US elections: Trump claims, ‘I am entitled to attack Harris personally because …’ – Times of India

Former President Donald Trump, speaking from his Bedminster golf club in New Jersey, defended his recent personal attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris, claiming his remarks are justified due to his lack of respect for her. Trump’s latest news conference, his second in a week, focused heavily on Harris, inflation, and his campaign strategy.
“I think I am entitled to personal attacks.I do not have a lot of respect for her. I don’t have a lot of respect for her intelligence, and I think she’ll be a terrible president,” Trump said. He further criticized Harris, saying, “She’s not — she’s not smart. I don’t believe she loves our country,” reported ABC News.
“Some people say, ‘Oh, why don’t you be nice?’ But they’re not nice to me. They want to put me in prison,” Trump complained. “They don’t want me to be a little bit nasty. They want to put me in prison. Me!”

Trump’s comments came amid rising inflation concerns. He displayed grocery items with a sign reading, “Price Increases since Kamala Harris took office,” and claimed, “Harris has just declared that tackling inflation will be a Day 1 priority for her. But Day 1, really, for Kamala was three and a half years ago. Where has she been?”

While Trump argued that his criticisms were necessary, he faced questions about the potential impact on his standing with suburban women, moderates, and independents, reported ABC News.

He insisted he is running “a very calm campaign,” contrasting his approach with what he described as radical actions by his opponents. “No, I think that, I think relatively to what they’re doing and how radical they are and how, in many ways, how sick they are, I think I’m doing a very calm campaign. I mean, we’re here. There’s no shouting.”

Trump also addressed his remarks about striking workers, defending his praise of Elon Musk and his stance on labor issues. “No, I want companies to get workers that are going to love them and work for a wage that lets the company make a profit,” Trump said, disputing claims that he advocated for firing striking workers.
The Harris campaign has used Trump’s statements to highlight inaccuracies and criticize his policies. “Trump did the only thing he knows how to do — he went out and lied, made up stories, mixed up dates, attacked the media,” said the Harris campaign in a statement.

In response to questions about Harris’s media engagement, Michael Tyler, communications director for the Harris-Walz campaign, assured that Harris would participate in interviews and press conferences before the end of the month.