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Andrew Feinberg
white house correspondent
Some Republicans are trying to distance themselves from Donald Trump’s “derogatory” comments in which he claimed Kamala Harris was “mentally ill.”
Many are calling on the former president to “stick to the issues” of the campaign rather than return to repeated personal attacks on Harris.
At a rally in Wisconsin on Saturday, President Trump said Harris was “mentally ill” and “mentally ill.”
“Joe Biden was mentally ill. Kamala was born that way,” Trump told the audience, which erupted in laughter. “She was born that way.
Many are calling on the former president to “stick to the issues” of his campaign, rather than reverting to repeated personal attacks on Harris (Associated Press)
At a rally in Pennsylvania on Sunday, he doubled down on his “dark” comments that have raised eyebrows within his party.
Perhaps the strongest rebuke came from former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who is in a close Senate race. “I think this is an insult not just to the vice president, but to people who actually have mental illnesses,” he said.
“President Trump’s divisive comments are something we could do without.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, also pushed back, alleging the personal nature of Trump’s attack. “I think the best thing to do is to accuse her of destroying the country with her policies,” Graham told CNN.
Graham added that while he didn’t think Harris was crazy, he thought her policies were.
Similar sentiments were shared by Rep. Tom Emmer, a Minnesota Republican who has been helping President Trump’s running mate, J.D. Vance, prepare for his debate with Tim Walz. “I think we should stick to this issue,” he told ABC News.
The comments also drew criticism from the American Association for People with Disabilities, an advocacy group. Maria Town, president and CEO of the AAPD, called President Trump’s language “ableist.”
“Donald Trump’s ableist comments today say far more about him and his inaccurate and hateful bias against people with disabilities than they do about Vice President Harris or people with disabilities. ” she said in a statement shared with The Independent.
Lindsey Graham was asked about Donald Trump reusing attacks he made against Joe Biden during an appearance on CNN on Sunday (The Independent)
“Trump holds ableist and false beliefs that people with disabilities are less human and unworthy of dignity. AAPD continues to challenge leaders of both parties in the 2024 election. We are calling on you to condemn the use of ableist language like the one used by President Trump today (Saturday).”
Some recalled President Trump’s earlier and similar attacks on President Joe Biden’s cognitive abilities.
“Trump took great advantage of Joe Biden’s cognitive abilities,” said Eric Holder, a former attorney general who served in the Obama administration. Referring to the former president’s own cognitive state, he added, “If this is where he is now, where will he be in three, four years?”
During his campaign against Biden, Trump repeatedly called on the president to take cognitive tests, boasting that he passed one in 2018.
At a rally in June, Trump suggested that Biden “should take a cognitive test,” but his next sentence confused the doctor who tested Biden.
The former president went on to refer to Texas Republican Congressman Ronnie Jackson, who served as the White House physician for part of his presidential term, as “Lonnie Johnson.”
