I Appear More Attractive Than Others

During a rally in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, former President Donald Trump targeted Vice President Kamala Harris, diverting from a script prepared by Republican allies urging him to concentrate on policy matters rather than personal attacks.

Trump expressed his belief that he is more “attractive” than Harris, stating, “I am much better looking than her. I’m a better-looking person than Kamala.” His comments were made in light of Harris’s recent appearance on the cover of Time Magazine.

“Time Magazine doesn’t have a picture of her. They have this unbelievable artist drawing her,” Trump scoffed, suggesting that the magazine resorted to using a sketch artist after the actual photographs turned out poorly.

At the rally, Trump continued his critique of Harris as well as broader Democratic policies. He remarked, “What happened to Biden? I was running against Biden and now I’m running against someone else. I said, who am I running against, Harris? I said, ‘Who the hell is Harris?’”

In response to Trump’s remarks, the Harris campaign dismissed his statements as stale, saying, “another rally, same old show.” Campaign spokesperson Joseph Costello accused Trump of using lies and insults to distract from his “dangerous Project 2025 agenda,” which he claimed would impose hefty tax increases on working families and eliminate the Affordable Care Act.

Trump also directed his comments toward prominent Pennsylvania Democrats, including Governor Josh Shapiro and Senator Bob Casey, who is seeking reelection. He insinuated there was a reason Harris chose not to select Shapiro as a running mate, alluding to his Jewish heritage and continuing his long-standing critique of Jewish voters who support Democrats.

The former president’s rhetoric extended to various news outlets, including ABC News, which is scheduled to host an upcoming presidential debate.

Despite the calls from some Republicans, including former adviser Kellyanne Conway, for Trump to minimize insults in favor of policy discussions, Trump did touch on several policy issues at the rally. He addressed immigration, crime, and foreign policy, but also ridiculed Harris’s newly announced economic plan.

He claimed that Harris was promoting “socialist price controls,” referring to it as “the Maduro plan” reminiscent of the old Soviet Union following a period of economic turmoil.

To emphasize his point, Trump invited a Venezuelan supporter onto the stage to share experiences from the regime of former President Hugo Chavez. This served as a tactic to draw parallels with Harris’s economic policies.

Trump was particularly vocal on the subject of fracking, a significant issue for many voters in Pennsylvania. He asserted that Harris opposes fracking, stating, “You do know she’s against this whole energy thing that you have, which is by far the most important thing you have from an economic standpoint, a job standpoint.”

He insisted, “She’s vowed that she will ban fracking. Pennsylvania is going to always be fracking because we desperately need the energy and we desperately need the jobs.”

As the election approaches, Pennsylvania looms large with its 19 Electoral College votes. Trump had previously won the state in 2016 but lost it to Biden in the 2020 election. Recent polling data indicates a tight race, with Harris leading Trump by a narrow 0.8 percentage points according to an average from The Hill and Decision Desk HQ.

Source: various news sources