Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, launched a series of personal attacks against Vice President Kamala Harris during a campaign stop in Miami aimed at courting Latino voters.
He referred to Harris as “lazy” and questioned her intelligence and stamina, using terms that have historically been associated with negative stereotypes about Black Americans.
Trump accused Harris of being “lazy as hell” for not holding a campaign event, although she had spent the day in Washington in meetings and conducting interviews with media outlets such as Telemundo and NBC.
Later, during a rally in Greensboro, North Carolina, Trump escalated his attacks, calling Harris a “stupid person” and questioning if she was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. These remarks came after Harris had just completed more than two weeks of continuous political events, including a three-state campaign swing the day before.
Despite her busy schedule, Trump has signaled that he intends to ramp up his criticisms of Harris in the final weeks before Election Day, even as some of his allies have urged him to steer clear of personal attacks, especially those involving race or gender.
Trump implied that Harris was chosen as the Democratic nominee solely because of her race and gender, accusing Democrats of selecting her in an effort to appear “politically correct.” The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to Trump’s comments, but Ian Sams, a spokesperson for Harris, criticized Trump for canceling a planned town hall event earlier in the day.
Sams noted that Trump’s campaign was continuing a trend of canceled events, pointing out the inconsistency in Trump’s own campaign activities.
Throughout his political career, Trump has frequently questioned the work ethic and physical stamina of his opponents. In 2020, he accused President Joe Biden of “campaigning from his basement” and, in 2016, described Hillary Clinton as “low-energy” and physically weak.
These types of personal attacks, often targeting people’s physical attributes or questioning their backgrounds, have been a consistent feature of Trump’s rhetoric.
Trump has also faced longstanding accusations of racial bias. In the 1970s, he was sued by the federal government for allegedly discriminating against Black tenants.
He was also involved in the controversy surrounding the Central Park Five, a group of Black and Latino teenagers who were wrongfully convicted of a violent crime in New York City.
Trump purchased a full-page newspaper ad calling for the death penalty for the teenagers, and he has continued to make false statements about the case in recent debates.
Trump’s use of the word “lazy” in relation to Harris, who is Black and of South Asian descent, has drawn criticism due to its association with negative racial stereotypes. Such terms have been used throughout history to demean Black Americans, and critics have pointed out the harm these types of characterizations can cause.
Despite this, Trump appears to be doubling down on his approach, continuing to use inflammatory language as part of his campaign strategy.
