Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has intensified his personal attacks on Democratic rival Kamala Harris, reiterating his claim that she is “mentally impaired” and demanding her “impeachment and prosecution.”
During a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, Trump echoed themes from a previous event he labeled a “dark speech.” Addressing a supportive crowd, he accused Harris of causing an “invasion” at the U.S.-Mexico border and insisted that she should face legal consequences for her actions.
“Crooked Joe Biden has become mentally impaired,” Trump stated. “It’s sad. But with lying Kamala Harris, I honestly believe she was born that way. There’s something wrong with Kamala, and I don’t know what it is, but everyone can see that something is definitely missing.”
With roughly a month until the election, Trump is ramping up his use of personal and offensive attacks, despite some Republicans suggesting he should focus on the issues that matter to voters.
Trump has consistently hinted at potential legal action against his rivals, including President Joe Biden and his 2016 opponent, Hillary Clinton.
Trump faces numerous legal challenges of his own. In May, he was convicted of falsifying business records related to a hush money case in New York, with sentencing set for November 26. Additionally, he has two other pending cases: a federal case concerning his alleged involvement in the January 6, 2021, insurrection, and a state case in Georgia related to his attempts to overturn his 2020 defeat to Biden. Prosecutors are also appealing a federal judge’s dismissal of a case involving his handling of classified documents.
Trump contends that federal and state prosecutors are pursuing him for political motives, although there is no evidence to support this claim. On Sunday, he admitted the possibility of losing in November, stating, “If she wins, it’s not going to be so pleasant for me, but I don’t care.”
Trump has insulted Harris, the first Black woman and person of South Asian descent to lead a major party ticket, labeling her as “stupid,” “weak,” “dumb as a rock,” and “lazy.” Despite pressure from allies to focus on topics like the economy and immigration, Senator Lindsey Graham suggested on CNN’s State of the Union that the better approach would be to highlight how Harris’s “crazy liberal” policies are harming the country. When asked if he supported Trump’s personal attacks on Harris, Republican Tom Emmer avoided the question during an interview on ABC’s This Week.
“I believe Kamala Harris is the wrong choice for America,” stated Emmer, who is assisting Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, in preparation for Tuesday’s vice presidential debate. He described Harris as being “as bad or worse than the administration we’ve witnessed for the last four years.” When pressed for more, Emmer emphasized, “We should focus on the issues. Donald Trump fixed it once; they broke it. He’s going to fix it again. Those are the real issues.”
Harris has not directly responded to Trump’s recent attacks but has remarked on similar comments, stating it’s “the same old show, the same tired playbook we’ve heard for years, with no plan on how he would address the needs of the American people.”
