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Friday, Aug. 09, 2024

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Trump's bizarre nickname for Harris shows how desperate he is

By Hayes Brown

Former President Donald Trump is struggling. It's been evident for weeks now. The glow hadn't yet faded on his triumphant performance at the Republican National Convention when President Joe Biden ended his re-election campaign. Since then, Trump has had to face a resurgent opponent with Vice President Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket. And, friends, let me tell you, he is not happy about it.

Most infuriating to Trump is his campaign being in a position it has rarely been in: chasing the spotlight. Rather than setting the media's agenda every day, he's been forced to watch as Harris has sucked up all the oxygen in the room. The horrible rollout of his own running mate, Sen. JD Vance, of Ohio, has only highlighted how energized Democratic voters have become.

In his desperation, Trump has been cycling through potential nicknames for Harris, trying out "Laffin' Kamala" and "Crazy Kamala" before landing on the baffling choice of "Kamabla." It's a choice that's confusing and unlikely to have any impact on the perception of Harris. It could be a racist dog whistle; it could be a play on the word "blah" to imply that she's boring; it may be both or neither.

This is a preview of Hayes Brown's latest article. Read the full column here.

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