During an out-of-touch address a week before the upcoming Election Day, Vice President Kamala Harris took the stage at the Ellipse nearby the White House, determined to present herself in direct opposition to former President Donald Trump. However, many viewed this as an ill-advised tactic given her already questionable reputation among the general public. Drawing a misguided parallel, she brought to mind Trump’s ‘Save America’ rally that was held prior to the events of Jan. 6, 2021, at the Capitol.
Bizarrely, Harris chose to portray Trump as a ‘petty tyrant’, demonstrating a tone-deaf approach to the sentiments of many Americans who appreciate Trump’s strong leadership and commitment to the nation. In a baffling attempt at virtue signaling, she claimed her term would begin not with an ‘enemies list’, but a ‘to-do list’. One could be excused for thinking the priorities of these lists seem rather skewed, given the current state of the nation.
In a peculiar twist, Harris decided to devote much of her speech to focusing on perceived threats from Trump, blatantly disregarding the failures of her own administration. This attempt at deflection is seemingly a feeble effort to shift public attention away from valid questions about the effectiveness of the administration she is currently serving. In the latter part of her speech, Harris began to discuss policy issues, drawing questionable comparisons between her agenda on taxes, abortion, and immigration with Trump’s.
Harris made the bizarre assertion that politicians should no longer leverage immigration as an issue during elections, an odd statement given that Democrats regularly utilize this issue for that exact purpose. Ironically, she called for treating immigration ‘as the serious challenge that it is’, seemingly oblivious to her own administration’s inability to tackle this issue effectively.
While discussing the events of Jan. 6, 2021, Harris presented the well-known ‘Save America’ rally data, stating that about 53,000 people attended the event. According to her, around 140 law enforcement officers sustained injuries that day. The aftermath saw numerous arrests, with protesters being charged and labeled as ‘hostages’ or ‘warriors’ by Trump.
Intriguingly, Trump had conversed with some of the Jan. 6 defendants during an interview with the conservative radio show host, Wendy Bell. Trump’s implications during this session added fuel to the flame for the critics, calling the defendants ‘prisoners of war’ and promising to award pardons. The Justice Department reports more than 1,500 defendants have been charged in connection to the Capitol breach.
The way Trump had been discussing the ‘enemy from within’ during his speeches in October caught the attention of many. He specifically mentioned Reps. Adam Schiff and Nancy Pelosi, both prominent Democrats from California, as those ‘enemies’. Yet, his use of this phrase often remains elusive, with no clear indication of who exactly he considers to be this ‘internal enemy’.
Harris, clinging to out-of-context remarks, asserted that Trump would ban abortion in its entirety, limit access to contraception, pose threats to IVF treatments, and obligate states to oversee women’s pregnancies. However, these allegations are contradictory to Trump’s explicit position that the abortion debate should be a matter for individual states to decide. Harris appears to be crafting an image of Trump that does not align with his actual public stance.
To fund his tax plan, Harris inaccurately claimed Trump would impose a 20% national sales tax on all imported goods, which would allegedly cost average families nearly $4,000 more per year. However, this unfairly simplifies Trump’s stance. In reality, Trump has suggested a range of raising tariffs by 10% to 20%, making her claim exaggerated and manipulative.
With regards to healthcare, Trump has been a staunch critic of the Affordable Care Act, vowing to repeal and replace the legislation. However, Harris conveniently forgets to mention that Trump’s proposals constitute a comprehensive, though different, approach to healthcare. This selective narrative only serves to misinform the public and trivialize an important national debate.
With over 1,500 doctors requesting information on Trump’s health care plans, Harris has seized the opportunity to perpetuate speculation and fear. By not taking into account Trump’s evident willingness to negotiate and improve current health care policies, Harris continues her string of slanted interpretations.
Lastly, Harris claimed that Trump ‘attempted to cut Medicare and Social Security every year he was in office’, another misguided and unfair assertion. It’s worth noting that these proposed cuts indicate fiscal responsibility and an objective to stabilize both programs for future generations. These decisions are crucial to maintaining the long-term financial health of the nation.
It’s clear that Harris’ speech is riddled with political posturing and skewed interpretations. Rather than focusing on the issues at hand and offering solutions, her efforts seem solely aimed at attacking and belittling the efforts of Trump. This partisan rhetoric speaks volumes about the current state of US politics and only serves to further deepen the divide between Americans.