Topline

Former President Donald Trump repeated the claim that his opponent Vice President Kamala Harris was born “mentally impaired,” seemingly ignoring criticism he received from some Republicans for making a similar claim at a rally on Saturday.

Key Facts

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Key Background

Some Republicans have been encouraging Trump for weeks to stop making personal attacks on Harris and Democrats and focus on policy differences. In mid-August, Trump said he believed he was “entitled to personal attacks” on Harris and suggested he made the comments because he was angry with her “because of what she’s done to the country.” Since Harris took over the Democratic ticket, Trump has attacked her intelligence, her laugh and her race, suggesting she has changed her racial identity from Indian to Black.

Tangent

Despite repeating his own claims people found offensive and hateful, Trump recently blamed Harris and Biden’s rhetoric for inciting violence. In an interview with Fox News Digital on Sept. 16, Trump alleged the suspect in the second assassination attempt on him “believed the rhetoric of Biden and Harris, and he acted on it.” Despite the FBI not having released a motive for the attempt, Trump claimed “their rhetoric is causing me to be shot at.”

Big Number

2.8. That’s how many points Harris is leading Trump by according to FiveThirtyEight’s latest national polling average. RealClearPolitics’ average showed Harris leading by two points as of Sunday afternoon.

Chief Critic

The American Association of People with Disabilities released a statement Sunday calling Trump’s comments about Harris on Saturday “both ableist and inaccurate.” The statement continued: “Trump’s ableist comments yesterday say far more about him and his inaccurate, hateful biases against disabled people than it does about Vice President Harris, or any person with a disability. Trump holds the ableist, false belief that if a person has a disability, they are less human and less worthy of dignity.”

Further Reading

ForbesTrump Says He Is ‘Entitled To Personal Attacks’ Against Harris Despite Republican Calls To Cease Insults