75 Comments

Erick - you cannot see this but it is your ubiquitous problem shared with other Republicans in the media political chattering class cohort. The Democrats lie about Harris's ethnicity to gain the black vote back (yet again as they were drifting to Republicans over the crappy policies of the old white vegetable in the white house), and Trump takes a page out of their book to get the black community to understand that she isn't African American, she is Asian and Jamaican... and her Jamaican ancestors were slave owners. Trump gets the media to report all this because of their and your TDS to make hay out of his remarks. Trump is this brilliant, the Democrat media step in it. But you too step in it by trashing Trump for not bowing down to the media standards of identity politics that is ALWAYS ONE SIDED WITH REPUBLICANS RUNNING LIKE FRIGHTENED CHICKENS AND THE DEMOCRATS WEIDING THEIR VULNERABLE NARCISSIST METHODS TO DESTROY THEIR OPPOSITION WHILE HIDING BEHIND THEIR VICTIM SHROUD.

I am 100% about equality. Attack me over my gender, ethnicity, political views... and I don't care who you are, but I will attack you back the same out of respect for you as just a human.

You cannot see it I guess, but it is clear that you see yourself as part of some higher and mightier Republican morality that is above the nasty and aggressive politics being played by the Democrats. That is the single biggest reason that Republicans have lost and keep losing, and why Trump rises above that track record. Stop trying to drag Trump down.

He makes a complete valid point that Harris is not African American.

Expand full comment

No it was not brilliant, brilliant would have been just mentioning the slave owners part. Pushing she is not black is just dumb. Whites may not remember but I guarantee the black community does, especially in the south, that any drop of “black” meant you were black or tainted. I guess you assume saying she’s”DEI” will wake up independents & anti-Trumpers well here’s another reason why bad choice, they already Know she is! Plus to most of that group that’s a Good thing so yes just keep pointing it out in case they forget. You all aren’t helping Trump you are encouraging him to continue making many unforced errors that will cost election. Being smart is strong and things like these make people wonder. He doesn’t have 100 days to turn this around we have early voting remember. He has to smarten up now.

Expand full comment

You don't understand the electorate.

Expand full comment

Well you certainly don’t, maybe should read something like how to win friends and influence enemies because we still have to live, work etc with everyone so better to win over by staying on message like adults- attack on policy she has plenty to work with.

Expand full comment
Aug 1·edited Aug 1

Her father is African Jamaican -- as are most Jamaicans. Trump's point is not at all valid.

Expand full comment

I've never heard anyone identify as an "African Jamaican." Or as any nationality other than the country of their birth except for Americans..."African American" "British American" "Syrian American," etc.

Expand full comment
Aug 1·edited Aug 1

I didn't say Harris's father "identified" as African Jamaican. I was pointing out her father is a Jamaican of African descent -- not a white Jamaican. And yes, unfortunately some black Jamaicans did hold slaves. Therefore, Kamala Harris is of African and Indian heritage, so contra what Frank says, she IS both African American and Indian American. And the whole subject is a distraction from the far more important issues Trump should be focusing on. Because as Erick says, this particular point Trump is making doesn't play well with the black voters he's hoping to draw in his direction: even if you think it should.

Expand full comment

She is also is descendant from slave owners. If she was a Republicans the Democrats would be all over that!

Expand full comment

She is half Asian. The point is valid since it the Democrats making a big deal out of her ethnicity. Just stop!

Expand full comment

And half African American.

Expand full comment

Ok. What is the actual percentage based on testing, and what is the statute of limitations on ethnicity claims? From my DNA tests I have 5% African ancestors. So am I African American? 80% of my DNA is from the UK. The rest is the Iberian Peninsula where a lot of north Africans had migrated to, and of course the Muslims conquered... so maybe I have more African in me, or maybe I can claim I too am Asian Muslim by DNA.

You see how inane this all is? Probably not.

But since the pit of viper Democrats use race as a political advantage and weapon, why then do Republicans have to shrink away from challenging it? What exactly are you afraid of?

Expand full comment
Aug 1·edited Aug 1

So you think this kind of hair-splitting and arguing about the "statute of limitations on ethnicity claims" for Harris's African ancestry is a good issue for Trump to focus on?!?

Expand full comment

He isn't focused on it, it was a comment that was strategic in causing the narrative of Democrats that Harris represents African Americans to get tarnished. The Democrats weaponize race, gender, ethnicity in politics, and then old high moral Republicans shrink into a fetal position over any criticism of it. Trump does not shrink. He plays their game which is the defacto media political game. Old high and moral Republicans don't get the game. They are on some island of irrelevancy thinking that their belief in God makes them better than everyone else and thus don't have to lower themselves to play the nasty game. That is why Republicans keep losing, not because Trump says a word that LIGHTS THE LEFT MEDIA'S HAIR ON FIRE!

Think of it like this. Republicans are Pepsi. The Democrats are Coke. Coke decides to start an advertisement campaign that claims Pepsi is racist, and that the product is toxic and causes global warming. Then they claim that the CEO of Coke is a black female thus winning woke DEI points in the consumer mind.

The old guard Republicans take the position that their Pepsi product is superior and thus they can just advertise that and feel good that they don't stoop to Coke's vile advertising. Meanwhile Coke takes more market share and Pepsi's sales crash. Trump is the new CEO of Pepsi and he decides to adopt the same aggressive marketing against Coke. Pepsi's sales increase again, and the old guard at Pepsi keep trying to take out Trump.

Expand full comment

Is there a reason the focus is always on how Trump speaks with absolutely no commentary on how obnoxious the so called journalist was? She made a mostly false statement, as if it was factual, then asked him to answer a question presuming her false statement was true. Are we always going to hold him to a different standard? Do black women get some special dispensation to be rude and obnoxious and the person they attack is to stand down and take it?

Expand full comment

The one thing that has hardly been mentioned is the crowd reaction to Trump pointing out her rudeness. They didn't respond with boos or pile on; It almost sounded like some of them agreed with Trump. Maybe they were tired of waiting, too. It may have seemed contentious but he was kind of right about saying, what no hello? Would it have hurt so much for her to have said, thank you for joining us today, we know you have a busy schedule, apologies for making you wait?

Expand full comment

Exactly. Everyone is jumping on him and not even looking at her attitude and the circumstances. Harris Faulkner publicly made that very point on her show.

Expand full comment

I agree! And how about as "journalists" they should be asking why Harris didn't show if she was supposed to be there and why she isn't holding question and answer sessions with reporters. Guess she's afraid of the questions they will ask or how dumb she will sound answering them.

Expand full comment

Erick - Spot-on. As a conservative, I'm annoyed at Trump for not staying on message. Contrast accomplishments...period. This country is too important for him to lose his E.Q. at this important time.

Expand full comment

And get them on the record about the DOJ deal with Peter Strzok & Lisa Page, two of the chief characters in the Russia collusion hoax.

In real estate, the old adage is, 'Location. Location. Location." With politics (at least for Trump) it needs to be "Issues. Issues. Issues."

Trump has the issues (inflation, economy, immigration/border, energy, and on and on) and a record on his side. Stick to those. Let the Dems call us 'weird.' That's all they have.

Redumblicans... botching elections with great regularity.

Expand full comment

As always Trump's biggest enemy is Trump. We cannot afford for this to be a repeat of the 2022 Mid-Terms. Fighting for the sake of fighting to win a single argument to the cheers of the rabid supporters in the bubble then losing the war is losing plain and simple. An unforced error that the country cannot afford.

Choosing JD Vance was not ideal, but its not like choosing Dr Oz to run in PA either.

There must be focus and coalescing toward a common vision and sticking to the facts of the past 3 1/2 years of Biden and what existed for the four years before that. Shelve the personal attacks and hang what Harris has said and done around her neck and the neck's of all who support her. Anything less and we will likely lose.

Expand full comment

It’s the economy stupid period

Expand full comment

*sigh...

It's not 2016, Kamala is not Hillery. In fact it was roll reversal, Trump was unknown, Obama was known, and Hillary was/is just not likable.

Maybe not Republicans in general, but Trump and his team are the Bourbons.

If Trump looses JD Vance is done, he will sited as a mistake.

Only Biden could remove Biden, and only Trump can defeat Trump; his ego and hubris won't let him understand that just because he can pack a rally with a few thousand people he alienated the 10's of thousands of voters he needs.

Expand full comment

Eric, I have to disagree with you on this point. You mentioned the other day that an effective narrative against Harris is her ruthless "Ladder Climbing" to get ahead. Pointing to the fact that Harris is using her black ancestry for votes after a record of prosecuting black men for minor drug use is a good approach. It's all part of her ruthless ambition for power. Once she has the power she will step on everyone and anything to further her power, including the Constitution.

Expand full comment

Except Trump didn't focus on her using her black ancestry to cover over her record of prosecuting black men for minor drug use. He focused on questioning whether she's black at all, which negates the point he could have been making.

Expand full comment

"New York style" works for pizza but not for political strategy in most of the country. Trump would do well to learn from an observation by Sherman (in the Mississippi campaign) when he reported to Grant (paraphrasing) that Southerners were a curious people: they will be charming to you in the morning and shoot you dead in a duel in the afternoon.

Expand full comment

Erick

Please give us some examples ofHarris’s socialist agenda.

Expand full comment

Ron, I know the internet has been scrubbed, but she is a leftist. You can search that out for yourself.

Expand full comment

The debate(s) should be interesting.

Expand full comment

I agree with everything Erick says about Trump's comments and the stakes of the election. However, I'd point out with a hostile press even if Trump stays disciplined and on message, they will find something in his speech to blow out if proportion into a controversy. An effective counter strategy to what the Harris campaign and her media supporters are doing has to stay disciplined but there needs to be something more to win back momentum in this election. Maybe Trump winning another debate? Trump/Vance need to stick with the bread and butter issues and spend their smaller warchest effectively to when the blue collar workers in the area they need.

Expand full comment

Everyone I know who supports getting our country back on track is amazed that a man, who in many respects is considered intelligent and the right person to lead our country, is so unintelligent about speaking to the real issues in his campaign (economy, secure borders, foreign policy) instead of spouting off about the other persons family ancestry.

Expand full comment

Amen, brother, amen.

Expand full comment

An unneeded distraction. Makes me sick what they did with KSM. We prevented that boneheaded trial in NYC and they cut a deal. I’d beat the drum on that for a few days. We need to stick to the disaster of this administration.

Expand full comment

Never doubt that the Stupid Party can snatch defeat from the jaws of victory...

Expand full comment

Yep.... and they're doing it again.

Expand full comment