Trump attacks ‘phony’ Harris at Pennsylvania rally

Donald Trump returns to the state where he was shot and says his Democratic rival had a ‘personality makeover’, hours after causing uproar with comments about her race.

Republican presidential nominee and former US President Donald Trump returned to Pennsylvania for the first time since the assassination attempt. He is pictured speaking at a rally on July 31, 2024 in Harrisburg. Picture: AFP

Donald Trump labelled his Democratic rival for the presidency “phoney” and “crazy” as he held his first rally in Pennsylvania since the attempt on his life there last month.

Speaking to thousands of supporters at an indoor stadium in Harrisburg on Wednesday, the former president stepped up his personal attacks on Kamala Harris hours after he caused uproar with comments about her race.

Harris, 59, who is expected to secure the Democratic nomination next week, was “a liar” who had undergone a “personality makeover” for the presidential race, Trump said.

“No matter how much Kamala Harris tries to change her image she cannot change this fact: she is the most extreme liberal candidate in the history of our country,” Trump told the crowd, to loud applause and chants of “fight, fight, fight”, the phrase he used after being shot at on July 13.

“We’re fighting to bring back the American dream to you and your family,” he said at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg. It is 360 kilometres from Butler, where Trump’s ear was grazed by a bullet fired by Thomas Crooks at an outdoor rally. Crooks was killed by a sniper.

Headlines describing the vice-president as the “first Indian-American senator” were repeatedly displayed on large screens at the event. Earlier on Wednesday, Trump told the annual convention of the National Association of Black Journalists in Chicago that he doubted Harris was black.

“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 ... Is she Indian or is she black?” he said.

Harris is the daughter of a Jamaican-born father and an Indian mother, both immigrants to the US.

Trump’s claims resonated with some of his supporters in Pennsylvania. “It’s another example of her lying,” Dan Jones, 67, said. “My wife is actually black. She’s from Zimbabwe.”

Earlier in the evening, Alina Habba, Trump’s lawyer whose parents emigrated to the US from Iraq, told the crowd: “Unlike you, Kamala, I know who my roots are. I know where I come from.”

Republicans have become increasingly divided over the best way of attacking Harris as they re-calibrate their strategy after President Biden’s decision to drop out.

Polls put Kamala Harris ahead of Trump by one percentage point across the seven swing states. Picture: Getty

JD Vance, Trump’s running-mate, alluded to this in leaked comments he made to donors last week, admitting Biden’s decision was “a little bit of a political sucker punch”.

Attorney Alina Habba arrives to speak during the campaign rally for Donald Trump at the New Holland Arena. She has also represented the former president at his federal trials. Picture: AFP

Concerns are underscored by recent polls that suggest Harris is erasing Trump’s lead in the key battleground states. According to a Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll, she leads in Arizona, Michigan and Wisconsin, while Trump is still ahead in North Carolina and Pennsylvania. They are tied in Georgia and Nevada.

“We are all Americans and together we will show November 5 to be the most important day in our nation’s history,” Trump told his supporters in Harrisburg.

“Kamala is dangerous,” said Lesley, 65, from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. “She’s more left-wing than Biden, which is saying something. The only reason the Democrats have picked her is because she’s a woman and she’ll be able to access the money from the Biden campaign.”

Katie, 76, from Harrisburg, said that the vice-president, who has spoken out against fracking before announcing a shift in her views this week, was a danger to Pennsylvania’s economy. “She cannot be allowed to close the industry,” she said.

Trump supporters went wild in response to his speech after hours spent waiting for him. Picture: Getty

Trump, 78, did not mention his running-mate at all during his 90-minute speech. Vance, 39, selected two weeks ago, has struggled to find a voice and has attracted bad publicity over derogatory comments made in the past that have resurfaced. The Ohio senator is also dogged with persistent concerns over his lack of experience and nationwide name recognition.

When questioned about his decision, Trump told the audience in Chicago that “historically the choice of a vice-president makes no difference”.

“I guess he’s overcome a lot, being from a poor background, to be where he is today,” said Cathy, 65, who had also travelled to the rally from Lancaster. “But I don’t have a firm opinion about him yet. I don’t really know who he is.”

The Times