During a press conference at his Bedminster golf course in New Jersey on Thursday, former President Donald Trump addressed a question about his “personal attacks” on Vice President Kamala Harris by referencing her own campaign rhetoric. “I’m very angry at her that she’s weaponized the justice system against me and other people. Very angry at her. I think I’m entitled to personal attacks,” the former president noted. “I don’t have a lot of respect for her, I don’t have a lot of respect for her intelligence, and I think she’ll be a terrible president.”
The Republican nominee went on to respond to the Harris Campaign’s lack of messaging, which has hinged on referring to both Trump and J.D. Vance as “weird.” He said regarding Harris and especially Walz: “And we have this guy that’s running a failed, really a very failed state, who’s had a terrible career. I mean, you have him saying ‘they’re weird.’ No, he’s a weird guy. And she’s weird in her policy. Who wouldn’t want to have strong borders? Who doesn’t want to have lower taxes?”
He also pointed to Harris’ lack of accomplishments and electoral success: “I don’t think people know who she is yet. When people — because really, people didn’t know. You can ask the man on the street. I saw it on one of the shows today. They asked him in his seat. ‘What’s the last name of Kamala?’ Nobody knew.” At another point in the press conference, Trump questioned how Harris could promise to take action “on day one” while she was already in office.
“So she is saying when she gets in — she’s in now. And especially with Biden, because I mean, he’s not in the best of shape. But you know what? She’s in there now. She can do anything she wants. And she’s still saying, ‘if you elect me, I’ll do this, I’ll do…’ Why didn’t she do it?” the former president said. “Here’s my one question, it’s the easiest question because she complains about everything, everything, everything. Why didn’t she do it? That’s all I ask.”
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On Wednesday, Vance (R-OH) not only fielded questions from adversarial reporters at a Michigan rally but also transformed their queries into powerful arguments against his opponents, energizing the crowd, while a question from a New York Times reporter about the nation’s economic situation ignited a particularly fiery response from the Trump running mate.
The reporter asked about the latest economic data, which showed inflation to be under 3%, the lowest since mid-2021. The question was meant to be a simple request for comment, but Vance used it as an opportunity to criticize the current administration. “I wanted to ask you about the latest economic news from this morning, with inflation now being under 3%, the lowest rate since mid-2021. What is your reaction to that news?” the Times reporter asked.
“Well, I think the crowd reaction says it all,” Vance began, gesturing to the energized audience’s audible boos to the question. “Look, when they say that inflation is down, they mean from a baseline where groceries are already 30% more expensive than they were when Donald Trump was president. And they’re not saying it’s coming down, they’re just saying it’s not going up as fast as it was three years ago. That is not a reputation or a record to brag on, that’s a record to be ashamed of.”
Inflation moderated in July, showing a significant drop in prices for essentials like food, energy, and both new and used cars. The U.S. Department of Labor’s report on Wednesday indicated that the consumer price index, which tracks inflation, rose by 2.9% compared to the previous year — meaning Vance is correct, inflation still rose, just not as much. There would have to be a period of deflation for prices to go back to where they were before the Biden-Harris administration and two years’ worth of Democrat control of Congress.
“Why did it take them so long to get inflation to where it is, and why are prices so high? It’s because Kamala Harris failed to do her job,” Vance said. “So if they want to go around and this is, you know, it’s funny… Kamala Harris on the one hand will say on day one we’re going to tackle the affordability crisis and like I said earlier Kamala Harris has been the vice president for three and a half years, and I think, ladies and gentlemen, she’s in effect been the acting president because we all know Joe Biden isn’t home. So she’s been the one controlling government policy for three and a half years.”
Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.