Kamala Harris Calls Donald Trump A ‘Predator’
During a campaign event on Wednesday, Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris called President Donald Trump a “predator,” The Hill reports.
Harris, who has surged in the polls following a strong performance in the first Democratic primary debate, delivered what the publication describes as “one of her sharpest attacks” on Trump thus far.
“I know predators and we have a predator living in the White House,” the California Senator told the crowd in West Des Moines.
“Donald Trump has predatory nature and predatory instincts,” Harris said.
“The thing about predators is that they prey on the vulnerable. They prey on those who they do not believe are strong. The thing about predators you must importantly know [is] predators are cowards.”
As the Hill notes, the Democrat has previously made similar remarks, and now she appears to be using the newfound media attention to drive her point home and stand out in the crowded field of Democrats.
The media is not showering Harris with attention for no reason. She was deemed the winner of the first debate by many, largely thanks to her scathing attack on front-runner Joe Biden’s record on civil rights issues.
Harris’ debate performance has helped her surge in the polls. For instance, a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted between June 28 and July 2 placed Harris ahead of Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, making her the third most popular Democratic presidential candidate, trailing only front-runner Joe Biden, and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.
Similarly, a post-debate ABC News/Washington Post poll suggests that Harris’ popularity is growing — the California Democrat is now supported by 11 percent of Democratic primary voters.
JUST IN: New @ABC News/WaPo poll of 2020 Democratic primary:
Biden – 29%
Sanders – 23%
Harris – 11%
Warren – 11%
Buttigieg – 4%
Castro – 4%
Klobuchar – 2%
O’Rourke – 2%
Others < 2%https://t.co/UFqC3FEEB3 pic.twitter.com/o2F6HYPEmB— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) July 3, 2019
Harris’ strong performance in the first debate appears to have benefited Bernie Sanders the most, given that the Vermont senator seems to be closing in on Joe Biden; the former vice president is momentarily supported by 29 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, while 23 percent favor Sanders, according to the poll.
Since entering the race, Harris has attempted to move away from her image of a tough-on-crime Democrat, as well as her controversial criminal justice record.
As previously reported by The Inquisitr, formerly Attorney General of California, Harris has been criticized for waging a “war” on truancy, and for refusing to embrace criminal justice reform. The Democrat has expressed regret over prosecuting parents for truancy, however.
Kamala Harris Says She Was a Progressive Prosecutor. Her Record Tells Another Story https://t.co/RU0YkxxDXh
— Democracy Now! (@democracynow) July 2, 2019
Critics have also suggested that the controversial decisions Harris’ had made while prosecutor could ruin her new image of a progressive in the age of movements such as Black Lives Matter, and in a crowded Democratic field where she has to compete against candidates to her left, such as Sanders and Warren.
