Donald Trump addressed a number of major policy issues as he was forced to shift his focus from attacking Joe Biden to confronting Vice President Kamala Harris at a rally on Wednesday.
The former president sought to shock Southern conservatives by claiming Harris is in favor of “executing” babies as he criticized the Democratic 2024 agenda at his rally in the key state of North Carolina on Wednesday.
He addressed the border crisis and the US relationship with Israel at his first event since Harris became his presumptive opponent in the general election.
But Trump’s list of attacks is topped by Harris’ record on abortion, even though the issue is seen as something that could be her undoing among women voters in key swing states.
“She wants abortions in the eighth and ninth month of pregnancy; she’s fine with that,” Trump said of Harris, whom he called a “lunatic” to massive boos from a crowd of 10,000 people gathered at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte.
She continued: “The execution of a baby occurs up to the moment of birth and even after birth. Because that is not an abortion, it is the execution of a baby.”
Donald Trump turned his attention from “crooked Joe Biden” to “liar and lunatic Kamala Harris” during the first rally after the vice president emerged as his likely opponent in 2024. Pictured: Trump speaks to supporters at a rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Wednesday
In June 2022, the Supreme Court’s six conservative justices, including three appointed by Trump, voted to overturn Roe v. Wade and return to the state the ability to legislate on abortion.
President Joe Biden announced in a one-page letter posted on social media Sunday that he was ending his reelection bid after weeks of pressure following a disastrous debate against Trump.
He then sent out a follow-up post about X endorsing Harris to take her place at the top of the Democratic ticket in November.
Earlier this week, Harris secured enough delegates to clinch the Democratic Party’s nomination at the Chicago Convention next month.
In the 2024 campaign, Democrats are really leaning into the abortion argument and hope to win the women’s vote in some swing states like North Carolina and Pennsylvania, which are casting their votes on the sole issue of women’s health care.
But Trump also criticized “liar Kamala Harris” on other issues during his Wednesday speech, including for her failure to quell the migration crisis after Biden put her in charge of addressing the surge in crossings at the southern border.
“If Harris, the ‘border czar,’ comes to power, every week there will be an endless stream of illegal immigrant rapists, bloodthirsty murderers and child predators going after our sons and daughters. That’s what’s going to happen. Everyone knows it,” Trump said.
Vice President Kamala Harris is now the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee
President Joe Biden addressed the nation Wednesday night in a speech in which he discussed his decision to abandon his reelection campaign and endorse his number one contender for the job. His remarks began just 10 minutes after Trump concluded his rally in Charlotte, North Carolina.
He also promised to end all of Biden’s border policies on the first day of his second term. This is similar to what the president did in 2021, when he reversed all of Trump’s immigration policies that kept border crossings at bay.
“Joe Biden appointed (Harris) border czar and that’s when everything went really bad,” Trump said. “She launched a colossal illegal invasion of immigrants into our country. She said, ‘Bring it on.’ Remember?”
“On my first day back in the White House, I will end all of the Biden-Harris administration’s open border policies,” he vowed. “We will seal the border and stop Kamala Harris’s invasion without delay. It will happen immediately.”
The former president also offered what he believes could be a solution to address national defense failures: firing American generals and putting NASCAR drivers and football coaches in charge of the armed forces.
“I’ve always said, get these guys, I have a lot of friends in this world (NASCAR),” Trump said.
“I said, let me use these guys to guide our army a little.”
“When you can win so many races, it’s fine. You’re the one who manages,” he continued. “The same goes for coaches. You take some of the best football coaches, sit them down at a table and say, ‘What do you like, coach?’ Because, in a way, there’s not much difference.”
He was calling out to NASCAR stars Roger Penske and Richard Childress, who were in the audience.
Childress took the stage to introduce Trump at the Charlotte rally on Wednesday.
He became emotional as he spoke about the tribute to Trump and meeting with the 13 Gold Star families who lost loved ones in the withdrawal from Afghanistan.