Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Trump campaigns in Charlotte
Credit: Reuters Photo
Charlotte (NC): Donald Trump unleashed a barrage of attack lines Wednesday against his likely new opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, who he called his “new victim to defeat” and accused of deceiving the public about President Joe Biden 's ability to run for a second term.
The rally in Charlotte, North Carolina marked his first public campaign event since Biden dropped out of the 2024 matchup and Harris became the Democrats' likely nominee.
“So now we have a new victim to defeat: Lyin' Kamala Harris,” Trump said, labeling her "the most incompetent and far left vice president in American history.”
Trump called her a “radical left lunatic” and called her “crazy” for her positions on abortion and on immigration. He also mispronounced her first name repeatedly.
The former president's stop in North Carolina shows he's concerned about keeping the state in his column this November, even as his team reaches for wins in traditionally Democratic-leaning states like Minnesota, which Trump is set to visit on Saturday.
Trump has ramped up his criticism of the vice president since Biden's abrupt departure, calling Harris “the same as Biden but much more radical.”
He has blamed her for what he portrays as the Biden administration's failures, particularly security along the US-Mexico border. On Wednesday, the speakers who appeared on stage before the Republican nominee attacked Harris' record on the border, highlighting she was tasked with leading a White House effort to tackle migration issues. Harris' name was met with boos several times during the speeches.
“She was assigned that, she was given that task, and she failed,” said Brandon Judd, former president of the National Border Patrol Council, the union that represents agents.
Trump has also hedged on plans for an expected debate with Harris, first saying that he wanted Fox News, not ABC, to host the matchup he had originally scheduled for September with Biden. On Tuesday, Trump appeared to tweak that message again, saying on a call with reporters that he'd like to debate Harris “more than once” but not committing to appearing at the debate currently on the books and saying he'd only agreed to debate Biden twice, not Harris.