Donald Trump Rips ‘Failing’ Kamala Harris for Boycotting Criminal Justice Reform Event

Democratic presidential hopeful California Senator Kamala Harris listens to a question dur
ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images

President Donald Trump ripped Sen. Kamala Harris on Saturday for boycotting a criminal justice reform event because the group awarded the president for achieving landmark legislation on the issue.

Trump said he had done more for black Americans than Kamala Harris would ever accomplish, noting the bill he signed in December 2018 and record low unemployment numbers for African Americans.

He wrote on Twitter:

Badly failing presidential candidate Kamala Harris will not go to a very wonderful largely African American event today because yesterday I recieved (sic) a major award, at the same event, for being able to produce & sign into law major Criminal Justice Reform legislation, which will greatly help the African American community (and all other communities), and which was unable to get done in past administrations despite a tremendous desire for it. This and best unemployment numbers EVER is more than Kamala will EVER be able to do for African Americans!

The 20/20 Bipartisan Justice Center was founded in 2015 by 20 Democrats and 20 Republicans and gave an award to Trump for signing the First Step Act. Trump personally attended the award ceremony at the historically black Benedict College in South Carolina on Friday and delivered a lengthy speech on the issue.

“The First Step Act proved that we can achieve amazing breakthroughs when we come together as a nation and we put the interests of our citizens before the interests of any political party,” Trump said after receiving the award.

2020 presidential candidates were invited to a separate forum on the issue on Saturday.

But Harris appeared interested in making a partisan political stand in response to the event as she looks to energize her flagging presidential campaign.

“I cannot in good faith be complicit in papering over his record,” Harris said, accusing the president of “celebrating mass incarceration, pushing the death penalty for innocent Black Americans, rolling back police accountability measures and racist behavior that puts people’s lives at risk.”

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