Vice President Kamala Harris marked her 60th birthday on Sunday, and her campaign is using the milestone to draw a sharp contrast with former President Donald Trump in the final stretch of the 2024 presidential race. Harris, now 18 years younger than Trump, is questioning the former president’s mental and physical readiness for office, a tactic aimed at swaying undecided voters.
“He’s becoming increasingly unstable and unhinged, and it requires that response,” Harris said during a campaign stop in Detroit on Saturday. “I think the American people deserve better than someone who actually seems to be unstable.”
This focus on age and stability marks a role reversal from previous elections when Republicans, led by Trump, targeted the age of President Joe Biden, who stepped down in July at 81 years old. Now, Harris is using similar arguments against the 78-year-old Trump, frequently emphasizing her own vigor and connection to younger voters.
Harris Claims to Represent ‘New Generation’
Harris has consistently highlighted her age and vision for the future in recent interviews. “I represent a new generation of leadership,” she told Fox News on Wednesday. Just two days later, in an interview with NBC News, she stressed, “It’s a new generation of thinking, as much as anything else.”
Her campaign has intensified its critique of Trump following a report by Politico. The report revealed that a Trump adviser allegedly told “The Shade Room” podcast that Trump was too “exhausted” to appear for an interview. Trump’s team denied the exhaustion claim but did not clarify why the interview didn’t proceed.
David Plouffe, a senior adviser to Harris, referenced the Politico report during an interview on CNN. He questioned Trump’s stamina for the rigorous demands of campaigning. “It raises real questions if somebody can’t handle the campaign trail because they’re so exhausted, whether they’re fit to be president,” Plouffe remarked.
Questions About Trump’s Readiness for Office
Harris also directly questioned Trump’s ability to endure the rigors of the presidency during a campaign event in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Friday. She pointed out that Trump has declined several high-profile interviews and skipped a CNN town hall.
“I’ve been hearing reports that his team, at least, is saying he’s suffering from exhaustion, and that’s apparently the excuse for why he’s not doing interviews,” she told reporters. “And, you know, look, being president of the United States is probably one of the hardest jobs in the world, and so we really do need to ask: If he’s exhausted being on the campaign trail, is he fit to do the job?”
Harris has also drawn attention to former officials from the Trump administration who have spoken out against his bid for another term, emphasizing their concerns about his fitness for office.
Harris Campaign Amplifies Criticism Through Ads
The Harris campaign has launched a new television ad, warning voters about the potential consequences of a second Trump term. The ad describes the possibility of Trump returning to the Oval Office as “more unhinged, unstable, and unchecked.”
Her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, echoed these sentiments while campaigning in Pittsburgh last week. He referenced a recent incident where Trump cut short a planned town hall and played music for his supporters instead. “It was strange, but if this was your grandfather, you would take the keys from him,” Walz suggested, implying that Trump’s behavior raises questions about his mental clarity.
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Obama Joins the Critique
Former President Barack Obama has also joined the Harris campaign in questioning Trump’s fitness for office. While campaigning in Arizona, Obama told a crowd in Tucson that America doesn’t need to see what an “older, loonier Donald Trump looks like, with no guardrails.” He even mocked Trump’s lengthy and sometimes erratic speeches, noting that the former president often references the fictional cannibal character Hannibal Lecter from *The Silence of the Lambs*. “Have you seen him lately? I mean, he is out there, he’s giving two-, two-and-a-half-hour speeches, just word salads. You have no idea what he’s talking about,” Obama said.
Obama also took aim at Trump’s controversial remarks about the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, which Trump has called “a day of love.” Additionally, he criticized Trump’s strange claim to be the “father of IVF,” referring to in vitro fertilization. “I do not know what that means. You do not either,” Obama said, adding, “You would be worried if your grandpa was acting like this. So, imagine it coming from a guy who wants to be given unchecked power.”
The Road Ahead for the Presidential Race
As the 2024 presidential election approaches, the Harris campaign is betting that voters will see Trump’s behavior and age as disqualifying factors. Meanwhile, Trump has focused on issues like immigration, banking on the idea that voters care more about policy than personal attributes.
The Harris campaign’s strategy of emphasizing age and stability is a clear shift from previous Democratic campaigns. As the race tightens, both sides are trying to convince voters that they have the stamina, focus, and vision needed to lead the country. With only a few weeks left, the question remains whether these arguments will sway the electorate.