Trump Doubles Down On Personal Attacks Against Harris—After Republicans Condemn ‘Mentally Impaired’ Claim

Topline

Former President Donald Trump repeated the claim that his opponent Vice President Kamala Harris was born “mentally impaired,” seemingly ignoring criticism he received from some Republicans for making a similar claim at a rally on Saturday.

Key Facts

“Crooked Joe Biden became mentally impaired,” Trump said at a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Sunday before continuing: “But lying Kamala Harris, honestly, I believe she was born that way.”

The comment almost mirrored what Trump said at a rally in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, on Saturday, when he made the same comments about Biden and Harris and said, “and if you think about it, only a mentally disabled person could have allowed this to happen to our country.”

The comments on Saturday drew almost immediate criticism from advocates for people with disabilities and some Republicans, including Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C., who—when asked about Trump’s comments—said, “I just think the better course to take is to prosecute the case that her policies are destroying the country.”

Former Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan also criticized Trump’s comments, telling CBS on Sunday, “I think that's insulting not only to the vice president, but to people that actually do have mental disabilities,” adding, “I've said for years that Trump's divisive rhetoric is something that we could do without.”

Key Background

Some Republicans have been encouraging Trump for weeks to stop making personal attacks on Harris and Democrats and focus on policy differences. In mid-August, Trump said he believed he was “entitled to personal attacks” on Harris and suggested he made the comments because he was angry with her “because of what she’s done to the country.” Since Harris took over the Democratic ticket, Trump has attacked her intelligence, her laugh and her race, suggesting she has changed her racial identity from Indian to Black.

Tangent

Despite repeating his own claims people found offensive and hateful, Trump recently blamed Harris and Biden’s rhetoric for inciting violence. In an interview with Fox News Digital on Sept. 16, Trump alleged the suspect in the second assassination attempt on him “believed the rhetoric of Biden and Harris, and he acted on it.” Despite the FBI not having released a motive for the attempt, Trump claimed “their rhetoric is causing me to be shot at.”

Big Number

2.8. That’s how many points Harris is leading Trump by according to FiveThirtyEight’s latest national polling average. RealClearPolitics’ average showed Harris leading by two points as of Sunday afternoon.

Chief Critic

The American Association of People with Disabilities released a statement Sunday calling Trump’s comments about Harris on Saturday “both ableist and inaccurate.” The statement continued: “Trump’s ableist comments yesterday say far more about him and his inaccurate, hateful biases against disabled people than it does about Vice President Harris, or any person with a disability. Trump holds the ableist, false belief that if a person has a disability, they are less human and less worthy of dignity.”

Further Reading