Trump's intense vision for America escalates the stress on Harris
Vice President Kamala Harris has merely three weeks to avoid a catastrophe, as she battles to regain momentum in a razor-thin race leading up to Election Day.
The Republican nominee is escalating some of the most malicious anti-immigrant rhetoric in contemporary US history, warning outsiders with "questionable genetics" that they've "invaded" the country. This amidst false claims that Haitian migrants lawfully present in Ohio were munching on pets. At an Arizona rally on Sunday, Trump made a baseless assertion that should Harris win, "the entire nation will be transformed into a migrant refugee camp." In Colorado just two days prior, he reaffirmed his intention to "start the largest deportation operation in US history," pledging, "We will seal the border. We will halt the influx of illegal immigrants into our country. We will defend our territory. We will not succumb."
And he ramped up his threats against adversaries this weekend, stating on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” that he might commandeer the military against “domestic adversaries.” The former president, who incited violence in an attempt to maintain power following the 2020 election, also said at a Saturday rally that a heckler practicing her right to free speech should "receiving some serious payback."
Trump further hinted at how he could use presidential power to serve his personal and political ambitions this weekend, threatening to withhold federal disaster aid to Democratic-controlled California — despite wrongly accusing Harris and President Biden of doing the same to hurricane-affected Republican districts. Trump also criticized CBS, suggesting they lose their broadcast license based on their reporting preferences regarding a Harris "60 Minutes" interview that he declined to participate in. Trump's associates, meanwhile, threatened to pull Deloitte's federal contracts following an employee's alleged leak of Senator JD Vance's disparaging remarks against the former president.
New details are emerging about the former president's compliance with foreign despots like Vladimir Putin, after the Kremlin verified that Trump shipped Covid-19 tests to a Russian autocrat hostile to the United States during the pandemic, which he frequently downplayed.
Although history suggests that Trump doesn't always follow through on his threats, his preceding behavior indicates that they should be taken seriously.
And a Supreme Court decision granting presidents considerable immunity hints at few obstacles to authoritarian executive power.
Trump's escalating radicalism is placing additional pressure on Harris. And senior Democratic leaders — including former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama — are urging voters in crucial battleground states, particularly Black and Latino voters Harris needs, not to allow Trump to return.
Harris sharpened her criticisms of Trump during a rally in North Carolina on Sunday, faulting him for refusing to disclose his medical records (just after publishing her own medical report) and for refusing a second debate and an "60 Minutes" interview.
"He's not offering transparency to the voters. It leaves you wondering, why is his staff trying to conceal him? One cannot help but ask, are they afraid that people might see him as too weak and unstable?" she posed.
Growing anxiety amongst Democrats
Anxiety is mounting among Democrats that the enthusiasm surrounding Harris' entrance into the race in July, her successful convention in August, and her strong debate performance in September have yet to translate into a decisive advantage over Trump.
There's no clear leader in the most recent CNN average of national polls, which includes neck-and-neck polls by CBS, ABC, and NBC published on Sunday. Even if Harris held an edge in national polls, there are fears that, much like Hillary Clinton before her, she could win the popular vote but still fall short in the Electoral College.
The narrow gap three weeks before Election Day shows that while Trump breaks with the traditional mold of presidential candidates, he still resonates with millions of American voters. Republicans argue that Harris-Biden policies spiked inflation, which the White House tried to downplay for months. Trump avows that the White House's handling of the chaos surrounding the US withdrawal from Afghanistan is viewed as an indication of weakness worldwide. And after failing to address immigration-related policy and political concerns earlier in Biden's term, Democrats gave Trump a significant opportunity on a critical issue.
The close contestalso suggests that despite Trump's unapologetic radicalism, Democrats have been ineffective in offering a candidate and a message that can offer them any reassurance about the election's outcome. While liberals and moderates might be repulsed by the strongman leadership Trump advocates, he triumphs on the issue that consistently ranks as voters' top priority: the economy. In the ABC News/Ipsos poll, for instance, 59% say the economy is worsening, despite a robust job market, inflation not being at its peak, and interest rates easing.
With the nation in such a downcast mood, Harris' incumbency as vice president is a handicap. And her inability, during a recent interview on "The View," to identify anything she would have done differently from Biden is a mistake that Trump will exploit up until Election Day. Harris has outlined measures to help people buy and rent homes, to mitigate the cost of healthcare, and to reinvigorate a bipartisan border bill that Trump torpedoed. However, it's frequently difficult in her interviews to discern a compelling raison d'être for her campaign. Trump's promise to deport migrants, impose tariffs on US trade rivals, and restore order to a world spinning out of control is still perceived as powerful, even if extreme.
Democrats searching for reassurance might observe that Trump only garners 48% or less in most polls, indicating his national election ceiling remains stable, while Harris might still have room for expansion. In the NBC News poll, 10% of voters hinted at potential changes, and what the network referred to as a "thin slice" remained unclaimed. Significant shifts in support in states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona, and Georgia could be pivotal.
The electorate's eventual composition will be fundamental. For instance, will Harris' emphasis on abortion rights ignite higher-than-anticipated women voter turnout that surprises pollsters? Can she curb Trump's progress among Black male and Hispanic voters? Or will Trump tap into an unused pool of supporters who agree with him on numerous issues but seldom cast ballots?
What Harris needs to accomplish
Democratic strategist Doug Sosnik views the race as a fifty-fifty contest and believes Harris has plateaued in the last 10 days, allowing Trump to regain some ground. On the "CNN Political Briefing" podcast, Sosnik shared his sentiment with CNN Political Director David Chalian: "The presidency hinges on who emerges as a change agent in the eyes of the voters."
Trump's campaign countered this by releasing a memo asserting that the "change agent" label has already been claimed by the former president. "She can't persuade the voters that she is the 'change agent' in the race, that she will be superior on the economy, inflation, immigration, crime, or improving people's financial situation," the memo stated. "The bottom line is that voters believe Trump will perform better."
However, Sosnik contended that the contest boiled down to Harris and her ability to withstand pressure, scrutiny, and create a supportive environment for individuals reluctant to vote for Trump but apprehensive of Harris. Sosnik warned, "They don't feel confident she has presented sufficient reasons to cast their ballot for her ... she is not doing that right now."
Harris's task is complicated by the scarcity of opportunities to engage directly with Trump. The former president, who has been criticizing Harris for avoiding the press, mainly sticks to conservative media and Fox News, where he enjoys praise instead of questionings. He's avoiding a second presidential debate against Harris and pulled out of a "60 Minutes" interview, criticizing Harris's performance on the program. During the 2016 campaign, Trump's rallies were hard to overlook on cable television; however, their coverage now barely extends past conservative media, meaning many voters may not witness his increasingly outrageous and disjointed actions.
Obama seemed perplexed during a campaign appearance for Harris in Pennsylvania last week about Trump's lasting appeal among millions of voters. "There is no evidence that this man thinks about anyone but himself," Obama asserted. "Donald Trump sees power as merely a means to an end."
Yet, despite two impeachments, a criminal conviction, and an attempt to subvert democracy to maintain power, Trump remains within reach of the presidency once more, advancing on a more extreme platform than before.
Sen. Chris Murphy has been sounding the alarm of late with a series of increasingly anxious posts on X. Reacting to Trump's characterization of undocumented migrants last week as "rapists" and "the worst criminals in the world," Murphy wrote that such rhetoric foreshadows "a dystopian nation" with open-air prison camps and the suspension of the rule of law. "We cannot permit this to occur. His vision of America is not America," the Connecticut Democrat added.
Murphy's posts underscored what Harris represents to those who fear the very real prospect of Trump's return.
In this tense political climate, Democratic strategist Doug Sosnik has identified Vice President Kamala Harris's campaign as a fifty-fifty contest, with Harris allegedly plateauing and allowing Trump to regain some ground. Furthermore, the Republican nominee's inflammatory rhetoric against immigrants and refugees, such as labeling them as "questionable genetics" and "invaders," has raised concerns within Democratic ranks. This political discourse adds to the growing anxiety among Democrats, particularly in the context of upcoming Election Day.
