Ryan Bridge: Keep doing what you're doing Karen Chhour

Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

Did you see the reaction to Donald Trump's comments yesterday?

This is what he said about Kamala Harris' race: "She was Indian all the way and then all of a sudden she made a turn and she became a black person."

What?

The media rightly ran the story, and it was a big deal.

Isn't questioning someone's race exactly what Rawiri Waititi did to Karen Chhour?

Isn't that exactly what he did the other day in parliament when he asked what blood quantum are you? Couldn't the same be said of Kelvin Davis saying that Karen Chhour lives in a Pakeha world?

She's Māori by the way. And what about Te Pāti Māori? They said Karen Chhour should have been raised by Māori caregivers instead of Pakeha ones. And claimed that she had disdain for Māori, for her people. This week they said she's just a puppet of her party and she was basically left in tears in the hallway to ThreeNews.

"I'm still a person. I'm still a person and I feel like I'm getting that stripped away from me day by day in this place, I've had enough.”

No apologies from Te Pāti Māori, no accountability.

I just think it's sad. Put the politics to one side for a second, there's a woman crying in a hallway. Wouldn't you want to just say sorry, if what I had said had made you feel that way?

Karen Chhour is not a bad person, you might disagree with their policies, sure, but also, her treatment in the media this week. I think she's been interrogated more about who bullied her than Julie Anne Genter ever was about actually bullying.

It's a double standard. No wonder she's battling and struggling.

Then Chippy turns around and says she's not fit to be a minister. Gaslighting much.

Karen Chhour will be fine. She's a very strong individual.

I guess it just annoys me because if the shoe was on the other foot, imagine, just imagine. And where's the Human Rights Commission? Where's their statement on this stuff?

There'll be attack dogs on social media. You can, you can just imagine how it would play out if the shoe was on the other foot.

I say, keep doing what you're doing. Karen Chhour, you're hard working, you're conscientious, and you can rise above it.

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