No matter who Vice President Kamala Harris picked as her 2024 running mate, Donald Trump and his Republican campaign operation was prepared to go after him or her with a vengeance. In fact, it seems awfully likely that the over-the-top press statements and fundraising appeals were already written — and Team Trump was simply waiting for a name to fill in.
It was against this backdrop that the former president’s campaign sent a solicitation to prospective donors this morning, telling them that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz would “unleash hell on Earth” if the Democratic ticket prevails.
No, seriously, that’s what the fundraising message said.
But as it turns out, that’s not all the GOP nominee and his operation had to say. The Hill highlighted a written statement sent to the media from Trump campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt:
From proposing his own carbon-free agenda, to suggesting stricter emission standards for gas-powered cars, and embracing policies to allow convicted felons to vote, Walz is obsessed with spreading California’s dangerously liberal agenda.
So, a few things.
First, there’s nothing “dangerously liberal” about taking the climate crisis seriously. Second, it’s true that the Democratic governor restored voting rights for formerly incarcerated people, but that’s a popular and just position for officials to take.
But stepping back for a moment, is Donald Trump’s press secretary seriously prepared to make the case against convicted felons participating in our democracy? Because if so, Leavitt might be surprised to discover that in recent months, a jury found her boss guilty of 34 felonies in his hush money case. This is not to be confused with a different jury finding Trump liable for sexual abuse, or the case in which a court found that Trump oversaw a business that engaged in systemic fraud. Indeed, it often seems as if the Republican Party is wholly unaware of the fact that it has a criminal leading its 2024 ticket. Trump himself recently declared with confidence, “You’re not going to teach a criminal not to be a criminal,” as if the maxim were just common sense. A day later, the former president echoed the line at an unrelated event. “A criminal is a criminal,” the GOP nominee said. “They generally stay a criminal and we do not have time to figure it out.” A little self-awareness goes a long way. The sooner Team Trump realizes that, the less embarrassing their public statements will be.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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