By Grace Vuoto
The Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is expecting an easy win against the newly crowned presumptive Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris. In a July 29 interview with Fox News Host Laura Ingraham, Trump expressed confidence at his electoral prospects, stating Harris is easier to defeat than President Joe Biden.
“Now I have her. I would rather run against her than him. I think she's easier than he is,” said Trump.
“I always felt he was incompetent, but he had a certain base. And no matter how bad he was, people are going to vote for him. She doesn't have that base,” stated Trump.
Trump believes her record is so radical, especially on the border and on immigration policy, that surely, a majority of voters will reject her.
This echoes statements made by his campaign surrogates that currently Harris is enjoying a “honeymoon phase” that will come to an end, especially after Labor Day.
The Trump campaign is making a mistake in their assessment: Harris is harder not easier to defeat than Biden. So far, the Trump campaign is stodgy and out of touch with the sensibilities of a new generation of voters—one that has been clamoring for a fresh start.
Biden was marred by both his failed policies and his declining cognitive and physical abilities, leading to a daily attrition of support. Harris, by contrast, even though she has been part of his catastrophic presidency, is enjoying a daily surge of support and enthusiasm. She is the new fantasy of the left—a living embodiment of the race and gender ideology they embrace. This is a female leader, with South Asian and Jamaican parents, possibly on the verge of breaking multiple glass ceilings—can it be any more intoxicating for them?
Trump assumes the American electorate is mostly rational, sensible and patriotic. He expects that once her previous statements on defunding the police, abolishing ICE, decriminalizing the border and ending private healthcare are widely known, the public will recoil in horror. Trump believes the electorate will vote based on rejecting the policies of the past three years that caused inflation and reversed our energy independence.
This view of American voters—grasping their own self-interest—is only partly real. One segment of the population thinks this way. Yet, we are two nations now: we live alongside another group of citizens for whom Harris is ideal. In their view, she will champion reproductive rights and preserve democracy against the boogeyman “dictator” Trump.
The left-wing media has created powerful emotional triggers that are motivating Black voters, many Hispanics, young and female voters, to galvanize. Harris has already broken fundraising records, Zoom group call records and is inspiring an avalanche of volunteers to enlist in the Democratic cause.
She is outperforming Biden. Her supporters will not be deterred by any ads or arguments presented by Team Trump.
What about swing and independent voters? Can we rely on them to break in favor of Trump in the key battleground states? Harris has narrowed the gap and is within the margin of error. Thus, this may not be just a “honeymoon.” It can very well be an electoral wave that will continue into November, if not challenged effectively.
America is now divided between rational and irrational voters. How can Trump be so sure there are more of the former than the latter?
Memo to Trump: Never underestimate the folly of your fellow citizens.
-Grace Vuoto, Ph.D. is a political commentator and columnist. She can be heard Wednesday mornings at 9:00 am on The Kuhner Report WRKO-AM 680.
-Photo courtesy of Getty Images