Tue October 15, 2024
Kamala Harris is responding to Democratic panic about her White House prospects by turning up the heat on Donald Trump.
The vice president warned Monday that the ex-president was “unstable,” “unhinged” and out for “unchecked power” as she sent a jolt of urgency though her campaign with 21 days to go.
“Observe his demonstrations. Pay attention to what he says. After a weekend in which Trump’s authoritarian language reached terrifying new heights and alluded to the harsh nature of his prospective second term, Harris addressed a sizable crowd in Pennsylvania. “He tells us who he is, and he tells us what he would do if he is elected president,” Harris said.
Tim Walz, the Democratic nominee for vice president, went a step further and said the former president’s thoughts about deploying the military to combat enemies at home that he called “the enemy from within” may even be considered treasonous.
In addition, Harris and her group publicly questioned Trump’s mental health and suitability for another term in office, effectively flipping the Republican nominee who had been making similar accusations against President Joe Biden for months.
In an additional attempt to allay worries about her somewhat stagnant momentum, Harris unveiled a significant new program to attract Black male voters in the midst of worries that Trump is gaining ground on a crucial Democratic support base or that they won’t participate.
Additionally, Harris launched a new ad campaign in Arizona, a swing state, in an effort to win over Republicans who are offended by the former president’s actions but have not yet decided to cross party lines—a decision that many find agonizing. With the intention of setting herself apart from Trump, who seldom ventures outside of the conservative media bubble, Harris also declared that she would participate in her first official interview with Fox News, shedding her previous hesitation about unplanned events.
A battle for Pennsylvania
While the two candidates were running their campaigns in different parts of Pennsylvania, Harris made fresh attempts to control the speed of the election’s closing stages. Like a few other battlegrounds, the commonwealth’s 19 electoral votes might very well determine who wins the presidency. The most recent polls indicate that the race is tied.
Harris is about to reach a pivotal period in her political career. Remaining voters who haven’t decided yet and might be seeking for an excuse to choose her will be watching her under the most strain over the next three weeks. She must also inspire Democratic-leaning voters who are hesitant or unenthusiastic and might not turn out on election day.
In general, the vice president, who succeeded Biden as the Democratic nominee in the months leading up to the election, is faced with one of the most difficult political tasks in memory. She is attempting to unseat Trump, who has demonstrated that he will stop at nothing to regain power, while simultaneously trying to persuade the dissatisfied people that she is a change candidate despite belonging to an unpopular administration.
However, following a solid showing in their first debate in September, which helped Harris’ campaign gather momentum, the former president’s refusal to meet with her for a second debate is making it more difficult for Harris to clinch the deal.
‘You heard his words’
During a recent segment of her campaign trail address, Harris played a recording for her boisterous supporters in Erie, which featured Trump’s remark on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” that he may use the regular military or the National Guard against “the enemy from within.”
Harris remarked, “You heard his words.” “He’s talking about the enemy inside Pennsylvania. He views as enemies of our country anyone who does not support him or submit to his will.” “Donald Trump is increasingly unstable and unhinged, and he is out for unchecked power,” the vice president continued.
Prior to Harris’s speech, her running mate revealed the Democratic ticket’s clearest evaluation to date of Trump’s possible threat to fundamental political liberties in the event that he is elected to a second term. Walz, the Minnesota governor, said the idea a president could use troops against Americans made him “sick to my stomach.”
The former member of the Army National Guard also drew attention to a statement made by Mark Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, claiming that Trump was a “fascist to his core,” as detailed in Bob Woodward’s most recent book, “War.” Let it sink in, and don’t be even somewhat afraid to say it, because that is precisely who he is, Walz continued. He is precisely that.
However, JD Vance, Trump’s choice for vice president, supported his boss’ comments. “If they’re looting, rioting, and burning cities to the ground, is it a justified use of those assets?” It is, of course. Correct?” the senator from Ohio asked in Minneapolis. “I believe the key question is: Is this a justified use of resources? Depending on the real circumstances.
Democrats’ discourse over Trump is becoming more intense as they start to analyze the ramifications of the former president emerging victorious in a close race and winning a second term that will probably be even more unfettered than his first. Setting the tone last week during his own tour of Pennsylvania was former President Barack Obama.
In an interview with Roland Martin, Harris hinted that Trump might be hiding something. “He won’t argue with me once more. He refuses to release his medical records; I have released mine. It begs the question, “Why is his staff doing that?” And it might be that they believe he is simply unprepared, unsuitable, and unstable and that the American people shouldn’t be exposed to that degree of openness.
Second gentleman Doug Emhoff questioned the 78-year-old former president’s physical and mental health during an interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” He mentioned Trump’s withdrawal from a “60 Minutes” interview, just like his spouse, and remarked, “It’s just obvious by looking at him, listening to him, you can see the degradation in front of your eyes.”
“He’s just getting worse and worse because he’s a degrading version of an already horrible person,” he continued.
A critical county that could decide the election
During her Erie event, Harris put on a dynamic performance that appeared to be an attempt to allay Democratic concerns that her early lead over Biden has not materialized into a sizable lead.
“We’re going to prevail. With a radiant smile, she affirmed, “We shall prevail.
The far-flung northwest Pennsylvanian county of Erie serves as a microcosm of the larger strategic national struggle that Harris and Trump will be engaged in over the course of the next three weeks. Although the former president captured the county by about 2,000 votes in 2016 en route to the White House, Biden won it by just 1 percentage point in 2020.
Although Erie is a Democratic stronghold, Trump will aim to win by large percentages in rural and farming areas, and Harris and Trump will engage in a fierce battle among moderate suburban voters.
The twice-impeached former president made an appearance alongside South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, a rising star in the conservative media universe, at a town hall meeting in Oaks, northeast of Philadelphia.
The occasion brought to light concerns that Trump’s team believes would be crucial to winning the election, such as housing and living expenses. One of the most important considerations facing undecided voters in the coming days is whether worries about Trump’s radicalism and threats will be outweighed by the hardships facing many American households, such as high supermarket prices.
On Monday, Harris wasn’t the only contender attending to a crucial constituency. (She introduced a health campaign to enhance screenings for illnesses that disproportionately affect the community, as well as a proposal to increase access to funding for Black men who want to start enterprises). Trump aimed to gain support from young males, who frequently have low voter propensities but have the potential to expand his base of support.
He made an appearance on the Nelk Boys’ “Full Send” podcast, which has over two million YouTube followers. In conversations that exhibited the kind of honesty that many voters find appealing, he spoke authoritatively about UFC martial arts heroes. Additionally, he seemed to announce that he will be joining Joe Rogan’s wildly successful podcast, which is the most recent instance of how both he and