Donald Trump branded Vice President Kamala Harris as a "crazy liberal" on Saturday, while she pledged to triumph over his "wild lies" as both candidates outlined their presidential campaign strategies with only 100 days remaining until the election. Trump, who had earlier spoken at a bitcoin conference in Tennessee, rallied supporters in Minnesota, aiming to transform the traditionally Democratic Midwest state into a battleground.
"This November, the American people will reject Kamala Harris's crazy liberal extremism in a massive landslide," the Republican declared to an audience gathered in a hockey arena. He swiftly criticized several stances Harris had taken during her 2020 Democratic primary campaign, including her previous support for banning fracking and majorly reforming the criminal justice system.
Labeling Harris a "radical left lunatic," Trump also attacked her and President Joe Biden's records on illegal immigration, inflation, and crime, which had seen significant increases during their tenure but have recently returned to historical norms. During his 90-minute speech, the billionaire populist reiterated promises to conduct the largest deportation effort in U.S. history and end the taxation of tips, while also repeating unsubstantiated claims that his 2020 election defeat was "rigged."
Meanwhile, Harris hosted a fundraising event in Massachusetts with celebrity guests such as singer-songwriter James Taylor and cellist Yoyo Ma. "We are the underdogs in this race, but this is a people-powered campaign," she told the attendees, with her campaign estimating the event would raise $1.4 million. Harris criticized Trump's false statements about her record, describing some of his rhetoric as "just plain weird." The Harris campaign has adopted "weird" as a catchphrase to characterize Trump's aggressive speech.
Trump's attacks include the baseless claim that Harris wants to legalize killing newborn babies, stemming from her strong support for abortion rights. Harris has made this advocacy a cornerstone of her campaign against Trump, whose three conservative Supreme Court nominees helped overturn the national right to abortion in 2022. Trump thanked the six conservative justices for their "wisdom and courage" on the contentious issue.
Harris, a former California prosecutor, challenged Trump to a debate, after his campaign indicated he would not participate in a previously scheduled televised debate with Biden on September 10. "I hope he reconsiders because we have a lot to talk about," she said. Trump, at 78, is now the oldest major-party nominee in history and is trying to reorient his campaign against a younger opponent, having expected to face an 81-year-old Biden.
On Saturday, Trump appealed to the cryptocurrency industry, which he had previously called a "scam." His call for the U.S. to be "the crypto capital of the planet" was welcomed by crypto enthusiasts who feel mistreated by the Biden administration. Trump also vowed to resume outdoor rallies two weeks after surviving an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania, using the incident as a central theme in his campaign pitch.
Harris, aiming to become the first female president in U.S. history, must quickly build a campaign against an opponent who has been in near-constant re-election mode since becoming president in 2016. Her late-starting White House bid has gained early momentum, with polls showing her in a close race against Trump. She has received support from Democratic leaders, including Biden and the Obamas. Supporters like Torianna Parrish, who greeted Harris at the airport in Westfield, Massachusetts, expressed their backing, stating, "We're rooting for her and we want to see her make this country what it needs to be."
