During a recent interview at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) conference, former President Donald Trump made false claims about Vice President Kamala Harris’s professional history, specifically targeting her performance on the California bar exam. This attack came as Trump responded to questions about his own cognitive fitness for office, pivoting to challenge the Vice President’s intellect and career achievements.
Trump, in an exchange with Semafor reporter Kaida Goba, was asked about concerns regarding his ability to serve a full presidential term if re-elected. Instead of directly addressing these concerns, Trump deflected by bringing up Vice President Harris and making an unfounded assertion about her bar exam results. “She failed her bar exam. She did not pass her bar exam, so maybe she would not pass the cognitive test,” Trump stated. He further emphasized his false claim, adding, “She did not pass her bar exam, and she did not think she would pass it, and she did not think she would ever pass it, and I don’t know what happened.”
Fact-Checking Trump’s Bar Exam Claim
Trump’s statement about Vice President Harris failing the bar exam is demonstrably false. While it is true that Harris did not pass the California bar exam on her first attempt, she successfully passed it the following year and was admitted to the California Bar in 1990. Prior to her career in politics, Harris served as a prosecutor in California and later became the Attorney General of the state, positions that required her to be a member in good standing of the bar.
Vice President Harris herself has publicly acknowledged that she did not pass the bar exam on her first try. In a 2016 interview with the New York Times, she recounted this experience and shared how she used it to encourage a recent law graduate who had also faced the same setback. This personal anecdote contrasts sharply with Trump’s portrayal of Harris’s bar exam experience as a sign of intellectual deficiency.
The California Bar Exam: A Challenging Hurdle
It is important to note that the California bar exam is widely recognized as one of the most challenging in the United States. The exam consistently has a lower pass rate compared to many other states. As reported by the Los Angeles Times in 1985, the California bar exam’s pass rate “has generally hovered around 50%.” Recent statistics further illustrate this difficulty. In February 2024, less than 45% of first-time test takers passed the exam, according to the California Bar. In 2020, the first-time pass rate was just over 67%.
Larry Cunningham, Dean of the Charleston School of Law, explained to USA TODAY in 2020 that the bar exam has faced criticism for being an “unrealistic” measure of certain crucial legal skills. He emphasized that struggling on the bar exam initially does not preclude individuals from becoming highly competent lawyers and judges. Vice President Harris’s successful legal and political career serves as a testament to this point.
Trump’s Pattern of Derogatory Remarks
The false claim about Harris’s bar exam is part of a broader pattern of derogatory comments made by Trump during the NABJ conference interview. He also questioned the authenticity of her heritage, stating, “I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black, and now she wants to be known as Black.” Furthermore, Trump labeled Harris a “DEI candidate” and criticized ABC News moderator Rachel Scott as “rude” for asking questions about his past statements concerning the Black community.
Cognitive Tests and Political Attacks
Trump’s challenge for Harris to take a cognitive test, juxtaposed with his false bar exam claim, can be seen as an attempt to undermine her credibility and fitness for office. This tactic echoes similar attacks he has made against other political opponents, often using personal and unsubstantiated criticisms. The comparison of a cognitive test, designed to assess mental acuity, to the bar exam, a professional licensing examination, is a misleading analogy. Passing the bar exam demonstrates legal competency, while cognitive tests are used to evaluate general cognitive function.
Conclusion: Misinformation and Political Discourse
Donald Trump’s false assertion about Kamala Harris and the bar exam is a clear example of misinformation being used in political discourse. While the Vice President did not pass the California bar on her first attempt, she ultimately succeeded and built a distinguished legal and political career. Trump’s attempt to use this irrelevant and misrepresented detail to question Harris’s competence reflects a pattern of personal attacks and factual inaccuracies in his public statements. It is crucial for voters to critically evaluate such claims and rely on verified information when assessing political figures.
