Harris demonstrated Trump’s weakness
Kamala Harris is hardly the first person to observe that Donald Trump is easily manipulated with flattery. Particularly, flattery from autocrats and dictators he admires and whose respect he craves. They belong to an exclusive club he desperately wants to join, a strongman club that wouldn’t have an infant like him for a member.
Harris said of Trump during last night’s debate:
He’s trying to again divide and distract from the reality, which is it is very well known that Donald Trump is weak and wrong on national security and foreign policy. It is well known that he admires dictators, wants to be a dictator on day one according to himself. It is well known that he said of Putin that he can do whatever the hell he wants and go into Ukraine. It is well known when that he said when Russia went into Ukraine it was brilliant. It is well known he exchanged love letters with Kim Jong un. And it is absolutely well known that these dictators and autocrats are rooting for you to be president again because they’re so clear, they can manipulate you with flattery and favors.
But flattery and favors are not the only ways Trump is easily manipulated. Time and again in last night’s 90 minutes, Harris baited traps for Trump, and he walked straight into them.
Over the course of almost two hours Tuesday night, the Vice President effectively needled the former President on his deepest insecurities while painting a clear choice for voters. Trump in response repeatedly took the bait and doubled down, leading him to go on wild tangents, engage in angry outbursts, and relitigate old battles. It was a striking dichotomy for voters to take in from two figures who share so little when it comes to political instinct, personalities, and even personal discipline. Harris leveraged Trump’s total lack of that last element to set the agenda for the evening.
When Trump boasted about receiving 75 million votes in 2020 and complained about alleged irregularities in Georgia, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, Harris pounced.:
“Donald Trump was fired by 81 million people. So, let’s be clear about that. And clearly, he is having a very difficult time processing that.” World leaders, Harris said, “are laughing at Donald Trump.”
Trump responded by citing Hungarian autocrat Viktor Orbán as a character reference.
Harris invited people to attend Trump’s rallies and watch him babble about
…. fictional characters like Hannibal Lecter. He will talk about windmills cause cancer. And what you will also notice is that people start leaving his rallies early out of exhaustion and boredom. And I will tell you the one thing you will not hear him talk about is you. You will not hear him talk about your needs, your dreams, and your, your desires. And I’ll tell you, I believe you deserve a president who actually puts you first. And I pledge to you that I will.
Trump took the bait again (Time again):
Then he puffed up his political chest: “People don’t leave my rallies. We have the biggest rallies, the most incredible rallies in the history of politics.” The dispute was completely immaterial for undecided voters and would win him zero new votes, but Harris understood exactly what she had done: in inviting Trump’s ego to overtake actual issues, she was showing his pettiness in full display. And, for millions of voters watching Harris in such an environment for the first time, it’s impossible to imagine a better first showing.
What Harris showed (after a shaky first few minutes) was that she was in control in that space and Trump was not. Trump charged that Democrats threw Biden out of the campaign “like a dog.” Harris led Trump around like Pavlov’s. And she didn’t do it with flattery like Trump’s dictator pals. She pressed his buttons and he salivated.
There was only one leader on the stage last night.