Former President Trump is facing advice from allies to cut out personal insults and focus on policy attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris. This comes after former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama made personal attacks against Trump at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Michelle Obama criticized Trump for his “ugly, misogynistic, racist lies” and emphasized that “going small is petty, it’s unhealthy, and, quite frankly, it’s unpresidential.” Meanwhile, Obama called Trump a “78-year-old billionaire” who has been “whining about his problems” since he entered the White House, mocking Trump’s behavior and personality.
Despite being advised to stick to policy attacks, Trump has continued to insult and criticize Harris over various issues such as border security, crime, and inflation. His advisers are reportedly aiming to persuade him to focus on branding Harris an ultra-liberal instead of resorting to personal attacks. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley have both publicly urged Trump to shift his focus away from personal insults and instead concentrate on making a strong policy-based case against Harris. They emphasized that the campaign should not be won on personalities or personal attacks but on substantive policy issues.
During a rally in battleground North Carolina, Trump mocked the advice from his allies to avoid personal insults. He asked the crowd whether he should stick to policy attacks or get personal, and the response was overwhelmingly in favor of getting personal. Despite the pushback from allies and advisers, Trump seems determined to continue making personal attacks against Harris and others. He has made derogatory comments about Harris’s intelligence, race, and crowd sizes, which his allies believe are not effective strategies to win over voters.
The criticism of Trump’s personal attacks on Harris and his focus on issues like crowd sizes has sparked a debate within Republican circles about the most effective campaign strategy. While some allies are urging Trump to pivot towards policy attacks and framing Harris as an ultra-liberal, others believe that personal attacks and inflammatory rhetoric resonate with his base and should be continued. Trump’s preference for personal insults and inflammatory language has been a trademark of his political style, and it remains to be seen whether he will heed the advice of his allies and shift his focus to policy-based attacks in the lead-up to the next election.
Despite the calls for Trump to avoid personal insults and focus on policy attacks, he has shown a reluctance to change his approach. His mocking of advice from allies and his determination to continue making personal attacks on Harris suggest that he is unlikely to shift his strategy in the near future. Trump’s focus on personal attacks and inflammatory language has been a defining feature of his political style, and it remains to be seen how this will play out in the upcoming election. As the debate over the most effective campaign strategy continues within Republican circles, Trump’s unwillingness to change his approach could have implications for his chances of success in the next election.
