The elevation of Kamala Harris has transformed the presidential race, said Jonathan Chait in New York Magazine. As well as re-energising the Democrats, the move has had a secondary effect: sending Donald Trump around the bend. Having survived an assassination attempt and enjoyed a rapturous reception at the Republican National Convention, he was confident of beating Joe Biden – and this kept his more self-destructive traits in check. But Biden's withdrawal from the race, and the surge of momentum behind Harris, have led Trump to "indulge his most deranged instincts". In rambling press conferences and rallies, he has raged against Harris, even claiming that the crowds at her events have been concocted through using artificial intelligence.
Denied a rematch
"He also doesn't seem to respect Harris as an opponent." That's a dangerous attitude for a candidate. Voters pick up on such "disdain", and don't react positively to it – as Trump should know all too well. One of the reasons he beat Hillary Clinton in 2016, after all, is because she looked down on him, and referred to his supporters as a "basket of deplorables".
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
'Trump must do it himself'
"Ugly, personal attacks" on Harris will get Trump nowhere, said Jason L. Riley in The Wall Street Journal. He needs to concentrate on issues, and to draw a contrast between his record and that of the current administration. Harris has taken many unpopular stances in the past. She supported a ban on fracking; said she would "eliminate" private health insurance and impose a state-run system; endorsed slavery reparations; and backed efforts to defund the police. Her campaign is now busily trying to walk back some of these positions. Trump can't count on the mainstream media to take Harris to task over her record – Washington's shamelessly biased journalists are giving her an easy ride. "Trump must do it himself."
To better get his message across, he should consider dispensing with rallies, said Daniel Henninger in the same paper. He loves them, and so do his fans – I met a man recently who said he'd attended more than 70. But the events don't win new converts. Trump should instead hold town hall meetings with uncommitted voters. He's "much better than Ms. Harris in these more intimate settings".
'Insane claims and random stories'
Trump's handlers are trying to do something like that by holding pared-down speaking events at which, in theory, he restricts himself to one topic, said Edith Olmsted in The New Republic. Last week he held a press conference about inflation, next to a table of groceries. He began reading from notes, but soon veered "off script into an array of insane claims and random stories".
Of course he did, said Jonah Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times. Expecting Trump to stick to the script is "like betting Godot will be punctual or Lucy won't yank the football from Charlie Brown". It won't happen, and it wouldn't make much difference anyway. Thanks to the "reality show politics" that Trump helped create, substantive issues no longer count for much in US elections. It's all about personality and "vibes" now – and the reality is that Harris has the edge here because she has a novelty factor. "Trump and his enablers created the vibe petard, and now they're being hoisted on it."
-
5 cinematic cartoons about Bezos betting big on 'Melania'Cartoons Artists take on a girlboss, a fetching newspaper, and more
-
The fall of the generals: China’s military purgeIn the Spotlight Xi Jinping’s extraordinary removal of senior general proves that no-one is safe from anti-corruption drive that has investigated millions
-
Why the Gorton and Denton by-election is a ‘Frankenstein’s monster’Talking Point Reform and the Greens have the Labour seat in their sights, but the constituency’s complex demographics make messaging tricky
-
Why the Gorton and Denton by-election is a ‘Frankenstein’s monster’
Talking Point Reform and the Greens have the Labour seat in their sights, but the constituency’s complex demographics make messaging tricky
-
‘The West needs people’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump links funding to name on Penn StationSpeed Read Trump “can restart the funding with a snap of his fingers,” a Schumer insider said
-
Trump reclassifies 50,000 federal jobs to ease firingsSpeed Read The rule strips longstanding job protections from federal workers
-
‘The censorious effect is the same, even if deployed covertly’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Is the Gaza peace plan destined to fail?Today’s Big Question Since the ceasefire agreement in October, the situation in Gaza is still ‘precarious’, with the path to peace facing ‘many obstacles’
-
Vietnam’s ‘balancing act’ with the US, China and EuropeIn the Spotlight Despite decades of ‘steadily improving relations’, Hanoi is still ‘deeply suspicious’ of the US as it tries to ‘diversify’ its options
-
Trump demands $1B from Harvard, deepening feudSpeed Read Trump has continually gone after the university during his second term
