Donald Trump doubled down on his bizarre attacks on Kamala Harris’ mental fitness suggesting that the vice president is “mentally impaired.”
Trump told supporters during a rally in Wisconsin on Saturday that President Joe Biden developed cognitive issues but that Harris was born “mentally disabled.”
“And if you think about it, only a mentally disabled person could have allowed this to happen to our country,” he continued.
The comments sparked swift backlash from disability advocates and even some Republicans.
Former Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan told 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.”
However, Trump repeated the attack on Harris at his rally in Erie, Pennsylvania on Sunday.
“Crooked Joe Biden became mentally impaired. Sad! But lyin’ Kamala Harris, honestly, I believe she was born that way,” Trump said. “There’s something wrong with Kamala and I just don’t know what it is.
“But there is definitely something missing! And you know what? Everybody knows it!” he added.
Several Republicans have been encouraging Trump to stop making personal attacks on Harris and Democrats and focus on policy differences.
“I just think the better course to take is to prosecute the case that her policies are destroying the country,” close Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham said Sunday. “They’re crazy liberal.”
Another Republican, Rep. Tom Emmer echoed Graham’s comments on ABC’s ‘This Week’.
“I think we should stick to the issues,” Emmer said. “The issues are, Donald Trump fixed it once. They broke it. He’s going to fix it again. Those are the issues.”
But so far their pleas have landed on deaf ears as Trump believes he is “entitled” to personal attacks on Harris.
“As far as the personal attacks, I’m very angry at her because of what she’s done to the country,” he said at a news conference last month. “I’m very angry at her that she would weaponize the justice system against me and other people, very angry at her. I think I’m entitled to personal attacks.”
