Donald Trump looking confused.
(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Donald Trump’s latest campaign strategy? Call Kamala Harris ‘mentally impaired’

Former President Donald Trump and his followers are no strangers to insulting the Vice President, but he managed to go lower with his latest affront.

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“Joe Biden became mentally impaired,” Trump said. “Kamala was born that way. […] And if you think about it, only a mentally disabled person could allow this to happen to our country.” Trump must have forgotten that he’s not just writing a rant on his Truth Social account. Rather, he delivered the comments in front of his supporters at a rally in Wisconsin. This wasn’t the only disparaging statement from Trump. Prior to insulting Harris, Trump talked about how those who crossed the US-Mexico border were “poisoning the blood” of the country.

“She’s letting in people who will walk in your house, break into your door, and they’ll do anything they want. These people are animals.” It’s hard to tell which is worse—Trump’s ableist sentiments or his outright fearmongering about immigrants. To clarify, there’s nothing wrong with neurodivergent people, and immigrants aren’t cut from the same cloth. What is disturbing is that Trump thinks it’s an insult to be neurodivergent and that immigrants are violent. He’s been repeating the same inflammatory statements about immigrants throughout his campaign. Now he’s coming after neurodivergent people..

What Trump is engaging in isn’t just dirty name-calling. He’s actively causing paranoia among his followers and enraging the other camp. Trump doesn’t want people to think. He’s attempting to bring logic and discourse to a lower level in hopes that members of the other camp will stoop as low.

Reasonable people aren’t buying this rhetoric

For the MAGA crowd, it’s just another thing to laugh about. They’re praising Trump for making a comment even a third-grade bully can make. It works for those who think that the election is just a laughing matter.

Trump’s rhetoric has always been hateful and harmful. Thankfully, more people on social media aren’t falling for Trump’s old tricks. Many are still able to discern that this isn’t the type of speech that is fitting for someone running for public office.

After all, Trump is the same figure who incited an insurrection. What matters is that voters are able to see through his tactics.


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Vanessa Esguerra
Vanessa Esguerra (She/They) has been a Contributing Writer for The Mary Sue since 2023. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Economy, she (happily) rejected law school in 2021 and has been a full-time content writer since. Vanessa is currently taking her Master's degree in Japanese Studies in hopes of deepening her understanding of the country's media culture in relation to pop culture, women, and queer people like herself. She speaks three languages but still manages to get lost in the subways of Tokyo with her clunky Japanese. Fueled by iced coffee brewed from local cafés in Metro Manila, she also regularly covers anime and video games while queuing for her next match in League of Legends.