Speaking to Vice President Kamala Harris’ race found a pop icon facing cancel culture backlash amid claims of spreading “disinformation.”

After Oprah Winfrey assured her audience that everyone would get a word salad courtesy of her guest, Vice President Kamala Harris, the nominee’s latest interview reinforced the need for a basement campaign.

Right on cue, The Guardian was ready with a distraction to keep vibes and feelings the focal point of the White House bid as Janet Jackson was quoted questioning the vice president’s race. After speaking with Nosheen Iqbal while promoting her Together Again tour, Jackson’s remarks were shared on the “Weekend” podcast.

“Well, you know what they supposedly said? She’s not black. That’s what I heard. That she’s Indian,” said the “Rhythm Nation” performer as the host contended the vice president was both. “Her father’s white, that’s what I was told. I mean, I haven’t watched the news in a few days. I was told that they discovered her father was white.”

Reminding the audience that Donald J. Harris is a Jamaican economist and emeritus professor at Stanford University, Iqbal went on to ask if her guest thought the United States was ready for a woman president who was also a person of color.

“I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t want to answer that because I really truthfully don’t know. I think either way it goes is going to be mayhem,” remarked Jackson.

The issue of Harris’ racial identity remained a favored topic of corporate media, particularly as former President Donald Trump had opined on it while speaking before the National Association of Black Journalists in July.

“I’ve known her for a long time, indirectly, and she was always of Indian heritage, and she was only promoting Indian heritage,” the president said. “I did not 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.”

For sharing what she had heard without being quoted as making a judgment one way or the other about Harris’ race, Jackson faced sharp criticism from both corporate media and social media users determined to defend their preferred presidential nominee.

Dear @JanetJackson,

Are you ok?

Just an FYI: This is Kamala Harris Daddy.
Who looks not unlike your Daddy (minus those green eyes Joe Jackson had).

As u can SEE, whether it’s your Daddy or Kamala’s-
no one can “find out,” THESE men are NOT Black.

Get it 2gether Damita Jo’. pic.twitter.com/AqVJNOYnym

— dre (@MotownDR) September 22, 2024

Better Headline: Janet Jackson Publicly Admits Her Struggles With Mental Health

— I am the couch (@CouchHolio) September 21, 2024

Sometimes people just need to not talk about politics ‍♂️

— Marco Kelly (@MarcoKelly_23) September 21, 2024

Meanwhile, overlooked in Jackson’s remarks was how she had brought up, “Well, there’s all this child trafficking crap that’s going on and sex trafficking crap, you know what I mean, that wasn’t so prevalent then? At least, we didn’t know about it back then. I don’t think we did, did we? Not really. I think it’s really now out in the open, because it’s like a billion dollar business and all that crap.”

Despite the expected backlash from those who’d push any narrative to oppose Trump returning to the White House, Jackson had her own defenders as well as many pointed out that the media was responsible for favoring coverage of Harris’ Indian heritage.

Everyone bashing Janet Jackson for saying she didn’t know Kamala Harris was black. Don’t hate the artist….hate the messenger. It’s what they told us. pic.twitter.com/d74tnrM2Bn

— You Actually Typed That? (@pitifulpeeps) September 21, 2024

Someone in this picture could pass as “black” and it’s NOT Kamala Harris pic.twitter.com/Nx8cKDbQTH

— George (@BehizyTweets) September 22, 2024

Janet Jackson is correct. Kamala is a Caribbean woman cosplaying as a Black American woman to open doors that are closed to Caribbean women.

— The Black Tucker Carlson Jr (@B1TuckerCarlson) September 22, 2024

As a Jamaican, I can tell you Janet is directionally correct. Kamalas father has more Irish blood than any other race. She cannot claim to be black if she has more Indian and Irish heritage. Black, if there is any is, but a minority minority of her lineage

— Eddie da Jamrocker (@Jamrocker4ever) September 21, 2024

Yea these schills probably would have jump on janet if misprounced her name lol. Been and stay rolling with Janet her music gives me strong and happy instantly.

— James (@kollagomatic) September 22, 2024

Buzzfeed reported that Jackson’s manager, Mo Elmasri provided a statement that read, “She deeply respects Vice President Kamala Harria and her accomplishments as a Black and Indian woman. Janet apologizes for any confusion caused and acknowledges the importance of accurate representation in public discourse.”

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Kevin Haggerty

Staff Writer

Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.

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