Harris hits back at Trump: ‘My whole life I’ve fought for justice and for the people’ | TheHill – The Hill

White House hopeful Sen. Kamala HarrisKamala Devi HarrisKamala Harris skipping forum to protest award given to Trump Elijah Cummings, native son of Baltimore, gets emotional send-off from Democratic luminaries Biden’s lead shrinks in South Carolina poll MORE (D-Calif.) fired back at President TrumpDonald John TrumpKey witness in impeachment investigation asks federal judge to rule on testifying Pompeo voices support for work of diplomat criticized by Trump Biden, Sanders defend themselves over questions of age MORE Saturday after he attacked her for skipping a forum at Benedict College in South Carolina.

Trump had slammed the California Democrat as a “badly failing presidential candidate” after she said she would not attend the event, adding that he’s done “more than Kamala will EVER be able to do for African Americans!”

“My whole life I’ve fought for justice and for the people — something you’d know nothing about. The only part of criminal justice you can claim credit for is the ‘criminal’ part,” Harris hit back.

My whole life I’ve fought for justice and for the people — something you’d know nothing about. The only part of criminal justice you can claim credit for is the “criminal” part. https://t.co/ykIoNI3Y0D

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) October 26, 2019

The response comes a day after Trump was honored at Benedict for his efforts to pass the First Step Act last year, a bill that sought to revamp the criminal justice system. Harris was set to speak at the historically black college’s Second Step Presidential Justice Forum on Saturday, but withdrew from the event after the school named Trump the winner of the Bipartisan Justice Award.

“As the only candidate who attended an [historically black college or university], I know the importance that these spaces hold for young Black Americans,” Harris said in a statement Friday.

“Today, when it became clear Donald Trump would receive an award after decades 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 … I cannot in good faith be complicit in papering over his record.” 

Trump has been accused of racism since his time as a real estate mogul when was accused of not renting property to black residents in the private sector and just this week faced bipartisan rebukes for likening the House’s impeachment investigation to a “lynching.”

Rather than participate in Benedict College’s event, Harris will host students from around Columbia, S.C., for a criminal justice roundtable.