 "How pro-Trump supporters are spreading rumours about Kamala Harris’ ‘drinking problem’")
Following weeks of difficulty adjusting to Vice President Kamala Harris being his opponent, Donald Trump is attempting to get back on his feet as the Democrats begin their convention in Chicago.
Trump’s supporters seem to be putting out a fresh line this week in an effort to counter the wave of support for Harris.
They claim that his Democratic rival, has a “drinking problem.”
The unverified ‘intoxication’ claim
Several videos of Harris are making the rounds online.
A video was captured at a rally in Prince George’s County, Maryland, where President Joe Biden accompanied her, while one was from her March visit to Madison, Wisconsin.
In the video from Maryland, Harris introduces President Biden and talks about plans to bring down the cost of prescription drugs.
If anyone has been paying attention to Harris speaking lately, I’m honestly wondering if she has a problem with alcoholism 😔. And that’s a legitimate struggle, but not someone who US President . https://t.co/3SySjkaiGz
— J.D. St. Michaels (@JDStMichaels) August 16, 2024
She is heard discussing the “strength of democracy” in the Wisconsin video.
Notwithstanding the circumstances, some people have labelled her as an alcoholic, pointing to these appearances as proof of their alleged alcoholism.
This is extremely serious. Someone with an unhinged drinking problem has a chance to become the President of the most powerful country on earth.
— Matt Wallace (@MattWallace888) August 18, 2024
Kamala Harris has been rumored for years to show up drunk to important meetings as VP. In this clip you can hear the alcohol in her… pic.twitter.com/hoV3LAfNvY
Social media has been used by critics to raise doubts about Harris’ sobriety.
Some users compared her speech patterns to “vodka Pelosi,” while others have voiced concerns about her ability to carry out her job if she was, in fact, under the influence.
One comment absurdly speculated on the possible consequences of a drunk Commander-in-Chief.
In a video that someone uploaded, Harris is heard repeating the famous “coconut tree” line that her mother used frequently.
During a speech about equality and advancement for Hispanic people, Harris asks, “You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?” and then breaks out into laughing.
She said that “nothing exists in a silo,” as if to highlight the importance of keeping a focus on the larger community.
Her supporters, known as the ‘K-hive,’ made extensive use of the speech after a video of it went viral earlier this year.
New line of attack by Republicans
The third video, which was shared by several netizens on Sunday, features the vice president speaking in Pennsylvania and her three 30-second repetitions of the term “democracy.”
“And that’s what our election is about," she says in the clip, adding, “Our election is about understanding the importance of this beautiful country of ours in terms of what we stand for around the globe as a democracy.”
She continues, “As a democracy, we know there’s a duality to the nature of democracy. On the one hand, it has incredible strength when it is intact. What it does for its people to protect and defend their rights, their liberty, and their freedom, incredibly strong and incredibly fragile.”
James Blair, a Trump campaign member, appears to be the source of the unverified assertion that Harris was drunk in a post on Sunday.
“A lot of rumours out there about Kamala having a serious drinking problem… apparently coming into focus as campaign heats up,” he wrote.
A lot of rumors out there about Kamala having a serious drinking problem…apparently coming into focus as campaign heats up.
— James Blair (@JamesBlairUSA) August 18, 2024
⏳Stay Tuned…
His post went viral, receiving more than 9,000 likes, almost 4,000 shares, and more than 5.2 million views.
Collin Rugg commented, “Not a good look when everyone on X is calling you a drunk.”
Rob Smith added, “The ‘Kamala is a drunk’ theory makes more sense every second I think about it.”
One Democrat responded to all the claims, by saying, “You Republicans really have nothing against Kamala Harris do you?”
You Republicans really have nothing against Kamala Harris do you?
— Bruno Chieco (@BrunoChieco6) August 18, 2024
Senator Lindsey Graham and other Republicans are concerned that attacking Harris personally rather than concentrating on policy may backfire and undermine Trump’s chances of winning the election, which is why they are launching this new offensive strategy.
Sexism at play
Kamala Harris has previously been the target of similar rumoured charges. Some misleading reports surfaced in 2020, claiming that Harris was spotted stumbling and vomiting following Thanksgiving in 2019.
Trump along with his fellow Republicans and supporters, ever since Kamala Harris was officially nominated as the Presidential candidate for the elections in November, are trying to find an angle of attack on her.
Earlier, Trump took a jab at Harris for laugh.
“I call her ‘Laughing Kamala,’” Trump said at a rally in Michigan last month. “Have you ever watched her laugh? She is crazy. You can tell a lot by a laugh. … She is nuts.”
Trump was trying to take a page out of his old playbook – trying to humiliate an opponent by bestowing on him or her a derogatory nickname.
The former president has labelled his opponents including ‘Sleepy’ Joe Biden, ‘Crooked’ Hillary, ‘Crazy’ Nancy Pelosi, ‘Lying’ Ted Cruz, Ron ‘DeSanctimonious’, ‘Birdbrain’ Nikki Haley and ‘Crying’ Chuck – just to name a few.
As per The Independent, Trump at a Pennsylvania rally in October 2020 aid, “Is there something wrong with her? She kept laughing at, you know, very serious questions.”
Trump, who has a history of making sexist statements, asserted that foreign leaders would regard Harris as a “play toy,” referred to her as unintelligent, and is now commenting on her appearance, according to The Conversation.
In a similar sexist vein, Trump allies have attempted to turn Harris’ past romantic relationships into campaign issues, with one conservative commentator on Fox Business News crudely labelling Harris the “original hawk tuah girl,” an obscene sexual reference.
With inputs from agencies
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