Escalating Negative Campaign... "Trump is a Fascist" vs "Crazy Woman"

Harris Launches 'Fascist' Offensive in Emergency Press Conference
Intense Negative Campaigning Until the Final Moments in a Tight Race

"Trump is a fascist." "That woman (Harris) is crazy."

As the U.S. presidential election enters its final stages with a tight race, negative campaigning has reached its peak. Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are hurling harsh insults such as "fascist" and "loser" to disparage each other.

Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris (left), a candidate in the U.S. presidential election, and former Republican President Donald Trump [Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

Harris: "Trump = Fascist"... Targeting Anti-Trump Republicans and Swing Voters

Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris held an emergency press conference on the 23rd (local time) at the Washington DC residence and stated that former President Trump "qualifies as a fascist." Vice President Harris cited remarks from John Kelly, who served as White House Chief of Staff during Trump's first term, criticizing Trump by saying, "From his first day in office, Trump declared he would become a dictator and use the military as a personal militia for personal and political revenge." She also said, "It is very concerning and dangerous that Trump references Adolf Hitler," adding, "Trump is becoming increasingly unstable. He wants unchecked power."

She continued her offensive at a CNN-hosted town hall meeting held in Pennsylvania on the same day. Vice President Harris said, "Former President Trump is becoming more and more unstable and is unfit to serve America." She added, "People who worked with Trump, including his former Chief of Staff, former National Security Advisor, former Secretary of Defense, and former Vice President, all say he is unfit and dangerous," and "They have said that Trump should never hold the office of the U.S. presidency again."

When Anderson Cooper, the host, asked if she thinks former President Trump is a fascist, Vice President Harris replied, "Yes."

The White House also joined the fascist attack. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded to a question at a briefing about whether President Joe Biden agrees with the fascist remark by saying, "Yes. Former President Trump declared from his first day in office that he would become a dictator."

This is interpreted as a strategy to capture anti-Trump Republicans and swing voters amid confirmed voter defections among traditional Democratic supporters, such as young Black men, in various polls. Vice President Harris, who has long defined former President Trump as an "enemy of democracy," also stated the day before that she is preparing for the possibility that he might not accept the election results. Harris continued her fascist remarks during the CNN town hall meeting that evening.

Trump Strikes Back as "Loser"... Negative Campaign Intensifies

Republican presidential candidate former President Trump immediately counterattacked. Shortly after the fascist remark, the Trump campaign issued an official statement calling Harris "a desperate, thorough loser as her campaign falls apart," and claimed, "Harris's dangerous rhetoric is directly responsible for multiple assassination attempts against Trump. She is inciting violence under the guise of politics." They added, "Vice President Harris's vile behavior proves she is completely unfit for public office."

Former President Trump also unleashed harsh words against Vice President Harris during a rally in Duluth, Georgia, saying, "That woman is crazy" and "the worst ever." Earlier, at a rally in Pike County, he emphasized, "We will never lose," and said, "Many people have gained strength because they have seen how bad they (the Biden administration) are. The past four years have been a continuous nightmare."

The negative exchanges between the two candidates are expected to intensify further. According to The New York Times (NYT), Vice President Harris plans to give a speech on the 29th at Ellipse Park, located south of the White House. Ellipse Park was the site where former President Trump rallied his supporters just before the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot, which was an attempt to overturn the presidential election results. Vice President Harris is expected to emphasize the differences between the Trump administration and the Biden administration and warn that former President Trump will be a threat to America during her speech.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Justice warned Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, who offered a daily $1 million (approximately 1.3818 billion KRW) lottery prize for conservative voter registration to help elect former President Trump, that this could violate federal law.