Opinion: Trump Struggles to Counter Harris’s Campaign Momentum, Resorting to a Game Plan Stuck in the Past

Joe W. Bowers Jr. | California Black MediaOPINION (CBM) – Since Pres. Joe Biden decided not to seek re-election, Donald Trump has struggled to find his footing in a campaign that was previously geared toward attacking Biden’s age and fitness. His performance at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Convention last week highlighted his inability to redefine his new opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump’s comments, particularly his questioning of Harris’s racial identity, failed to resonate with the audience and underscored his reliance on divisive rhetoric.Trump’s response to Harris’s candidacy has focused on personal attacks rather than her record or Biden’s policies. He has used nicknames like “Laffin Kamala, Lying Kamala, and Phony Kamala” and he has concentrated on her race — her father is Black Jamaican, and her mother is East Asian Indian.At the NABJ convention, Trump clashed with a panel of Black women journalists, accusing Harris of “switching her race” to gain political advantage. “She was always of Indian heritage, and she was only promoting Indian heritage. I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she turned Black, and now she wants to be known as Black?”, Trump claimed.This approach, intended to...