ERIE, Pa. — Vice President Harris brought a little bit of her Republican rival into her own campaign event on Monday in a bid to try to make more people pay attention to some of the most extreme threats he has made on the trail.
Saying “Please roll the clip” and pointing to a large video screen, Harris took the unusual step of showing a packed arena of supporters a highlight reel of former President Donald Trump that she said illustrates that he is “increasingly unstable and unhinged.”
The 30-second montage showed Trump repeatedly complaining about “the enemy from within” suggesting they should be jailed — or dealt with violently. Harris’ use of the clips is a sign she plans to ratchet up warnings about Trump in the homestretch.
“He is out for unchecked power. That's what he's looking for,” Harris said, urging people to vote.
The reel takes a page from Trump’s rally playbook
Similarly, Trump has shown reels of Harris at recent rallies — instances of Harris stumbling in interviews, as well as clips of her talking about policies he and his followers oppose. The videos also often fire up his crowds, drawing choruses of boos.
Trump has long used authoritarian language and praised authoritarians, but lately he has gone a step further, saying that police violence could curb crime, and that he would use the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to detain or deport people.
On Fox News on Sunday, Trump was asked whether he thought Election Day would be peaceful. In response, he talked about using the National Guard or the regular military to tamp down issues, specifically issues caused by his ideological opponents.
“I think the bigger problem are the people from within. We have some very bad people. Sick people. Radical left. Lunatics. And it should be very easily handled by — if necessary — National Guard or, if really necessary, by military,” Trump said. Harris used that clip in her montage.
It is unclear what he meant by this, especially since he is not currently president and has no power over the military.
Trump later specifically named Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who is running for the Senate as one of those “enemies from within.” Trump’s campaign has not responded to NPR requests for details on his comments on using the National Guard or military against U.S. citizens.
It’s part of a strategy to appeal to moderate Republicans and independents
Harris has been making a push to appeal to moderate Republicans and independent voters in states like Pennsylvania where polls show the candidates are essentially tied.
She has said she would reach across the aisle if she wins to put a Republican in her cabinet and would name a bipartisan council to advise her. She has campaigned with former GOP Rep. Liz Cheney, and other prominent Republicans have endorsed her as well.
Harris also this weekend released a medical report describing her as being in excellent health. She is using it to draw a contrast with Trump, who is almost two decades older than her – and as a way to raise questions about his rambling speeches.
She has said Trump’s decision to skip a second debate and a CBS 60 Minutes interview show his advisers want to hide him from undecided voters. Trump is slated to do two town halls this week — one with Latino voters on Univision, the second on Fox News on Wednesday with an audience of women.
Meanwhile, Harris will do her first-ever interview with Fox News on Wednesday, taking questions from anchor Bret Baier.
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