What began as a controversy involving Donald Trump's camp soon spread to include Democratic President Joe Biden, reflecting the hostile and fear-driven tone that has come to define this unusual and tension-filled campaign season.
Trump Camp's Controversial Rally Incident
At a major Trump rally held on October 27 at Madison Square Garden, the campaign found itself on the defensive.
During the event, a comedian shocked the crowd with a tasteless joke, referring to Puerto Rico as a 'floating island of garbage.'
The backlash was swift, with Puerto Rican celebrities and Latino community leaders condemning the remark. This incident risked alienating a crucial Latino electorate, especially the sizable Puerto Rican community in Pennsylvaniaâ€"a key battleground state.
Vice President Kamala Harris quickly seized on the moment, criticizing Trump's team for insulting Puerto Rico, which forced Trump to distance himself from the comedian, Tony Hinchcliffe.
Biden's Verbal Slip-up
Just as the controversy seemed to settle, President Joe Biden found himself in hot water after appearing to call Trump supporters 'garbage' on October 29.
Although Biden clarified that he was criticizing the comedian's offensive remarks, not Trump's supporters, the damage was done.
According to The Guardian, this blunder undermined the unifying message Harris had delivered that same day. Republicans were quick to capitalize on the gaffe, with echoes of Hillary Clinton's infamous 'basket of deplorables' comment from 2016.
Trump's campaign seized on the opportunity, sending out a fundraising email titled, 'You are not garbage! I love you!' Trump even appeared the next day in a sanitation worker's vest, dramatically posing on the front of a garbage truck.
From 'Stupid' to 'Petty Tyrant'
In this closing stretch, the campaign has devolved into a series of personal attacks and outright insults.
Trump's campaign rhetoric has included calling Kamala Harris 'stupid,' questioning her sobriety, and dismissing her as a 'garbage vice president.'
Harris responded by labeling Trump a 'petty tyrant.' The Wall Street Journal columnist Daniel Henninger lamented that the 2024 campaign has deteriorated into 'pure hostility' with no substantive discussion, featuring endless personal attacks and vulgarity.
A Campaign of Fear
Both candidates have increasingly played on negative emotions, particularly fear, to mobilize voters.
As the Wall Street Journal noted in an article translated by Courrier International, this election season has sparked a 'national panic attack' just days before the vote.
With dramatic twistsâ€"including Biden stepping back, assassination attempts on Trump, and Harris's late entry into the raceâ€"the race to the White House has remained extremely close, fueling anxiety on both sides.
For many Americans, the stakes feel existential, with the future of the nation resting on the outcome of Tuesday's vote.
IGIHE
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/the-final-week-of-the-u-s-presidential-campaign-turns-ugly
