[US Election 2024] "McDonald's E. coli Cause is Trump"... Vice Presidential Candidate Also Engages in Negative Campaigning

As the Election Nears Its End, Opponent's Side
Democratic Party's Wolz Undermines, Republican Vance

"The McDonald's E. coli detection incident is Trump's fault." (Tim Walz, Governor of Minnesota)

"Harris is a shameful person." (JD Vance, Senator)

As the U.S. presidential election is held next week, the Democratic running mates?Governor Walz and Senator Vance?are actively engaging in negative campaigning just like the presidential candidates. With the election race remaining extremely close until the final moments, their strategy appears to be to undermine the opposing candidates to solidify their base ('jittoek') while also attracting swing voters (undecided voters).

Is the McDonald's E. coli Incident Trump's Fault?

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

On the 27th (local time), Governor Walz appeared on the video streaming service Twitch alongside Democratic U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to discuss the recent detection of E. coli at McDonald's outlets in 13 U.S. states. Walz claimed that former President Trump was responsible because he worked as a day employee making French fries at a McDonald's in Pennsylvania on the 20th. This seems to be an attempt to mock former President Trump by linking two completely unrelated and independent incidents.

During the appearance, when Walz jokingly asked Representative Ocasio-Cortez, "Did you notice that many people got sick after he worked at McDonald's?" she laughed and replied, "That man put his hand in the fries, and the next day E. coli was detected at McDonald's." They also played a video of former President Trump serving customers at a drive-thru window, disparagingly saying he looked like 'Ronald McDonald.'

Vance: "How Can a Person Who Loves the Country Be Called a Nazi?"

[Image source=Getty Images Yonhap News]

Senator Vance is also engaging in smear tactics to discredit the opposing candidate. At a rally in Wisconsin on the 28th, he said, "She (Vice President Harris) is a bad vice president who calls 'people who love the country (former President Trump)' Nazis," and criticized her as "a shameful figure threatening Trump's life." He also asked, "Is wanting America not to be overwhelmed by fentanyl racist?" and "Is a parent who wants their child to grow up in a safe neighborhood a bad person?"

At a rally in Georgia on the 26th, Vance also said, "Don't call someone a racist just because they want their children to attend school with kids who speak English," and "Don't call American citizens bad people just because they want a secure southern border," portraying Vice President Harris as if she were a presidential candidate with extreme policies.

Neck-and-Neck Race Until the End... Using Smear Campaigns to Win Swing Voters

As the election remains too close to call until the very end, even the vice-presidential candidates seem to be engaging in negative attacks against each other rather than constructive criticism of their opponent's policies, just like the presidential candidates. Recently, Vice President Harris called former President Trump a "dangerous fascist," while Trump called Harris a "radical left-wing lunatic," exchanging attacks.

According to the U.S. election analysis site RealClearPolitics, as of the 28th, the average support rates from 14 polling organizations for Vice President Harris and former President Trump are 48.4% and 48.6%, respectively, showing a tight race. However, Harris gained momentum after President Biden's cognitive controversy led to his withdrawal in July, but has since faced criticism for lacking differentiation from the Biden administration on economic policies, putting her on the defensive as the election nears.

The support rates for the two vice-presidential candidates are also close. According to a presidential poll conducted nationwide over two days from the 21st to 22nd by the economic media Forbes and polling agency HarrisX, Senator Vance and Governor Walz received support rates of 37% and 36%, respectively.

Experts analyze that because major variables that could sway voter sentiment have mostly been revealed near the end of the election, candidates are resorting to negative campaigning as a secondary strategy to easily attract the attention of swing voters.