JD Vance Is Wrong — Kamala Harris Isn’t Changing Her Accent

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By John McWhorter

Produced by Kristina Samulewski

Recently, Republicans have taken to accusing Kamala Harris of using fake accents while on the campaign trail. In this episode of “The Opinions,” John McWhorter, an Opinion writer and linguist, argues the vice president is simply revealing a piece of herself by slipping into “Black English,” a form of code switching that is actually quite presidential.

(A full transcript of this audio essay will be available within 24 hours of publication in the audio player above.)

Credit…Illustration by The New York Times; photograph by Kevin Dietsch/Getty

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This episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Kristina Samulewski. It was edited by Kaari Pitkin and Alison Bruzek. Mixing by Sonia Herrero. Original music by Carole Sabouraud, Isaac Jones and Sonia Herrero. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker. Audience strategy by Kristina Samulewski, Shannon Busta and Adrian Rivera. The executive producer of Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser.

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