I’ve been plagued by an incessant crow in my Washington, DC garden for the past three weeks. Its constant cawing was unbearable, making me all the more eager to escape the city and hit the hiking trails once again.
However, I now have to contend with Donald Trump’s clamour, louder than that of the dreaded crow.
Need further proof that Trump is baffled on how to combat Kamala Harris? Simply look at his absurd response to her explosive convention.
On Friday morning, Trump boasted on Truth Social: “My administration will promote women’s reproductive rights.”
In certain German metropolises, the allure of the AfD is on the rise as Björn Höcke advocates for a complete shift in perspective regarding the Nazi era.
The city of Chicago serves as a reminder that for numerous black Americans, longstanding predicaments persist.
“As she accepts the Democratic nomination, Kamala Harris celebrates her ‘unlikely journey’, boosting party morale.
Meanwhile, Beijing’s endeavour to encourage more marriages has been met with mixed reactions.
On Friday evening, Trump declared, “The Republican Party is advancing on various fronts, and I am exceedingly proud to be a pioneer in the realm of IVF.”
Indeed, a pioneer in attempting to abolish it.
Initially, I found these posts so ludicrous that I theorised the possibility of an Iranian hack; they appeared uncharacteristic even for Trump. His typical behaviour involves projection, yet these posts seemed deliberately crafted to corroborate Harris’ assertion in her keynote speech that when it comes to women’s reproductive rights, Trump and JD Vance are unequivocally “out of their minds.”
Trump’s habitual bragging usually revolves around his installation of three conservative justices on the Supreme Court with the intent of overturning Roe. If he retakes the Oval Office, it’s likely he’ll appoint an additional religious fanatic to the court who will impose another horrendous legal restriction upon the nation.
The irony is that Trump himself isn’t even a genuine devotee. He supported pro-choice long before his Republican presidential bid. This man, once renowned for his hedonistic NYC lifestyle, compromised the Supreme Court solely to curry favour with his Christian right followers.
In her address, Harris openly mocked Trump, labeling him as a man who lacks seriousness. Her comments, however harsh, were not as cutting as her triumph over him in the television ratings. This provoked a bewildered uproar on Truth Social, where Trump impulsively amplified any nonsense that came to his mind.
Upon Harris’ confident and stylish arrival on stage, wearing a navy pantsuit from Chloé, Trump instantly questioned, “WHERE’S HUNTER?” Subsequently, he levelled an accusation at Tim Walz of embellishing his position on a high school football team. “Walz was an ASSISTANT Coach, not a COACH”. Criticising defensive coordinators seems to be a poor tactic to secure votes in the “Friday Night Lights” region.
In the aftermath of these posts, Trump placed a frantic and meandering call to Fox News, tying up Bret Baier and Martha McCallum for 10 minutes until Baier abruptly disconnected him to switch to the Greg Gutfeld comedy show.
“During the call, intermittent beeping interrupted Mr Trump’s commentary,” reported Michael Grynbaum and Michael Gold of the New York Times. “The inference was that the former President was inadvertently hitting buttons on his phone keypad.” Trump acknowledged that the Democrats had an “appealing venue” for their convention.
There was more chaos on Friday, when staunch anti-vaccination advocate Robert F Kennedy Jr withdrew his support and endorsed Trump, who had once dubbed himself “father of the Covid-19 vaccine”. Speaking in Phoenix, Kennedy Jr delivered a disjointed speech linking tainted food supply and media conspiracy to Democrats representing the “big money”, despite his decision to select, support and receive million-dollar donations from billionaires.
In one of his many irrational claims, Kennedy Jr expressed a belief that he could still secure victory and assume residence in the White House. He accused his former party of “abandoning democracy” by replacing Joe Biden with Harris, ironically, while supporting a man who had previously attempted to topple the very democracy he vowed to safeguard.
During a night rally with Trump in Glendale, Arizona, Kennedy declared, rather paradoxically, that Trump is the one who will shield us from despotism. The fast-food aficionado extolled Kennedy’s intentions to improve the quality of the food supply.
Trump is fascinated by being accepted by a member of the Kennedy family, even a misplaced one. However, the mantra of the past US president seems more akin to enquire generality, not what the nation is capable of doing for you, but what you are capable of doing for him.
During his public statement, Kennedy made references to his dad and uncle, likely causing discomfort to his other kin. Robert F Kennedy Jr’s cousin and JFK’s grandson, Jack Schlossberg, a public speaker, made a statement on an online platform X: “I’m not taken aback at all. Been claiming for over a year now, RFK Jr is on the market to the highest bidder and is undoubtedly Trump’s employee. Enjoying the partnership.”
At a forum held in Las Vegas on a previous Friday, pushing his policy of exempting tips from taxes, Trump could not stop reviewing Harris’s routine despite mispronouncing her name and claiming she mentioned his name 21 times in her dialogue. Trump’s name was referred to only 16 times, but we all acknowledge his habit of exaggerating figures.
Trump said, “She was dishonest.” And then he followed it up, “But that’s fine, as many people are not truthful. They will go to any extent to get elected.” He should be familiar with that tendency.
He went on to say, “She’s an imitator; she’s inconsistent.” He should be familiar with that too.
Now we head towards a rough and ugly bout between the Frivolous Man and the Unproven Woman.
Senior Democrats have cautioned that Trump continues to pose a significant threat, provided he refrains from falling apart.
Harris seemed fearless while discussing the armed forces and foreign policy during her speech. However, she must face more substantial trials ahead – such as brutal personalised attacks from Trump, a potential gruelling interview, and the upcoming month’s debate. She must demonstrate her toughness upon leaving the teleprompter. Can she manage to navigate a minimum of policy discussions without any viral mistakes?
Many individuals in our country rely on Harris, praying that she does not trip over herself in the next 10 weeks.
However, she should take comfort from the fact that she’s driving Trump mad. He’s envious of her looks, gathering sizes, her fame and her lively, vivacious aura. That indeed is a promising start. The article originally appeared in the New York Times.