The father of presidential hopeful Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) is sounding off after a wisecrack his daughter made about her pot-smoking days in college.
Donald Harris, a professor emeritus of economics at Stanford University, took issue with Kamala’s remarks to “The Breakfast Club” radio show earlier this month where she seemed to attribute her support for legalizing marijuana to her Jamaican heritage.
Kamala Harris (left) denied ever being opposed to the legalization of marijuana and even admitted to smoking pot in college. (YouTube video screenshot)
The senator, who was born to an Indian mother and a Jamaican father, admitted to smoking a joint in her younger days, jokingly adding, “I did inhale,” — a reference to former president Bill Clinton‘s past remarks about using marijuana but not inhaling. When pressed by host Charlamagne Tha God about her previous opposition to legalizing marijuana, the senator replied, “That’s not true — heck, half my family is from Jamaica. Are you kidding me?”
It was this quip that apparently didn’t sit well with her father.
In a statement last week to Jamaica Global Online, Donald Harris reportedly said, “My dear departed grandmothers … as well as my deceased parents must be turning in their grave right now to see their family’s name, reputation and proud Jamaican identity being connected to, in any way, jokingly or not, with the fraudulent stereotype of a pot-smoking joy seeker and in the pursuit of identity politics.”
“Speaking for myself and my immediate Jamaican family, we categorically dissociate ourselves from this travesty.”
Harris, who officially entered the race for president last month, has been called on the carpet by critics who’ve accused her of pandering to African-American voters. The California Democrat was also reportedly caught in a “weird lie” after claiming she smoked pot in college while listening to rappers Tupac and Snoop Dogg — whose albums didn’t debut until after she had graduated.
According to POLITICO, Harris’ father once worked with the Jamaican website’s administrator while consulting and writing about the economy there in the 1990s. He declined to elaborate on his recent remarks, saying, “I have decided to stay out of all the political hullabaloo by not engaging in any interviews with the media.”
Kamala Harris’ camp has yet to comment on the matter.
