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Donald Trump reportedly used an ableist slur to describe Kamala Harris during a private dinner with Republican donors on September 29, 2024, according to reporting by The New York Times. The alleged remark was made at Trump’s triplex penthouse in Trump Tower in New York, according to people familiar with the gathering. No public audio or video recording of the dinner has been identified in the sources reviewed, so the allegation should not be presented as an independently documented fact.
What the report says
The reported incident occurred on Sunday, September 29, 2024, during a private fundraising dinner hosted or addressed by Trump at his Trump Tower penthouse in Manhattan. The attendees included wealthy Republican donors and political supporters. Secondary accounts of The New York Times report identified hedge-fund manager Paul Singer, investment banker Warren Stephens, former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and her husband Dick DeVos, and Joe and Todd Ricketts among those present.
According to the Times reporting, Trump was frustrated that his donors and supporters were not doing enough to assist his presidential campaign. He was also reportedly angry about Harris’s fundraising advantage during the final weeks of the 2024 campaign.
In that setting, the Times reported that Trump referred to Harris using the “R-word,” a slur historically directed at people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The report also said that Trump criticized Jewish Americans who supported Harris, reportedly saying they “need their heads examined.” Those details come from accounts of the Times report and should be understood as allegations about a private conversation, not as statements independently verified by a public recording.
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How the reporting was confirmed publicly
The account was later discussed on CNN on October 15, 2024. Maggie Haberman said that she, Jonathan Swan and Shane Goldmacher had reported on the donor dinner. In the CNN discussion, Haberman confirmed that Trump had used a slur while describing Harris’s mental state.
That public discussion establishes that the allegation was reported by Times journalists and subsequently discussed on television. It does not establish that an audio or video recording exists, nor does it replace direct, on-the-record confirmation from every person who attended the dinner.
Why the “R-word” is offensive
The “R-word” is a euphemism for an ableist slur that has been used against people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Special Olympics describes the term as hurtful and derogatory and urges people to use respectful language instead.
In this report, the term matters for more than its political setting. Using a disability-related slur as an insult reinforces the idea that disability is a synonym for stupidity or incompetence. Disability advocates and inclusion organizations have spent years encouraging journalists, educators and the public to avoid that language and to describe a person’s conduct or claims directly rather than using disability as an insult.
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The alleged remark came during a period when Trump and Harris were competing intensely for campaign money, media attention and support from influential donors. The Times account portrayed Trump as dissatisfied with the level of help he was receiving from wealthy supporters and as resentful of Harris’s fundraising performance.
The report also fit a broader pattern in Trump’s public attacks on Harris during the campaign. Contemporary coverage described him as questioning her intelligence, stamina and work ethic. Those public criticisms provide political context, but they are not proof of what was said during the private September 29 dinner.
Do not confuse the donor dinner with the Al Smith Dinner
The September 29 gathering was a private donor event at Trump Tower. It was separate from the Al Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner held in New York on October 17, 2024.
At the public Al Smith Dinner, Trump questioned Harris’s intelligence and criticized her for not attending in person. Harris’s absence was connected to campaign scheduling, and she appeared in a video shown at the event. Because the Al Smith Dinner was public and widely covered, some accounts have discussed it alongside the private-dinner report. The two events should nevertheless be kept distinct: remarks attributed to Trump at the Al Smith Dinner are not evidence that the alleged private conversation occurred.
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What is known—and what remains unverified
| Question | What the available reporting supports |
|---|---|
| When did the reported private dinner occur? | Sunday, September 29, 2024. |
| Where was it held? | Trump’s triplex penthouse in Trump Tower, New York City. |
| Who reported the allegation? | The New York Times, based on people familiar with the dinner; Maggie Haberman later discussed the reporting on CNN. |
| Was there a public recording? | No public audio or video recording has been identified in the sources reviewed. |
| Did every named attendee confirm the account? | No such blanket confirmation has been identified. Listing an attendee does not imply that person publicly verified the alleged remark. |
| What can be stated confidently? | Reputable journalists reported the allegation and publicly discussed their reporting. The private remark itself remains reported rather than independently documented by a recording in the available material. |
Why the qualification “reported” matters
News reports about private conversations depend on the journalists’ sourcing and editorial verification. They are different from statements made on a stage, in a speech, or during a televised interview that can be reviewed directly. In this case, the responsible formulation is that Trump reportedly used the slur, according to The New York Times and the journalists who discussed that reporting.
That wording does not minimize the seriousness of the allegation. It accurately separates two claims: first, that major news organizations reported the allegation; and second, that the alleged words were definitively spoken. The first is supported by the available coverage. The second is not independently established by a public recording in the reviewed sources.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.The documentary record
For viewers examining the episode as part of the 2024 campaign, the most useful distinction is between primary evidence and later context. The private dinner itself is documented through journalistic accounts from people familiar with the event. Haberman’s CNN appearance provides a public explanation of the Times reporting. Trump’s remarks at the October 17 Al Smith Dinner offer separate, on-the-record evidence of his public criticism of Harris’s intelligence, but they do not verify the September 29 allegation.
Taken together, the record supports a careful account: the New York Times reported that Trump used the R-word for Harris at a private donor dinner, and the report was later discussed by one of the Times journalists involved. The alleged remark has not been presented here as a publicly recorded or independently proven statement.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Did Donald Trump definitely call Kamala Harris the R-word?
The New York Times reported that he did, based on people familiar with the private dinner, and Maggie Haberman later discussed the reporting on CNN. However, no public audio or video recording of the dinner has been identified in the sources reviewed, so the remark should be described as reported rather than independently proven.
When and where did the reported incident happen?
The reported incident occurred on September 29, 2024, at a private fundraising dinner in Trump’s triplex penthouse at Trump Tower in New York City.
Who attended the reported donor dinner?
Secondary accounts of the Times report named Paul Singer, Warren Stephens, Betsy and Dick DeVos, and Joe and Todd Ricketts among the attendees. Being named as an attendee does not mean that a person publicly confirmed the alleged remark.
Was this the same event as the Al Smith Dinner?
No. The private donor dinner took place on September 29. The Al Smith Dinner was a separate public charity event on October 17, 2024, where Trump also criticized Harris’s intelligence and absence.
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Bottom line: The New York Times reported that Donald Trump used the R-word to describe Kamala Harris during a private September 29, 2024 donor dinner at Trump Tower. The report was later discussed by Times reporter Maggie Haberman on CNN. Because the gathering was private and no public recording has been identified, the allegation should remain attributed and qualified as reported.
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