Trump says he has the “right” to personally attack Kamala Harris

Trump’s defense came during a meandering news conference that appeared to focus primarily on the economy. The former president spoke for about an hour before taking questions from reporters.

Asked what his message was to Americans struggling with credit card debt, Trump said: “My message to them would be very simple: Vote for Trump and we’re going to fix it. We will fix it. I’ll fix it.”

In recent days, Trump’s former campaign manager Kellyanne Conway and other top Republicans have urged the former president to focus more on Harris’ policies and past positions on attacks on his intelligence and of other fields.

“The winning formula for President Trump is very clear to see,” Conway told Fox Business host Larry Kudlow, who served in the Trump administration as director of the National Economic Council. “There’s less insults, more perspective and that contrast of politics.”

The Harris campaign seemed almost giddy at the prospect of Trump holding another news conference. She has not held an extended press conference since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee.

“We’re not sure what we just watched and neither is America,” the Harris campaign said in a statement. “From his members-only golf club, Donald Trump tried to read a paper for more than 40 minutes while giving a not-so-great stream of consciousness. It was quite boring. The networks cut his speech (except Fox, he has Dominion). over them). Then he took some questions.

On Wednesday, during a speech in North Carolina purported to be about the economy, Trump began by mocking Harris’ laughter.

Earlier this month, Trump questioned whether Harris was really black in front of a room of black journalists, an example of how he has bounced back from his message. He has also repeatedly attacked Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, though Kemp has backed him and tried to turn the page in the 2020 election. Polls show Harris gaining ground as Trump stumbles.

On Thursday, the Trump campaign announced that Corey Lewandowski, the first of three campaign managers from Trump’s 2016 campaign, will join the 2024 race in some capacity. Asked if the announcement signaled a change, Trump said that his approach remains the same.

“I think it’s a sign that we want to shut it down,” Trump said.