Trump struggles to find a schoolyard insult to use against Harris
The former president has experimented with various nicknames for his new Democratic challenger but has ultimately discarded them.
TroibNews 
Donald Trump has a penchant for assigning nicknames to his political opponents. However, he has yet to settle on a consistent one for Vice President Kamala Harris.
Initially, the former president, who had largely avoided mentioning Harris until after President Joe Biden’s challenging debate performance, experimented with "Laffin' Kamala" before shifting to "Lyin' Kamala." He then changed course again to "Crazy Kamala," often misspelling her name in the process.
Recently, he has moved away from these labels, even as he continues to deploy nicknames for other political adversaries.
Demeaning monikers have been a key element of Trump's political style since he entered the arena, serving as a way to undermine both Republican and Democratic rivals while energizing his base. Yet, he seems to struggle in crafting effective attacks against Harris, despite his inclination toward personal jabs.
“What you're starting to see is the panic of, ‘We're in these 80-something days, I don't have enough time to learn a new trick. So what do I do with the tricks in my bag to at least throw her off her game?’” stated Michael Starr Hopkins, a Democratic strategist. “But at this point, you've seen him so much, and he’s oversaturated himself that nothing shocks anybody anymore.”
Trump is known for his nicknames for opponents, famously referring to Hillary Clinton as “Crooked Hillary” during the 2016 presidential race, a term he has attempted to reapply to Biden—recently utilizing it for Harris as well. He has also used similar tactics against Republican challengers like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley throughout this year's GOP primary.
Throughout most of Harris's vice presidency, Trump barely mentioned her. There was no direct confrontation between them, nor did she come to be associated with a nickname.
Following Biden's shaky debate appearance and increasing speculation about a potential replacement on the Democratic ticket, Trump introduced “Laffin' Kamala.” This nickname mirrored the efforts of some conservatives who compiled videos of the vice president laughing, aiming to undermine her credibility. The subject line of a Trump campaign fundraising email on the day Biden dropped out read: “Hello Laffin' Kamala... BYE BYE BIDEN!”
However, Trump quickly discarded this name, moving first to “Lyin' Kamala,” a term he had previously used against former rival Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). This, too, was short-lived; after invoking “Lyin' Kamala” multiple times at a rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, and on Truth Social, he abandoned it.
Trump then adopted the nickname “Crazy Kamala,” an epithet he has also applied to other figures like former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). He utilized this label for a more extended period, though he has recently retreated from using it. He also experimented with “Kamabla” and “Crazy Kamabla” on occasion.
Most often, he now refers to her simply as “Kamala.” In various recent press conferences, he has pronounced her name correctly. However, at rallies, he playfully mispronounces it or jokes about the correct way to say it. During an event in south Florida last month, he stated he “couldn't care less” about the pronunciation.
Despite this fluctuation in nicknames, Trump continues to criticize Harris. He has labeled her the “border czar,” a common line of attack from Republicans, which she and fellow Democrats argue mischaracterizes her responsibilities regarding immigration. He often describes her as “dangerously liberal” or makes derisive references to San Francisco, where she served as district attorney.
However, these characterizations differ from the personal nicknames he generally prefers. His difficulties in finding a lasting nickname for Harris highlight the contrast in his approach to her against his ongoing attacks on Biden. At a recent rally in Bozeman, Montana, Trump referred to a nickname for Harris early in his remarks, pledging to his supporters to “evict Crazy Kamala.” Yet, this reference paled compared to his lengthy discourse on nicknames for Biden.
“Doesn't matter anymore, but what do you like better: Crooked Joe or Sleepy Joe?” he asked his supporters. “Sleepy Joe, Crooked Joe. OK, ready? They're both correct. I think Crooked Joe is more correct to say.”
His difficulty in finding an enduring nickname for Harris reveals how Biden’s situation has reshaped the presidential landscape. Trump has had a history of using nicknames for the Democratic president, while his direct engagement with Harris is much newer.
In a Truth Social post on Thursday, Trump once again used nicknames for Biden and Pelosi, but not for Harris.
“Kamala Harris wants NOTHING TO DO WITH CROOKED JOE BIDEN,” he wrote. “They are throwing him out on the Monday Night Stage, known as Death Valley. He now HATES Obama and Crazy Nancy more than he hates me!’”
In fundraising emails, Trump’s campaign has employed “Crooked Kamala” to refer to Harris since shortly after Biden stepped aside, mimicking the language he has long used for both Biden and Clinton in messages targeting his most loyal supporters. However, Trump himself has not publicly utilized that name or mentioned it on Truth Social.
Initially, the nickname “Crooked” for Clinton had a surprising impact, noted Republican strategist Mike Madrid, a co-founder of the anti-Trump Lincoln Project. Regardless of how he describes Harris, he believes the impact will not be the same.
“He was humiliating and debasing his opponents by abusing them in a way that was completely unconventional for American-style politics,” Madrid explained. Now, eight years later, “the fact that he’s dragged us down to that low level of discourse makes the attack ineffective anyway.”
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
Initially, the former president, who had largely avoided mentioning Harris until after President Joe Biden’s challenging debate performance, experimented with "Laffin' Kamala" before shifting to "Lyin' Kamala." He then changed course again to "Crazy Kamala," often misspelling her name in the process.
Recently, he has moved away from these labels, even as he continues to deploy nicknames for other political adversaries.
Demeaning monikers have been a key element of Trump's political style since he entered the arena, serving as a way to undermine both Republican and Democratic rivals while energizing his base. Yet, he seems to struggle in crafting effective attacks against Harris, despite his inclination toward personal jabs.
“What you're starting to see is the panic of, ‘We're in these 80-something days, I don't have enough time to learn a new trick. So what do I do with the tricks in my bag to at least throw her off her game?’” stated Michael Starr Hopkins, a Democratic strategist. “But at this point, you've seen him so much, and he’s oversaturated himself that nothing shocks anybody anymore.”
Trump is known for his nicknames for opponents, famously referring to Hillary Clinton as “Crooked Hillary” during the 2016 presidential race, a term he has attempted to reapply to Biden—recently utilizing it for Harris as well. He has also used similar tactics against Republican challengers like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley throughout this year's GOP primary.
Throughout most of Harris's vice presidency, Trump barely mentioned her. There was no direct confrontation between them, nor did she come to be associated with a nickname.
Following Biden's shaky debate appearance and increasing speculation about a potential replacement on the Democratic ticket, Trump introduced “Laffin' Kamala.” This nickname mirrored the efforts of some conservatives who compiled videos of the vice president laughing, aiming to undermine her credibility. The subject line of a Trump campaign fundraising email on the day Biden dropped out read: “Hello Laffin' Kamala... BYE BYE BIDEN!”
However, Trump quickly discarded this name, moving first to “Lyin' Kamala,” a term he had previously used against former rival Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). This, too, was short-lived; after invoking “Lyin' Kamala” multiple times at a rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, and on Truth Social, he abandoned it.
Trump then adopted the nickname “Crazy Kamala,” an epithet he has also applied to other figures like former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). He utilized this label for a more extended period, though he has recently retreated from using it. He also experimented with “Kamabla” and “Crazy Kamabla” on occasion.
Most often, he now refers to her simply as “Kamala.” In various recent press conferences, he has pronounced her name correctly. However, at rallies, he playfully mispronounces it or jokes about the correct way to say it. During an event in south Florida last month, he stated he “couldn't care less” about the pronunciation.
Despite this fluctuation in nicknames, Trump continues to criticize Harris. He has labeled her the “border czar,” a common line of attack from Republicans, which she and fellow Democrats argue mischaracterizes her responsibilities regarding immigration. He often describes her as “dangerously liberal” or makes derisive references to San Francisco, where she served as district attorney.
However, these characterizations differ from the personal nicknames he generally prefers. His difficulties in finding a lasting nickname for Harris highlight the contrast in his approach to her against his ongoing attacks on Biden. At a recent rally in Bozeman, Montana, Trump referred to a nickname for Harris early in his remarks, pledging to his supporters to “evict Crazy Kamala.” Yet, this reference paled compared to his lengthy discourse on nicknames for Biden.
“Doesn't matter anymore, but what do you like better: Crooked Joe or Sleepy Joe?” he asked his supporters. “Sleepy Joe, Crooked Joe. OK, ready? They're both correct. I think Crooked Joe is more correct to say.”
His difficulty in finding an enduring nickname for Harris reveals how Biden’s situation has reshaped the presidential landscape. Trump has had a history of using nicknames for the Democratic president, while his direct engagement with Harris is much newer.
In a Truth Social post on Thursday, Trump once again used nicknames for Biden and Pelosi, but not for Harris.
“Kamala Harris wants NOTHING TO DO WITH CROOKED JOE BIDEN,” he wrote. “They are throwing him out on the Monday Night Stage, known as Death Valley. He now HATES Obama and Crazy Nancy more than he hates me!’”
In fundraising emails, Trump’s campaign has employed “Crooked Kamala” to refer to Harris since shortly after Biden stepped aside, mimicking the language he has long used for both Biden and Clinton in messages targeting his most loyal supporters. However, Trump himself has not publicly utilized that name or mentioned it on Truth Social.
Initially, the nickname “Crooked” for Clinton had a surprising impact, noted Republican strategist Mike Madrid, a co-founder of the anti-Trump Lincoln Project. Regardless of how he describes Harris, he believes the impact will not be the same.
“He was humiliating and debasing his opponents by abusing them in a way that was completely unconventional for American-style politics,” Madrid explained. Now, eight years later, “the fact that he’s dragged us down to that low level of discourse makes the attack ineffective anyway.”
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
