Trump’s Problem: To Insult or Not To Insult

The bewilderment seemed greatest regarding his behavior. So far, he has disregarded advice to attack on substantive issues, such as the economy or migration.

At a campaign rally on Saturday in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia, former president and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump attacked Georgia’s popular governor, Brian Kemp.

The only problem: Kemp is a Republican, with a 60% public approval rating and head of a major political machine in Georgia, one of six states where the presidential race is expected to be defined. And even worse, it is one that Trump lost in 2020 by a mere 12,000 votes out of more than five million cast.

Four years ago, Trump pressured state officials to change the results of the vote and sparked a lawsuit, apparently on hold. But the attacks on Kemp don’t help his image with a good portion of Georgia Republicans. In his opinion, “He’s a bad guy, he’s a disloyal guy and he’s a very average governor,” Trump said.

A few months ago, maybe even a few weeks ago, it wouldn’t have mattered. But with the presidential race literally turned upside down after Democrats replaced their original nominee, President Joe Biden, with Vice President Kamala Harris, Republican Trump’s apparent mistakes and their potential consequences are magnified.

Certainly, Harris’ appearance has galvanized the Democrats and injected them with new energy, and if U.S. political media are to be believed, her entry into the race profoundly altered Trump’s propaganda strategy, based on attacks on Biden’s age and weakness.

For starters, because Harris is a 59-year-old biracial woman, she automatically drew attention to Trump’s 78 years.

But the bewilderment seemed greatest regarding Trump’s behavior. So far, he has disregarded advice to address substantive issues, such as the economy or migration, which many American conservatives consider central, instead reverting to his old pattern of personal insults and careless talk.

The style has already reinvigorated irritation among women and in African American and Latino communities, which he used to court with particular attention and where he appears to have made inroads. In fact, he claims that Harris, a former California attorney general, failed the bar exam and took advantage of what conservatives disparagingly call the DEI principle: Diversity, Equality and Inclusion.

Against that backdrop, one of the least desired moments of the Republican candidate’s supporters may occur anytime between now and November when singer Taylor Swift, a pop culture media phenomenon, is expected to publicly endorse Democrat Harris.

The singer has already spoken out in favor of women’s and minority rights, and it is believed that her endorsement could have an impact on the young adult vote.