice President Kamala Harris is gaining momentum in the race, moving ahead in polls and attracting large crowds at rallies across the United States. This week, the presumptive presidential candidate for the Democratic Party also landed on the cover of Time Magazine. 

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Kamala Harris' TIME cover has earned itself an unlikely admirer: Donald Trump, her political rival.

In his recent August 12 interview with Elon Musk on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, Trump described Harris as a "beautiful woman".

So far, so good, right? What can be construed as problematic is that Trump did not stop there. The Republican widely known for his anti-immigrant and at times blatantly racist comments went on to compare Harris' beauty with his wife Melania Trump.

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Was Trump whitewashing Kamala Harris?

Just a few days back, Donald Trump questioned Kamala Harris's racial identity as a Black woman.

In a controversial interaction with African American journalists in Chicago on Jul 31, former President Trump suggested that Kamala Harris had "turned Black" for political purposes. 

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He falsely claimed Kamala had initially identified as Indian, but "all of a sudden, she made a turn, and she became a Black person."

Also read | 'Fake, fake': Trump accuses Harris of 'turning black' for political gain

Now, speaking to Musk, he praised Harris' beauty, comparing her to his wife, former First Lady Melania Trump. 

"She looks like the most beautiful actress ever to live," Trump remarked, seemingly downplaying her racial identity by comparing her to a different standard of beauty. 

"It was a drawing, and actually, she looked very much like a great first lady, Melania," he said.

His comment can be seen merely as superficial praise. However, Trump also said that, "She didn't look like Kamala," which can also be seen as an attempt to whitewash Kamala Harris' identity as a person of colour and a try to box her into the traditional, Eurocentric standards of beauty.

"But of course, she's a beautiful woman, so we'll leave it at that," added Trump.

A U-turn on Harris?

Despite this compliment, Trump as usual didn't hold back on criticising Harris and her campaign. 

He accused the media of giving Harris a "free ride" and not scrutinising her views adequately since she became the Democratic candidate. He also took a jab at Harris for avoiding interviews, a move that has been seized upon by Republicans as a sign of reluctance to engage with the media.

Also read | Trump backs Vance in 'childless cat ladies' controversy, says he said that because 'family is good'

Trump's criticisms extended beyond Harris' media appearances. In the same conversation with Musk, he accused Harris of attempting to mimic his policies, specifically citing her recent pledge to eliminate tax on tips—a policy Trump had previously proposed. He further claimed that Harris was trying to position herself as "more Trump than Trump," a tactic he dismissed as insincere.

The interview, which was delayed due to a reported cyberattack on X, also saw Trump veer into discussions on global warming, nuclear proliferation, and even the idea of moving to Venezuela if he loses the upcoming election.

(With inputs from agencies)