"If you don't mind, I'm not going to be nice, is that OK?" Trump told supporters in Charlotte, N.C., in his first campaign rally since President Joe Biden withdrew from the race.
In addition to sustained attacks on Harris, Trump's re-tooled stump speech featured residual criticism of Biden, an extended defense of his abortion position, and more talk of his near-assassination less than two weeks ago .
"I was supposed to be nice," Trump said, referring to his brief call for national unity after the July 13 shooting. But circumstances have changed.
Ammar Moussa, spokesperson for the Harris campaign, said "unity is over for Donald Trump" and now "he is back with an unhinged, weird, and rambling speech."
Some takeaways from the Charlotte event:
The new focus on Harris
Trump attacked his new opponent on an array of issues and for her stints as a prosecutor, California attorney general, U.S. senator, and vice president. He slammed her on issues such as illegal border crossings and inflation, and termed her a "radical" on social issues such as abortion and gun rights.
Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks as he campaigns in Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. July 24, 2024. REUTERS/Marco Bello Marco Bello, REUTERS
Harris "is the most incompetent and far-left vice president in history," Trump said at one point.
Trump also accused Harris of being “totally against the Jewish people,” even though her husband is Jewish.
Biden is still a talking point
Trump plans to continue linking Harris to Biden and his policies, and argued that both worked to cover up the president's physical decline while in office.
During his speech, Trump gave different explanations for Biden's departure. At one point, Trump said Biden "quit because he was losing so badly." He then claimed Democratic "bosses" forced the decision upon the president.
Trump also blamed Harris, saying "she did an overthrow," even though Biden has endorsed the vice president.
Trump defends his abortion position
The Republican nominee went on at length about his abortion position , saying each of the 50 states should decide their own laws regarding the procedure.
Harris and her allies have noted that many anti-abortion activists believe Trump is too soft on the issue. They are continuing to push for a national ban that Trump will probably try to give them if he is elected, Democrats said.
"The American people won’t be fooled or distracted," Moussa said. "The choice this November will be Trump’s Project 2025 agenda to ban abortion nationwide and give himself unlimited, unchecked power; or Vice President Harris who is fighting to protect freedom and ensure every American gets a fair shot.”
Trump also signaled concern about his many legal problems while bashing Harris.
In addition to his conviction in the New York hush money case , Trump referred to pending cases in Washington, D.C., and Georgia alleging efforts to steal the 2020 election from Biden. Trump again claimed, without evidence, that the prosecutions are politically motivated.
"Then their campaign says, 'I'm the prosecutor and he is the convicted felon,'" Trump told supporters in Charlotte. "That's their campaign. I don't think people are going to buy it."
Talking about the shooting
In his convention acceptance speech last week, Trump provided a detailed of the assassination attempt, and told the crowd in Milwaukee that "you’ll never hear it from me a second time, because it’s actually too painful to tell."
Trump did not go into detail in his Charlotte speech, but did reference the shooting on several occasions, suggesting it will be a frequent topic in the weeks ahead.
"That was a horrible thing," Trump said.
At one point, Trump suggested that the shooter was inspired by the rhetoric that he is a threat to democracy, although there is no evidence as to what exactly motivated the attack .
"It could be caused when they call you a 'threat to democracy,'" Trump said. "You never know what causes it."
Trump said Harris and the Democrats are the real threats, drawing rebukes from his political opponents.
"Donald Trump is the threat to our democracy, as well as a convicted fraudster and shameless liar," said Christina Harvey, executive director of Stand Up America.
In Charlotte, Trump referenced that a bullet just missed his head because he had it turned to look at a chart of immigration statistics.
"That's my all-time favorite chart," Trump said. "I will sleep with that chart for the rest of my life."
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