Vice President Kamala Harris Sets Stage for Showdown with Donald Trump
Vice President Kamala Harris framed her likely upcoming fight against Donald Trump as one between a prosecutor and a criminal — describing, from her new campaign headquarters Monday, her experience taking on “predators,” “fraudsters” and “cheaters.”
Trump, on the other hand, took to Truth Social to refer to Harris as “Dumb as a Rock.”
As both candidates gear up to face each other after President Joe Biden’s decision not to seek reelection, the contrasting comments provide insight into their expected strategies.
Trump, who recently labeled Harris as “crazy,” “nuts,” and “Laughing Kamala” during a rally in Michigan, is likely to resort to personal attacks against her. In contrast, Harris is anticipated to emphasize her experience as a prosecutor and highlight Trump’s legal troubles as a felon.
Trump expressed his discontent with the news coverage of Harris and Biden in a post on Monday.
“Wow, just watching the Fake News, and they’re doing their very best to turn the Worst President in the History of our Country into a ‘Brilliant and Heroic Leader’ (He was heroic because he quit!), and to turn “Dumb as a Rock” Kamala Harris from a totally failed and insignificant Vice President into a future “Great” President,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “No, it just doesn’t work that way!”
Trump’s insults targeting his opponent’s intelligence extend beyond Harris. At the Michigan rally, he used the word “stupid” multiple times, primarily directed at Biden, whom he also referred to as “low IQ.”
Throughout his political career, Trump has been known to use derogatory remarks against women, a tactic that has faced criticism. His attacks on women, including Hillary Clinton, Carly Fiorina, and Megyn Kelly, have drawn backlash.
His disparaging remarks about women have previously alienated suburban and college-educated voters, despite his 2016 Electoral College victory. Repeating similar attacks against Harris could pose new challenges for Trump in the upcoming election.
While Trump is busy crafting new insults for Harris, his campaign and supporters are working to associate her with unpopular Biden policies, particularly concerning the southern border.
Trump’s advisers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles referred to Harris as “Border Czar Kamala Harris” in a memo, linking her to perceived policy failures.
Harris, speaking to campaign staff in Wilmington, Delaware, highlighted her background as a prosecutor in her case against Trump.
“I was a courtroom prosecutor. In those roles, I took on perpetrators of all kinds,” Harris stated. “Predators who abused women, fraudsters who ripped off consumers, cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain. So hear me when I say, I know Donald Trump’s type.”
Harris went on to criticize Trump for wanting to regress the country to a time when certain Americans didn’t have full freedoms and rights.