Former President Donald Trump was widely mocked after he claimed during a rally in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, that he's a "better-looking person" than Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump reserved criticism for Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan, who observed that Harris's "beauty, plus the social warmth that all who have known her over the years speak of, combines to produce: radiance," an advantage in the presidential election.
He said:
[Noonan] said one thing that got me. She said Kamala has one big advantage: she's a very beautiful woman. So I decide to go back and re-read. I say that I am much better looking. I'm a better looking person than Kamala."
"I couldn't believe it. That's the first time I've ever heard that one: 'Her biggest advantage is that she's a beautiful woman.' I never thought of that. I'm better looking than she is."
You can hear what Trump said in the video below.
Trump's remarks exposed him to instant mockery.
Time
Trump's attacks came after Harris made the cover of Time; he alleged the magazine's illustrator was being "too generous" with a portrait of Harris:
“Time magazine doesn’t have a picture of her. They have this unbelievable artist drawing her. They took a lot of pictures that didn’t work out so they hired a sketch artist.”
In a statement following the rally, the Harris campaign hit back at Trump's remarks through Joseph Costello, a spokesperson:
“Donald Trump can’t sell his dangerous Project 2025 agenda to raise taxes on working families by $3,900, terminate the Affordable Care Act, and rip away our freedoms, so he resorts to lies, name-calling, and confused rants."
Although prominent Republicans like his former presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway have cautioned him to avoid making personal jabs, Trump has insisted he is "entitled to personal attacks." In fact, he doubled down during a press conference at his Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, saying he does not "have a lot of respect for her intelligence, and I think she'll be a terrible president."
Trump's attacks appear to be backfiring, particularly as the Democratic National Convention kicks off tonight.
Recent surveys from the Washington Post/ABC News/Ipsos and CBS News/YouGov show Harris holding at least a 3% lead over Trump nationwide. Meanwhile, a New York Times/Siena College poll released Saturday indicates Harris is gaining momentum in key swing states. Additionally, an AP/NORC survey shows Harris' favorability rising to 48%, compared to Biden's 38% before he exited the race.
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