Trump sharpens his weapons against Kamala Harris, his new rival

Forced to outline a new electoral strategy less than 100 days before the American presidential election, American Donald Trump will participate in a Wednesday two campaign events, with his new opponent Kamala Harris in his sights.

The Republican's race for the White House is shaken up by the surprise withdrawal of his rival, Democrat Joe Biden.

The former president had placed the health of the current 81-year-old leader at the heart of his political message by presenting him as a senile old man.

But ten days ago he inherited a new competitor, a black woman 18 years his junior, and he finds himself forced to review his entire strategy on the job.

– Chicago, Pennsylvania –

Will he decide on “Kamala the liar”, “the hilarious one” or “the crazy one”? Always on the lookout for mocking nicknames for his opponents, Donald Trump has not yet made up his mind and is still trying out all three nicknames on his Truth Social network.

The tempestuous septuagenarian has already had particularly crude words for the vice president at an event in North Carolina last week, falsely accusing her of being in favor of “executing babies” in because of his pro-abortion positions.

Kamala Harris, in Atlanta, July 30, 2024 © POOL – Elijah Nouvelage

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Wednesday midday, he will fly to Chicago, where he will participate in a round table with African-American journalists devoted to “the most pressing problems of the black community”.

A thinly veiled appeal to this electorate, with whom Kamala Harris is popular. Donald Trump will explain, according to his campaign team, how he has “accomplished more things for black Americans than any president in recent history”.

At 6:00 p.m. (10:00 p.m. GMT), the former president will then hold a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, the state where he escaped an assassination attempt in mid-July that also disrupted the campaign.

– “Cat Women” –

On Saturday, head to Atlanta, Georgia, for another political event, alongside his running mate, J.D. Vance.

This 39-year-old senator, appointed to assist him in this presidential election, was to be an asset for the Republican's campaign and an opportunity to attract new voters.

Republican candidate Donald Trump congratulates himself with his running mate J.D. Vance, during a rally in Grand Rapids (Michigan, United States), July 20, 2024 © AFP – Jim WATSON

But this Ohio elected official is for the moment rather a thorn in the side of the former president.

The thirty-year-old has seen his popularity rating plummet in recent weeks due to the resurgence of several controversial videos.

In one of them, the former best-selling author mocks “unhappy cat ladies,” a reference to people who choose to live without a partner or child.

In front of donors, J.D. Vance also considered that the entry of Vice President Kamala Harris into the race for the White House was a “sucker punch” for the Republican camp, an expression that can be translated into French as “a blow to the head” or a “dirty blow.”

The Democratic candidate, who has crisscrossed Wisconsin, Georgia and Indiana in recent days, will travel to Houston, Texas, on Wednesday evening to speak to African-American students.

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