ERIE, Pa. — Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump escalated his personal attacks on Democratic rival Kamala Harris on Sunday, repeating insults that she is “mentally ill,” while also calling her “mentally ill.” He should be impeached and prosecuted.”
Trump’s rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, featured similar themes to the previous day’s event, which Trump himself described as a “dark speech.” He told a cheering crowd on Sunday that Harris was responsible for an “invasion” at the U.S.-Mexico border and that “she should be impeached and prosecuted for her actions.” .
“Crooked Joe Biden has become mentally ill,” he added. “Sad. But Kamala Harris lied. Honestly, I think she was born that way. There’s something wrong with Kamala. I don’t know what it is, but something There’s definitely something missing. And you know, everyone knows that.”
With just over a month left until the election, Trump has stepped up his personal and aggressive attacks as some Republicans say it’s better to stick with the issue.
His suggestion that political opponents be prosecuted is particularly notable for its departure from American norms, which hold that the judicial system should be protected from political influence. President Trump has threatened to sue Google in recent weeks for allegedly prioritizing “good stories” about Harris and meta Mark Zuckerberg.
Trump has long threatened legal action against his rivals, including President Joe Biden and his 2016 rival Hillary Clinton. This month, he once again sought to sow doubts about the integrity of elections, vowing to jail those who “engaged in unscrupulous conduct” in this election, including election officials, lawyers, political operatives, donors and voters. There is.
However, he also has many legal issues of his own. He was found guilty in May of falsifying business records in a hush-money case in New York, and is scheduled to be sentenced on November 26. Two other lawsuits are pending — a federal lawsuit over his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot. and a state lawsuit in Georgia that sought to overturn his 2020 loss to Biden. Prosecutors are appealing a federal judge’s dismissal of a case over the handling of classified documents.
President Trump has claimed that federal and state prosecutors are targeting him for political reasons, but there is no evidence that this is true. If Trump wins the election, he could pardon himself in a federal lawsuit or order the Justice Department to end its investigation into him.
On Sunday, he acknowledged he could lose in November, saying, “If she wins, it’s not as much fun for me, but I don’t care.”
President Trump mocked Harris, the first black woman and person of South Asian descent to lead a major political party, as “stupid,” “weak,” “stupid as a rock” and “lazy.” His allies are pushing him in public and privately to talk about the economy, immigration and other issues instead.
Asked about President Trump’s comments on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, Sen. Lindsey Graham said, “I think the smart move is to sue her because her policies are destroying our country.” ” he said. They’re crazy liberals. ”
Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minnesota) was evasive when asked in an interview on ABC’s “This Week” if he approved of the personal attack on Harris.
“I think Kamala Harris is the wrong choice for America,” said Emmer, who is helping President Trump’s running mate, J.D. Vance, prepare for Tuesday’s vice presidential debate. “I think Kamala Harris is actually as bad or worse an administration than we’ve seen over the last four years.”
When asked, Mr Emmer said: The thing is, Donald Trump fixed it once. they destroyed it. He’s going to fix it again. Those are the problems. ”
Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who is running for the Senate as a moderate Republican, brought up President Trump’s false claims that Harris, the daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants, previously downplayed her black heritage. Harris attended Howard University, a historically black institution, and has consistently identified as both black and South Asian throughout her political career.
Hogan said on CBS’ “Face the Nation”: “When I was interviewed once, I had already called him and asked him about her racial identity, and now he has asked her about her racial identity.” “It calls into question his mental capacity.” “And I think this is an insult not just to the vice president, but to people who actually have mental illness.”
Harris did not comment on Trump’s latest attacks, but when asked about her other comments, she said, “It was the same old show.” No plan for how he will address the needs of the American people, the same boring strategy we have heard for years. ”
Ahead of Sunday’s rally, some of President Trump’s supporters said the president often makes offensive remarks. Still, they support his proposals to limit immigration, saying he would have better control over the economy.
“He says what he thinks, but sometimes he doesn’t say it in the right way,” said Jeffrey Balogh, 56, who attended the rally with two friends. “But he did his job. He was very good at it.”
Tamara Molnar said she thinks President Trump is very strong on immigration. Regarding his insult, Molnar said: “I think everyone has to have a certain level of decorum when talking about other candidates, and I don’t think either side is necessarily innocent of that.” Ta. There are plenty of slings in either direction. ”
President Trump said at a rally in Erie that once he takes office, the “invasion” will end and the deportations will begin.
He spoke of communities in the battleground states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, saying “thousands of immigrants from the most dangerous countries are destroying the character of small towns and plunging local communities into anguish and despair.” Ta.
Last month, Republican leaders said they were “entitled” to make personal attacks against Harris.
“When it comes to personal attacks, I’m very angry with her because that’s what she did to the country,” he said at a press conference at the time. I think other people are very angry with her. I think I’m entitled to a personal attack. ”
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Long report from Washington. Associated Press writer Jill Colvin in New York contributed to this report.
