Politics

“Her Dad Is A Marxist Professor and He Taught Her Well”, Trump on Kamala Harris’ Economics Professor Dad

Published by
Ameenah Hassan

Trumpism refers to the political ideas of former President Donald Trump or the bizarre claims and lies of the Republican presidential candidate. In and out of office, he has kept the media and the world supplied of the weird claims and outrageous inventions without stopping to blink. The biggest Trumpism of the September 10 presidential debate with Vice President Kamala Harris was the claim that illegal migrants from Haiti in Ohio,  were eating the pets- dogs and cats-of their American hosts. Trump did not clarify if they were eating the pets raw, cooked or barbecued but the claim has since been debunked by the state authorities as completely false. It will go down as one of the biggest Trumpism of the 2024 presidential elections.

There is however a hidden gem that did not get big headlines – Donald Trump’s characterisation of Kamala Harris as a “Marxist”, attributing her alleged Marxism to her father, “a Marxist professor in economics”. Trump added, “He taught her well.”

 

Who is Donald J. Harris, Kamala Harris’ Father ? 

Donald J. Harris, born on August 24, 1938, in Jamaica, is a distinguished academic and economist. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and completed his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley. Harris met his future wife, Shyamala Gopalan, a breast cancer researcher from India, while they were both students at the University of California, Berkeley. Their shared academic interests and commitment to social justice forged a strong bond. Harris has held teaching positions at several prestigious institutions, including Stanford University and the University of the West Indies. He is known for his research in the areas of development economics and the economics of the Caribbean.

Is Kamala Harris’ Dad Really A Marxist ?

Donald J. Harris’ scholarship focuses on development economics and Caribbean economic studies, where he challenges conventional economic theories. One of his major works, “Capitalism and Class Structure in Caribbean Society,” critiques traditional economic models and explores the unique class dynamics and economic structures in Caribbean societies. Harris is known for his disagreement with orthodox economic views, particularly those that overlook the historical and socio-economic contexts of developing regions. He argues that mainstream economics often fails to account for the impact of colonialism and social injustice on economic development. His work reflects a commitment to more inclusive and context-sensitive economic analysis. But this does not make him a Marxist in the conventional way understood in academia or politics and culture.

Donald J. Harris published two highly influential books on Jamaica’s economy,  Jamaica’s Export Economy: Towards a Strategy of Export-Led Growth (1997) and A Growth-Inducement Strategy for Jamaica in the Short and Medium Term (edited with G. Hutchinson, Planning Institute of Jamaica, 2012).

In recent years, Jamaica has been recognized as an economic success story due to its sustained economic growth and significant reductions in public debt. Some attribute this success to an agreement between Jamaica and the International Monetary Fund, which was facilitated by Harris’s growth strategy for the country. Given his contributions to pragmatic economic policy and development strategies, it is thus peculiar to label Donald J. Harris a Marxist, as his work often aligns more closely with market-oriented and practical approaches to economic growth.

Ameenah Hassan

Ameenah Hassan is a content writer with experience in public relations. She has contributed to Arbiterz since 2021, writing research-based news and features on business. She is currently pursuing a degree in Mass Communication at the University of Lagos.

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