Trump press conference on economy veers into more personal attacks on Harris

Aug. 15 (UPI) -- Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump again leveled personal attacks on Democratic opponent Kamala Harris on Thursday during what was promoted as a news conference at his New Jersey country club.

After delivering prepared remarks on the economy over a 30-minute span during which he repeatedly criticized Vice President Harris and President Joe Biden over inflation, immigration and other topics, Trump took a handful of questions from reporters gathered at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J.

During the segment, he was asked if he if agreed with those in the Republican Party who are urging him to refrain from lobbing personal insults at Harris even as many polls show her surging ahead of him in key battleground states.

Trump responded by saying he is justified in doing so.

"As far as the personal attacks -- because of what she has done to the country, I am very angry at her that she would weaponize the justice system against me and other people. Very angry.

"I think I am entitled to personal attacks. I do not have a lot of respect for her or her intelligence and I think she would be a terrible president," he said.

Trump claimed Harris called him and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, "weird," adding, "She is weird. Weird with her policy."

The comments about Harris' persona came after a lengthy opening statement in which Trump labeled the pro-consumer policy proposals of Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, as "communist" while standing in front of a table with an array of consumer products to demonstrate the effects of inflation.

Harris is reportedly planning to issue a call for a ban on price-gouging in the food industry during a campaign stop in North Carolina on Friday.

The former president also criticized Harris for changing her position on oil fracking in the key swing state of Pennsylvania, where she advocated it be banned due to environmental concerns during her failed run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020.

"I think she will do very badly in Pennsylvania," Trump said. "You have to frack."

Following the New Jersey event, the Harris-Walz campaign issued a statement characterizing Trump's remarks as revealing his "opposition to lowering food costs for middle and working class Americans and prescription drug costs for seniors.

"No surprise, Trump doesn't want to defend his agenda that would raise costs for families by $3,900 a year, cut Social Security, and eliminate the Affordable Care Act -- all so he can give his rich donors tax breaks," the campaign said, adding that Harris "has spent her life taking on fraudsters, cheaters, and criminals like Donald Trump."