The mindlessness of Political Mudslinging
Presidential candidate Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance have engaged in unnecessary political mudslinging. Mudslinging is when politicians or candidates use nicknames and insults to dirty another one’s name.
Previous presidents in America’s history have done this. For instance, Andrew Jackson was accused of having interracial relations. The Chicago Tribune published in 2016 that his rival candidate claimed that his “mother was a prostitute and his father was a mulatto.”
In the 1800 presidential election, Thomas Jefferson’s aide questioned John Adams’s masculinity.
He “had the hideous hermaphroditical character which has neither the force and firmness of a man, nor the gentleness and sensibility of a woman,” Jefferson’s aide said.
In response, Adams’s team said resulting from Jefferson’s election would be “murder, robbery, rape adultery, and incest(being) openly taught and practiced.” Thus, crime will run rampant in the United States under Jefferson’s leadership.
In 2016, Hillary Clinton mentioned during a presidential debate that the former president called 1996 Miss Universe Alicia Machado “Miss Piggy.” CNN reported Machado alleged that Trump pressured her to exercise with reporters in front of her, which she was against.
Some of these were bad, but what is the point of this? Shouldn’t presidential candidates be talking about their policies instead?
Trump’s insults about Walz and Harris
Once President Joe Biden dropped out of the race, Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz took his place. Trump has redirected his insult toward her and Walz. During a phone interview on Fox and Friends on August 22, Trump called Walz a “total lightweight,” Politico reported.
Moreover, Trump called Walz “a terrible governor.” Trump said that Minnesota “had nothing but problems” during Walz’s tenure.
According to Politico, Trump called Kamala a “Marxist”, “radical left lunatic,” and “comrade” during that Fox and Friends interview on August 22. On Truth Social, he reshared a picture with Harris and 2016 presidential Hilary Clinton smiling.
The Independent reported that underneath the post it said, “Funny how blowjobs impacted both their careers differently.” It suggested that Harris “sleep her way into power by dating former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown in the 1990s.” Hilary’s husband and former president Bill Clinton’s affair “with Monica Lewinsky” was hinted at too.
There is more that he said. “She’ll be like a play toy. They look at her and they say, we can’t believe we go so lucky,” Trump said the Independent reported. Additionally, Trump said that world leaders would step on her.
On Tuesday, Sept 17, the New York Times reported Trump said on Fox News Digital, following a second assassination attempt, blamed Biden and Harris’s rhetorical language for inciting the supposed shooter Ryan Wesley Routh.
Vance questions Walz’s military experience
Vance questioned Walz’s loyalty to his unit. Politifact reported that Vance said, “He(Walz) dropped out of the Army and allowed his unit to go without him… I think it’s shameful.”
Also, they reported he uttered “stolen valor” at an event to describe his claims about Walz.
Politifact reported that Walz left the Minnesota National Guard “in May 2005.” Walz submitted “retirement paperwork” seven months earlier.
In March 2005, his unit was informed about “possible deployment to Iraq within two years.” Two months after Walz retired, his unit “received an official order about mobilizing for deployment to Iraq.” This order was received in July 2005.
Politifact countered Vance’s statement. They reported Walz was given “a two-year window for a potential, not definite, deployment.”
Additionally, Walz was not “asked by his country to go to Iraq,” Politifact stated. Walz submitted “candidacy paperwork in February 2005.” All of this occurred before Walz’s unit was informed in March 2005 of their possible
Yet, by email and interview, veterans who served with him criticized him for retiring before the July 2005 deployment to Iraq.
Harris and Walz
Harris and Walz have engaged in verbal melee to some degree. Yet, it is not close to what Trump said. According to an August 6 White House briefing, Harris made subtle suggestions about things Trump has been accused of doing at a campaign event.
“I took on perpetrators of all kinds — predators who abused women and cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain.”
Harris’s running mate spoke at the campaign event as well. Walz said, “The National Guard gave me purpose, it gave me the strength of a shared commitment to something greater than ourselves.”
“He doesn’t know the first thing about service,” he said referring to Trump. Then, he hinted that Trump was self-serving.
“J.D. studied at Yale — (laughter) — — had his career funded by Silicon Valley billionaires, and then wrote a bestseller trashing that community. Come on. That’s not what Middle America is. You know it, you feel it: These guys are creepy and, yes, just weird as hell,” Walz added.
Weird is a reference to Vance’s comments in a resurfaced interview on X. According to the APnews, Trump’s spokesperson said they “were themselves out of line for trying to gaslight everyone into thinking” the first assassination attempt was performative.
The New York Times reported that Harris, on X, mentioned Trump’s legal history. On the other side, Trump gave her nicknames and attacked her intelligence and political career. They learned when Harris spoke about the issues she did not take personal chides at Trump.
During a CNN interview, Harris was asked by CNN’s Dana Bash about Trump saying she “turns black recently for political purposes.” Her response was “Same old tired playbook.”
Conclusion
I see no point in a candidate insulting another candidate. Every word being said by them is a distraction. Let’s focus on the real issues.
