https://edition.cnn.com/2024/08/08/politics/trump-news-conference-attacks-harris-walz/index.htmlTrump’s rambling monologues cut a sharp contrast again the newly minted Democratic ticket, which is younger and, in its few appearances so far, more focused on its preferred issue set. The former president, meanwhile, seemed inclined to comment – often with lies or misleading claims – on every matter under the sun, from polling (“really good”) to the prospects of a new world war (“very close”).
His forays into more mainstream criticisms of Harris and the state of the country under President Joe Biden struck some familiar, if occasionally head-scratching, lines of attack.
“Now you have millions and millions of dead people, and you have people dying financially because they can’t buy bacon, they can’t buy food, they can’t buy groceries,” Trump said of Americans. “They can’t do anything. They’re living horribly in our country.”
Largely, though, Trump’s remarks were a rehashing of old grievances and a ramping up of newer, often insulting charges.
Jewish Americans supporting Harris, Trump said, “should have their head examined.”
“She’s been very, very bad to Israel and very bad to Jewish people,” he added. He did not specify how, nor that Harris is married to a Jewish man, second gentleman Doug Emhoff.
He went on to downplay the impact that abortion rights will have on the coming election, calling it a “very small issue” and “not a big factor anymore,” before falsely claiming – again – that Democrats support abortion “even after birth.”
The race for the White House, Trump added later, would not be competitive – so long as the election was fairly conducted, again falsely suggesting that past votes have not been.
“The (MAGA) base is 75% of the country,” Trump said, “far beyond the Republican party.”
In a minor reversal from past remarks, when he suggested he might not debate Harris at the previously appointed dates and times, Trump on Thursday announced that he had agreed to meet her on three occasions.
“I think it’s very important to have debates, and we’ve agreed with Fox on a date of September 4. We’ve agreed with NBC. Fairly full agreement subject to them on September 10. And we’ve agreed with ABC on September 25,” the former president said.
A senior Trump adviser and an ABC source familiar with the matter both said that the correct dates Trump has agreed to with networks are: September 4 with Fox News, September 10 with ABC and September 25 with NBC.
