Former US President Donald Trump attacked Vice President Kamala Harris during his speech in Wisconsin on Saturday, targeting her immigration issues and her role in border policy, reported CBS News.
Speaking in Prairie du Chien, Trump accused Harris of allowing illegal border crossings and blamed her for crimes committed by migrants, claiming she had effectively “erased” the US border.
Trump also promised to free the state from the migrants invasion and extend that to the entire country if re-elected. “I will liberate Wisconsin from the mass migrant invasion,” he said. “We’re going to liberate the country.”
He also escalated personal attacks on Harris, calling her “mentally impaired” and a “disaster,” stating, “Joe Biden became mentally impaired. Kamala was born that way.”
“Kamala was born that way. She was born that way. And if you think about it, only a mentally disabled person could have allowed this to happen to our country. Anybody would know this.”, he said.
Trump’s criticism of Harris has been ongoing since she entered the race. Earlier this year, he controversially questioned her racial identity, falsely claiming she “turned Black” for political gain.
“I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black and now she wants to be known as Black,” Trump said at the time. “So I don’t know, is she Indian, or is she Black?”, Trump had asked.
When asked if such personal attacks could hurt his standing with voters, Trump confidently responded that he didn’t believe so.
In addition to criticising Harris, Trump reiterated his hardline stance on immigration, vowing to carry out the largest deportation operation in US history if elected. He claimed that Americans trust him more than Harris to handle border issues, and polls reflect his advantage on this topic in key swing states like Wisconsin.
However, Trump’s rally saw him jumping rapidly between various topics, from alleged assassination attempts to climate change and even comparing his physique to President Biden’s.
He also mocked Harris’ event in Arizona the previous day, where she outlined new plans to tighten asylum rules. Harris had criticised Trump’s border policies, accusing him of preferring to campaign on problems rather than fix them.
Trump denied responsibility for separating children from their parents at the border during his presidency, despite this policy being implemented under his administration. In response, Harris addressed her supporters in San Francisco, describing Trump as “a very unserious man” with outdated rhetoric, but warning that his return to the White House would have severe consequences for the nation.
The Harris campaign challenged Trump to another debate in a football-themed advert aired during the Alabama-Georgia game, which Trump attended after his rally. The ad teased Trump, calling him a “loser” for avoiding a second debate.