Philadelphia:
Donald Trump: What's behind the US President's Baltimore attack”>Kamala Harris on Wednesday called Donald Trump a “fascist” and warned that her American election rival was becoming “increasingly unstable” after she addressed his alleged admiration for Adolf Hitler at a town hall event.
The Democrat’s harsh criticism came as he fielded questions from voters about Trump’s fitness for office and previous comments at an event hosted by CNN in Pennsylvania.
Acknowledging voters’ concerns about several important election issues, the vice president said, “They are also concerned about our democracy and not having a president of the United States who admires dictators and is a fascist.”
Trump’s political leanings have already been a hot topic of discussion following revelations by his longest-serving chief of staff, John Kelly, about Republican praise for the Nazi dictator and his army in World War II.
A decorated Iraq veteran told the New York Times that Trump had commented that “Hitler did some good things too” and that he “wanted generals like Adolf Hitler” instead of the U.S. military.
As Trump’s rivals expressed concern about his willingness to respect American democracy, Kelly repeated his warning that he believes his former boss “definitely falls under the general definition of a fascist.”
In her prime-time CNN event, Harris cited several former Trump administration officials, including her national security adviser and vice president, who warned that Trump should not return to office.
“They have clearly said that it flouts the Constitution of the United States,” he said. “They said he would never serve as president of the United States again.”
And he added: “I believe that Donald Trump is a danger to the well-being and security of the United States.”
Trump, who declined to appear at his own CNN town hall, responded at a rally in Georgia, a key state that the 78-year-old Republican won in 2016 and then narrowly lost to President Joe Biden four years later.
He attacked Harris for her economic policies and dusted off the catchphrase from his days on the NBC reality show “The Apprentice” when he told the Duluth crowd to tell Harris, “You’re fired!”
“You have to stand up and tell Kamala Harris, ‘Kamala, you did a terrible job. You are the worst that ever existed. There has never been anyone like you… Kamala, you are fired. Get out,’” he thundered.
Trump accused
Shortly before Trump took the stage, The Guardian newspaper reported on a former model’s allegation that she harassed Jeffrey Epstein after the two introduced him to her in the 1990s. It did not address the claim at any point in its speech.
Harris, 60, arrived in Pennsylvania outside a city hall near Philadelphia and stopped at the famous 4th Street Delicatessen to shake fists with employees and take selfies with customers.
“Wooden stick, God willing, we are going to win,” he said to applause.
Some 26.5 million Americans have already voted by mail or in person, more than a million of them in Pennsylvania.
The Keystone State is a coveted prize for candidates, and Harris and Trump have made repeated appearances there and in other swing states that decide U.S. elections.
As polls suggest a tight election heading into the final stretch, Harris on Tuesday revealed plans for a “final argument” rally at the Washington site where Trump addresses supporters before storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. 2021.
Harris’ camp also confirmed that Michelle Obama will join him at an event in Battleground Michigan on Saturday, the former US first lady’s first campaign stop with Harris.
It will come after Harris’ first campaign appearance with former President Barack Obama in Atlanta, Georgia’s largest city, on Thursday, as part of a major Democratic get-out-the-vote effort.
Veteran rocker Bruce Springsteen will kick off the event with a concert.
Harris’ sudden entry into the campaign in late July shook the nation, which had been anticipating a rematch between Biden and Trump, now that a porn star has been convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records to hide hush payments.
While Trump has promised a crackdown on immigration and good economic times after high inflation, Harris’ campaign has focused on her physical and mental fitness for the Oval Office while courting moderate Republican voters.
(Except for the headline, this story was not edited by NDTV staff and appeared on a syndicated channel.)
