Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event inside the Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, on Aug. 17, 2024. For the Washington Post
Former President Donald Trump did not hold back as Democratic nominee Kamala Harris delivered her acceptance speech Thursday night, firing off a series of scathing, insulting and sometimes unrelated comments while Harris was speaking.
Trump took to his Truth Social account to make a variety of comments, from accusing Harris of falsehoods to defending his record to making extraneous remarks, such as demanding “WHERE’S HUNTER?” in reference to President Joe Biden’s son.
At the outset of Harris’s speech, Trump took exception to how she thanked the crowd for cheering her onstage at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Trump also complained that Democrats referred to Harris’s running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, as “coach,” pointing out that he was an assistant coach of a high school football team.
While Harris recounted her upbringing, Trump urged her to address his three main issues: “Border, Inflation, and Crime!”
“Kamala’s biography won’t lower prices at the Grocery Store, or at the Pump!” he said. He repeatedly criticized her for not already implementing her proposals during her time as vice president, a critique he has previously aimed at Republican and Democratic opponents with long records of government service. Still, Trump himself has already served a term as president.
Trump’s rapid-fire commentary created the unprecedented spectacle of a former president and current nominee firing off critiques of his rival’s acceptance speech in real time. While Harris’s speech was in many ways a traditional convention address, Trump’s unorthodox reaction to it underlined his harsh, visceral style of politics and suggested the former president was glued…