Kamala Harris says the RNC is designed to 'soothe Donald Trump's ego'

(Image credit: Michael A. McCoy/Getty Images)

published 27 August 2020

In a scorching address delivered ahead of the final night of the Republican National Convention, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), the Democratic vice presidential nominee, slammed President Trump's coronavirus response, saying he was "fixated on the stock market" rather than focused on keeping the virus from spreading.

At the beginning of the pandemic, Trump "froze," Harris said. "He was scared. And he was petty and vindictive." He "caved" to the Chinese government and has shown a "reckless disregard for the well-being of the American people," she continued. He also failed to understand the nature of a pandemic. "It's relentless," Harris said. "You can't stop it with a tweet. You can't create a distraction and hope it'll go away. It doesn't go away."

Harris also took aim at the Republican National Convention, which this year has featured speeches from most of Trump's relatives. She said it was designed with one purpose: "To soothe Donald Trump's ego, to make him feel good. But here's the thing: He's the president of the United States, and it's not supposed to be about him. It's supposed to be about the health and the safety and the well-being of the American people. And on that measure, Donald Trump has failed."

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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