Trump calls Harris 'evil' at rally as Republicans struggle to coalesce on attacks
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump spoke in Minnesota Saturday, touting a new insult for his likely 2024 opponent Vice President Kamala Harris.
Addressing a crowd of approximately 8,000 people in St. Cloud, Trump said Harris is the “new victim now,” after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race.
After using the Republican National Convention to share gratitude for Trump surviving an assassination attempt and bash the Biden administration's tenure in office, Republicans now must find a way to refocus attacks on Harris. Democrats, on the other hand, have quickly coalesced around calling Trump and running mate JD Vance "weird."
Here's a look at how Trump discussed his likely opponent at a weekend rally in Minnesota:
'A daughter of California': How a Kamala Harris presidency could shake things up
Trump rally video shows: 'She's evil'
Trump's campaign remarks lasted more than 90 minutes, and continued to dig on Democrats' for Biden's mental fitness. He also slammed Harris for immigration problems at America's southern border, calling her the "border czar." A USA TODAY fact check has found this claim to be false, as it over exaggerates her role.
After listing several violent crimes allegedly committed by immigrants, Trump appeared to place the blame at Harris' feet.
"Kamala Harris' deadly destruction of America's borders is completely and totally disqualifying for her to be president. You can't have a person like this as president," Trump said.
"No person who deliberately releases these kinds of savage criminals to prey on our youth and our people...not just youth, elderly people too....should ever be trusted with power. Again, she has no clue, she has no clue, she's evil."
'Evil' latest remarks after 'lunatic' and 'DEI candidate'
At Trump's first rally after Biden exited the race, he called Harris a "lunatic" and a "liar," Reuters reported.
Republicans also had started calling Harris a DEI candidate, a term often used to undercut people of color who become leaders.
But Axios reported Trump and company are still trying to find attack lines that don't go too far into Harris' identity as a woman of color.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., for example, advised Republican lawmakers hits on Harris should focus on policy and her ties to the Biden administration.
Vance is already in hot water for years-old comments indicating Harris is a miserable, childless "cat lady."
Trump lost Minnesota twice
In 2016, Hillary Clinton won Minnesota's 10 electoral votes with 46.9% of the vote compared to Trump's 45.3% of the vote.
In 2020, Biden won 52.6% of the vote, compared to Trump's 45.4% of the vote.
Contributing: Corey Schmidt, St. Cloud Times; Andre Byik, Ken Tran, Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'She's evil': Trump attacks Kamala Harris at Minnesota rally