Vice President Kamala Harris and her fellow Democratic peers are putting up a fight in the verbal political arena.
Since announcing her plans to run for president, Harris has been on the receiving end of an uptick in criticism from conservative politicians — most notably, former president and current Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who has attacked everything from her political past to her racial identity. Trump’s running mate, J.D. Vance, has made digs at Harris as well, most notably for not having biological children. (This was, indeed, the reason for his “childless cat ladies” rant.)
Harris has shown she isn’t phased by the low-ball remarks — in fact, she and her cohorts are clapping back. We’ve gathered the seven of the sharpest responses to conservative vitriol from Democratic women leaders, along with a few choice quips from Harris herself, as they collectively demonstrate that hate won’t stop a woman from running for president.
“The Same Old Show”
While participating in a moderated discussion during the National Association of Black Journalists convention in July, Trump falsely claimed Harris was “always of Indian heritage.” That is, he added, until she decided to “turn Black — and now she wants to be known as Black.” News quickly circulated about Trump’s comments – and Harris responded to them during her own speech to Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. members in Texas, calling his words “the same old show” he has always put on. Harris also called out Trump’s “divisiveness” and “disrespect,” adding that Americans deserve better. “The American people deserve a leader who tells the truth — a leader who does not respond with hostility and anger when confronted with the facts,” Harris said. “We deserve a leader who understands that our differences do not divide us.”
A Resume Versus a Rap Sheet
Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas has been vocal about her support for Harris’ candidacy – and at the DNC, she stayed true to that. During her speech, Crockett pointed out Harris worked in fast food while attending an HBCU, while Trump was “born with a silver spoon in his mouth” and helped run a family business accused of discriminating against Black people. And while Harris became a career prosecutor, Trump became a “career criminal” who only thinks about helping himself. “Kamala Harris has a resume,” she added. “Donald Trump has a rap sheet.”
“I Know Donald Trump’s Type”
Harris is proud to remind Americans of all she’s accomplished throughout her political career — and that’s exactly what she did during a Las Vegas rally earlier this month. During that speech, Harris proudly listed the roles she served in before entering politics: Courtroom prosecutor, district attorney, and later, getting elected as California’s first Black woman attorney general in 2010. But this wasn’t just mere bragging – though, she’d be within her rights to do so. Rather, she was detailing her past experience dealing with criminal offenders — and alluding to Trump’s identity as one, in light of his leaked, taped confession and his 34 guilty counts of falsifying business records to conceal other sexual misdeeds. “Hear me when I say, I know Donald Trump’s type,” Harris said to a cheering crowd.
Trump on the Run
When it comes to dealing with Trump and his insults, former Secretary of State and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has tons of first-hand experience. During a presidential debate between Trump and Clinton in 2016, he called her “the devil,” suggested that she should be jailed, and said Clinton was full of “tremendous hate.” While Clinton fired back during the debate, labeling him unfit to be president, she had even more words for Trump during this year’s DNC. Clinton called out Trump for falling asleep during his criminal trial in April, for lying about Harris’ record, and for mocking Harris’ name and laugh. Despite the attacks, Clinton noted, the tables have turned in Harris’ favor. She added: “We have him [Trump] on the run now.”
“We Know What Strength Looks Like”
At a recent Pennsylvania rally Trump called Harris a “truly radical-left lunatic.” Harris had no intention of letting Trump off the hook for that one. Though she didn’t use Trump’s name, she called out the president for his bullying comments at her own Pennsylvania campaign event. The strength of a leader, she said, “is based on who we lift up,” and that she, along with the rest of the Democratic party, “know what strength looks like.” Harris added: “Anybody who’s about beating down other people is a coward.”
“Donald Trump Would Sell This Country for a Dollar”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a breakout Democratic star from New York, had fiery words for Trump while speaking at the DNC. When it comes to looking out for the financial well-being of the American people, Ocasio-Cortez made it clear that she thinks Trump would fall flat. “We know that Donald Trump would sell this country for a dollar if it meant lining his own pockets and greasing the palms of his Wall Street friends,” she said. Ocasio-Cortez then emphasized Harris’ “real commitment” to help working families in contrast, along with her efforts to fight for reproductive rights, take on corporate greed, and work toward achieving a cease-fire in Gaza.
“Who’s Gonna Tell Him?”
Former FLOTUS Michelle Obama incorporated some choice words for Trump at the DNC, during her widely-anticipated speech Tuesday night. Calling Trump out by name, she shared that while in office, she and former president Barack Obama experienced Trump’s efforts to distort their truth and “make people fear us.” She also said Trump’s “limited, narrow view of the world” made him feel threatened by the Obamas, “two hardworking, highly-educated successful people who happen to be Black.” But Obama’s best clap-back came when she referenced Trump’s remarks about migrants taking away “Black jobs” during the presidential debate in June. As the crowd cheered, Obama asked: “Who’s gonna tell him that the job he’s currently seeking might just be one of those ‘Black jobs?’”