In the wake of Janet's criticism of Kamala -- in which she inaccurately claimed the Vice President's father was white -- footage from 2004 popped up on the internet, showing then-San Francisco Deputy City Attorney Harris sharing her 2 cents on Michael's impending trial.

She stated in the clip ... "In general, the child will be able to recall and recollect some detail, the incident and that is persuasive to a jury, even if it is the only testimony that is available."

Michael was arrested in 2003 and charged with 7 counts of child molestation and 2 counts of administering an intoxicating agent for the purpose of committing a felony. The King of Pop denied the allegations at the time and pled not guilty to the charges.

More than a year later, his trial began ... and he was acquitted on all counts in May 2005.

Harris' remarks about such a dark moment in the Jackson family history might explain why Janet is trying to discredit her. Mind you, Harris was not involved in MJ's trial, she was merely speaking to a news outlet as an expert.

In contrast, Donald Trump has spoken favorably about the late singer on a number of occasions -- even defending Jackson's character after his arrest. Interestingly, the false racial narrative Janet brought up about Harris, echoed Trump's words on the campaign trail.

Remember, back in July, Trump falsely suggested his rival "happened to turn Black" a few years ago for political gain. For her part, the veep criticized Trump for his comments, noting ... "the American people deserve better."

Harris was born in Oakland, Calif. in 1964 to immigrant parents ... her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, arrived in the U.S. from India, and her father, Donald J. Harris, came to the country from Jamaica.