Credits: Charlotte Observer
Former President Donald Trump launched a series of attacks against Vice President Kamala Harris during a rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, marking his first public campaign event since President Joe Biden exited the 2024 race, making Harris the likely Democratic nominee.
Trump accused Harris of deceiving the public about Biden’s capability to run for a second term and labeled her as his “new victim to defeat.” He opened his speech by claiming that Biden “quit” the race due to poor poll performance and suggested, without evidence, that Democratic leaders pressured Biden to step down.
“Now we have a new victim to defeat, lying Kamala Harris…the most incompetent and far-left vice president in American history,” Trump declared to his supporters. He criticized Harris’s positions on abortion and immigration, repeatedly mispronouncing her first name.
Harris is expected to focus heavily on abortion rights in her campaign, emphasizing her trust in women’s autonomy over their bodies. Trump, however, blamed her for what he described as failures in the Biden administration, particularly regarding security at the U.S.-Mexico border. Brandon Judd, former president of the National Border Patrol Council, criticized Harris’s handling of migration issues during the rally, which was met with boos from the audience.
Trump also accused Harris of being responsible for Biden’s border policies, which saw record-high illegal crossing arrests in late 2023. He reiterated his pledge to conduct mass deportations with the help of local police.
In the aftermath of an assassination attempt against him, Trump indicated a potential softening of his rhetoric but has since reverted to a more aggressive stance. “You know, I was supposed to be nice,” Trump said. “They say something happened to me when I got shot. I became nice. And when you’re dealing with these people, they’re very dangerous people. When you’re dealing with them, you can’t be too nice.”
Trump has also hedged on plans for a debate with Harris, initially preferring Fox News over ABC to host the event. He later expressed a willingness to debate Harris “more than once” but did not commit to the previously scheduled debates with Biden.
At 81, Biden would have been the oldest presidential nominee in a general election. Now, the 78-year-old Trump holds that distinction, while the 59-year-old Harris’s campaign appears to be generating interest among younger voters, a demographic crucial for a potentially close election.