Ex-president from the United States, Donald Trump, accused Democratic duo, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, of being “communists”, whilst also suggesting his readiness to engage in a debate with Harris. This happens despite backing out from a predetermined debate.
In addition, he criticised Walz regarding a previous incident that happened in April 2020. Back then, Trump had posted a message on Twitter stating: “Got a very pleasing call from @GovTimWalz of Minnesota. We are actively assisting him with all his needs. Positive developments are happening!”
His recent comments during a segment on Fox News reflected Walz requesting his aid due to concerns regarding protestors beside his residence. However, according to contemporary reports, Walz had requested Trump’s assistance to up the supply of personal protective gear and extend covid testing facilities in Minnesota. This measure was to facilitate businesses to restart operations during the early phase of the pandemic.
When approached for a statement on Wednesday, Trump’s representatives made no immediate comment. Claire Lancaster, acting as Walz’s spokesperson, stated that the phone call in question focused on acquiring PPE and bettering testing facilities, not addressing the protest issues.
Claims about Walz’s liberal outlook and criticisms regarding Harris’s choice, such as not choosing Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro due to his Jewish roots have been the primary focus of Mr Trump and other Republicans, following Harris’s vice-presidential candidate announcement during the U.S elections on Tuesday.
Echoing a sentiment that has seen prior backlash for being deemed as anti-Semitic, Trump, while featuring on Fox & Friends, reiterated a former criticism that Jewish individuals who supported Democrats “should seek a mental check-up.”
“He equated Mr Walz’s political views to those often held by Bernie Sanders,” was one of the comments made. He added that the beliefs upheld by Mr Walz and a certain lady surpass those of Bernie, who he claimed wasn’t an impressive figure. He opined that Walz and his colleagues, if allowed, would hasten the country towards communism while eliminating all forms of security. He made no secret of his concerns about Walz’s support for transgender rights.
The speaker then gave the impression that he intended to challenge Ms Harris in a debate, despite having previously expressed an intention to withdraw from an arranged ABC News debate in a social media post, favoring Fox News as an alternative venue. He wondered aloud about her debate style, and he painted her as somewhat unpleasant. This comment mirrored statements he had previously made about various women, among them Hillary Clinton, former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly, and Rachel Scott from ABC News. He contended, however, that despite her possible unpleasantness, she wasn’t a strong debater. He foreshadowed a forthcoming announcement about a debate with her in the not-too-distant future, following his mention of ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos with a nickname, “Slopadopoulos”. According to him, Ms Harris appeared reluctant to engage in a debate.
Despite agreement from Ms Harris about participating in the ABC News debate, she lambasted Mr Trump for retracting his commitment to the event the previous week. Adopting a confrontational stance at a rally, she wished Mr Trump would change his mind, and quoted a well-known saying, urging him to speak to her face-to-face if he had issues to raise.
Additionally, the Fox News anchors sought Mr Trump’s response to criticism levelled at him by Mr Walz at a rally. According to Mr Walz, Trump’s life experiences didn’t include worrying about how to make ends meet, unlike his own more common experiences growing up, but rather pondering tax cuts for his wealthy associates at his Mar-a-Lago country club. Mr Trump defended himself by highlighting his track record in successful business ventures and job creation. Bragging rights were claimed for achieving the most successful administration economically in history, and he also spotlighted the present inflation situation during the Biden presidency.
He communicated that his time was not solely spent at Mar-a-Lago, but at a plethora of different venues. This piece initially featured in The New York Times.