Republicans Try to Distance Themselves from Donald Trump’s Latest Insult Toward Kamala Harris

 
AP – Some Republicans Tried to Distance Themselves Today from Donald Trump’s Latest Insults Toward Democratic Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris During a Rally Over the Weekend in Wisconsin, Where He Called Her “Mentally Disabled.”

Trump escalated his personal attacks on the Vice President during what was announced as a speech on immigration following Harris’s visit to the U.S.-Mexico border.

"Joe Biden became mentally disabled," Trump said. "Kamala was born that way. She was born that way. And if you think about it, only a mentally disabled person would have allowed this to happen to our country. Anyone would know this."
 
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On other occasions, Trump has falsely claimed that Harris "turned Black" and has repeatedly called her "stupid," "weak," "dumb as a rock," and "lazy." With just over a month to go before the presidential elections, his allies have urged him, both publicly and privately, to focus on topics such as the economy, immigration, and other issues crucial to this race.

"I just think the best path forward is to continue with the case that Harris’s policies are destroying the country," said Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, on CNN's "State of the Union" when asked about Trump’s comments. "It's liberal insanity."

Asked whether he approved of Trump’s comments, Congressman Tom Emmer, a Republican from Minnesota, distanced himself during an interview on ABC's "This Week."

"I think Kamala Harris is the wrong choice for America," said Emmer, who is helping Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, prepare for Tuesday’s vice-presidential debate. "I think Kamala Harris is actually as bad or worse than the government we've witnessed over the past four years."

Pressed further, Emmer responded: "I think we should stick to the issues. The point is that Donald Trump fixed it once. They messed it up. He's going to fix it again. Those are the issues."

Former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, running for Senate as a moderate Republican, highlighted Trump's false claims that Harris, the daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants, had previously downplayed her Black heritage.

Harris attended Howard University, a historically Black university, and has consistently identified as both Black and South Asian throughout her political career.