In an interview that aired late Sunday, former President Trump slammed Vice President Harris as “nasty” and claimed her treatment of former Vice President Mike Pence during the debate was “terrible.”
Speaking on Fox News' “Life, Liberty and Levin,” Trump pointed to the iconic moment during the 2020 vice presidential debate when Harris chided Pence for interrupting by saying, “Mr. Vice President, I'm speaking.”
“Right now they have Kamala, who has a lot of alleged flaws, but she's a mean person. Her behavior towards Mike Pence has been awful. Her behavior towards people has been awful,” Trump said on Fox News.
The relationship between President Trump and Vice President Pence became increasingly strained toward the end of his term in the White House, culminating in early 2021 when VP Pence refused to overturn the results of the 2020 election, despite pressure from President Trump and his allies.
The rioters who stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, chanted to “hang” Mike Pence, who refused to question the election results.
In a later interview, Trump said he wasn't concerned about Pence's safety because he believed he was “well protected” and “in good health.” The New York Times Report In 2022, a story emerged alleging that President Trump had spoken in support of his own vice president being hanged on January 6, but a spokesman for President Trump claimed the story was part of a larger “Democrat attack campaign.”
Pence challenged Trump for the Republican presidential nomination this year but lost, and has emerged as an outspoken critic.
“It should come as no surprise to you that I will not be supporting Donald Trump this year,” Trump said in March, months after dropping out of the Republican primary.
During the interview, Trump also criticized Harris for her questioning of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearings in 2018.
“Oh, she was brutal. Oh, she was the most brutal. She was after them. [Kavanaugh, Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch]”The way she treated Judge Kavanaugh in his confirmation hearings, no one has ever been treated like that in the history of Congress,” Trump said, later adding.
Harris, who was then a senator on the Judiciary Committee, made headlines in 2018 for grilling Kavanaugh during his Senate confirmation hearings.
Tensions arose between Ms Harris, a former prosecutor, and Mr Kavanaugh when she asked Mr Kavanaugh whether he had discussed special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation with anyone from the law firm founded by President Trump's personal lawyer, Marc Kasowitz. Mr Kavanaugh dodged the question in his response.
Trump's recent comments echo those he made during the 2020 campaign, when he called Harris “nasty” and “mean.” Direction of questioning Kavanaugh, whom he appointed.
The Hill has reached out to Harris' campaign for comment.
Trump has repeatedly launched personal attacks against Harris since she replaced President Biden as the top Democratic candidate last month and became the party's official presidential nominee.
Some Republicans have suggested Trump should avoid personal insults and focus on policy.
Since taking over from Biden as the Democratic nominee, Harris has rapidly consolidated her support, threatening the large lead Trump had over Biden during the presidential election. She leads Trump by 3.8 points nationally, according to The Hill/Decision Desk HQ polling index.
