The fatal flaw in Kamala Harris’ speech, marred by Biden’s ‘garbage’ comment

The optics were perfect. The crowd was massive. The media reviews were glowing.

But location was a basal contradiction astatine nan bosom of Vice President Kamala Harris’ speech connected nan Ellipse that virtually nary 1 is talking about. 

First, I’ll springiness nan vice president her due. It was a well-written reside and powerfully delivered. It contained a adjacent magnitude of policy, specified arsenic Medicare payments for location wellness attraction and assistance to first-time location buyers.

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Harris acknowledged that galore voters were conscionable getting to cognize her. She mentioned her mom and her middle-class upbringing, arsenic she ever does. She said she’s not cleanable and makes mistakes.

But nan backbone of nan reside was a two-fisted, no-holds-barred onslaught connected former President Donald Trump.

Harris likened him to King George III arsenic a "petty tyrant." She called him "unstable" and "consumed pinch grievance." She said he’s seeking "unchecked power" and is "obsessed pinch revenge."

In short, aft a 100-day campaign, Harris is still moving arsenic she did erstwhile she quickly seized nan nomination, arsenic nan anti-Trump.

President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. (AP Photo/Getty Images)

Now, specified rhetorical assaults tin beryllium traced to nan dawn of nan republic. You whitethorn not emotion me, but that different feline is truthful overmuch worse.

That’s why she used nan White House arsenic a backdrop, opinionated astatine nan spot wherever Trump gave his reside connected Jan. 6, 2021 urging his supporters to spell to nan Capitol, wherever galore proceeded to riot.

Fine. Fair game. Especially for a campaigner who’s trying to triumph immoderate Republican votes, aided by Liz Cheney, a number of erstwhile Trump officials and, arsenic of yesterday, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

But past nan veep tried to make nan pivot, presenting herself arsenic nan campaigner of unity.

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And therein lies nan fatal flaw. You can’t hit nan crap retired of your force and, successful practically nan adjacent breath, opportunity you want to bring nan state together. You can’t person it some ways. You tin beryllium an onslaught dog, but if you’re baring those teeth, you can’t abruptly beryllium purring for illustration a puppy.

Not that Harris didn’t person immoderate bully lines. Trump has an enemies database and she’ll person a to-do list. And of governmental opponents: "He wants to put them successful jail. I’ll springiness them a spot astatine my table."

The segue: "It is clip to extremity pointing fingers and commencement locking arms."

But, um, she conscionable spent a bully chunk of her reside pointing fingers.

Democratic statesmanlike nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a run rally connected nan Ellipse connected Oct. 29, 2024 successful Washington, D.C. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

And past she kept circling backmost to Trump successful nan 2nd half, specified arsenic erstwhile discussing abortion rights.

Harris besides went beyond governmental exaggeration. "He tried to trim Medicare and Social Security each twelvemonth he was president," she said. That is simply not true. But she gets very small fact-checking.

Overall, nan reside was a positive for her, contempt its clashing ideas. But make nary mistake, she’s moving arsenic nan replacement to a man she paints arsenic dangerous.

As nan Free Press put it: "This run is and ever has been each astir Trump. And it will beryllium each astir Trump each nan measurement to nan decorativeness statement now."

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But Harris’ large infinitesimal was marred by President Biden – the, ah, erstwhile nominee – to nan constituent wherever it almost seems for illustration he’s trying to undermine her.

Last week, nan president said of his predecessor, "Lock him up." Harris ever says she’ll time off that to nan courts.

And now, referring to nan racist comic astatine nan Madison Square Garden rally who called Puerto Rico an land of garbage, Biden said: "The only garbage I spot floating retired location is his supporters."

The president stumbled for a mates of seconds and added: "His–his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it's un-American."

President Biden speaks astatine an predetermination run arena successful Pittsburgh connected Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Boom. Too late. There were instant comparisons to Hillary Clinton’s "basket of deplorables" swipe astatine Trump supporters successful 2016.

Biden posted a clarification, saying he was referring only to comic Tony Hinchcliffe. (Trump says he doesn’t cognize nan performer and didn’t perceive nan alleged joke.) 

The White House put retired a transcript that included an apostrophe, arsenic successful "his supporter’s," trying to bespeak that he was talking astir 1 person. Who would person thought nan run would move connected a lowly apostrophe? 

A newsman asked Harris astir nan Biden blunder yesterday earlier she boarded Air Force Two.

"He clarified his comments, but fto maine beryllium clear: I powerfully disagree pinch immoderate disapproval of group based connected who they ballot for…I judge nan activity that I do is astir representing group whether they support maine aliases not."

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Harris yet collapsed pinch nan boss, wisely distancing herself from nan blunder. No wonderment she’s resisted his proposal that they run together. He’s doing capable harm connected his own, pinch immoderate pundits moreover suggesting it’s deliberate. 

And that gave Trump an opening: "Now, connected apical of everything, Joe Biden calls our supporters ‘garbage.’ You can’t lead America if you don’t emotion nan American people."

It’s a distraction that Kamala Harris didn’t request successful nan last days of nan campaign.