The fatal flaw in Kamala Harris’ speech, marred by Biden’s ‘garbage’ comment

The optics were perfect. The assemblage was massive. The media reviews were glowing.

But determination was a cardinal contradiction astatine the bosom of Vice President Kamala Harris’ speech connected the Ellipse that virtually nary 1 is talking about. 

First, I’ll springiness the vice president her due. It was a well-written code and powerfully delivered. It contained a just magnitude of policy, specified arsenic Medicare payments for location wellness attraction and assistance to first-time location buyers.

INTERVIEWING DONALD TRUMP: A LAST-MINUTE BLITZ AND NEW CLOSING MESSAGE

Harris acknowledged that galore voters were conscionable getting to cognize her. She mentioned her ma and her middle-class upbringing, arsenic she ever does. She said she’s not cleanable and makes mistakes.

But the backbone of the code was a two-fisted, no-holds-barred onslaught connected former President Donald Trump.

Harris likened him to King George III arsenic a "petty tyrant." She called him "unstable" and "consumed with grievance." She said he’s seeking "unchecked power" and is "obsessed with revenge."

In short, aft a 100-day campaign, Harris is inactive moving arsenic she did erstwhile she rapidly seized the nomination, arsenic the anti-Trump.

President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. (AP Photo/Getty Images)

Now, specified rhetorical assaults tin beryllium traced to the dawn of the republic. You whitethorn not emotion me, but that different feline is truthful overmuch worse.

That’s wherefore she used the White House arsenic a backdrop, lasting astatine the spot wherever Trump gave his code connected Jan. 6, 2021 urging his supporters to spell to the Capitol, wherever galore proceeded to riot.

Fine. Fair game. Especially for a campaigner who’s trying to triumph immoderate Republican votes, aided by Liz Cheney, a fig of erstwhile Trump officials and, arsenic of yesterday, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

But past the veep tried to marque the pivot, presenting herself arsenic the campaigner of unity.

RACIST TALK AT RALLY MARS TRUMP’S MESSAGE, BUT HE SCORES ON JOE ROGAN PODCAST

And therein lies the fatal flaw. You can’t bushed the crap retired of your hostile and, successful practically the adjacent breath, accidental you privation to bring the state together. You can’t person it some ways. You tin beryllium an onslaught dog, but if you’re baring those teeth, you can’t abruptly beryllium purring similar a puppy.

Not that Harris didn’t person immoderate bully lines. Trump has an enemies database and she’ll person a to-do list. And of governmental opponents: "He wants to enactment them successful jail. I’ll springiness them a spot astatine my table."

The segue: "It is clip to halt pointing fingers and commencement locking arms."

But, um, she conscionable spent a bully chunk of her code pointing fingers.

Democratic statesmanlike nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a run rally connected the Ellipse connected Oct. 29, 2024 successful Washington, D.C. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

And past she kept circling backmost to Trump successful the 2nd half, specified arsenic erstwhile discussing termination rights.

Harris besides went beyond governmental exaggeration. "He tried to chopped Medicare and Social Security each twelvemonth helium was president," she said. That is simply not true. But she gets precise small fact-checking.

Overall, the code was a positive for her, contempt its clashing ideas. But marque nary mistake, she’s moving arsenic the alternate to a antheral she paints arsenic dangerous.

As the Free Press enactment it: "This run is and ever has been each astir Trump. And it volition beryllium each astir Trump each the mode to the decorativeness enactment now."

PLAYING THE HITLER CARD: WILL TRUMP BACKERS DISMISS JOHN KELLY’S ATTACK?

But Harris’ large infinitesimal was marred by President Biden – the, ah, erstwhile nominee – to the constituent wherever it astir seems similar he’s trying to undermine her.

Last week, the president said of his predecessor, "Lock him up." Harris ever says she’ll permission that to the courts.

And now, referring to the racist comic astatine the Madison Square Garden rally who called Puerto Rico an land of garbage, Biden said: "The lone garbage I spot floating retired determination is his supporters."

The president stumbled for a mates of seconds and added: "His–his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it's un-American."

President Biden speaks astatine an predetermination run lawsuit successful Pittsburgh connected Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Boom. Too late. There were instant comparisons to Hillary Clinton’s "basket of deplorables" swipe astatine Trump supporters successful 2016.

Biden posted a clarification, saying helium was referring lone to comic Tony Hinchcliffe. (Trump says helium doesn’t cognize the performer and didn’t perceive the alleged joke.) 

The White House enactment retired a transcript that included an apostrophe, arsenic successful "his supporter’s," trying to bespeak that helium was talking astir 1 person. Who would person thought the run would crook connected a lowly apostrophe? 

A newsman asked Harris astir the Biden blunder yesterday earlier she boarded Air Force Two.

"He clarified his comments, but fto maine beryllium clear: I powerfully disagree with immoderate disapproval of radical based connected who they ballot for…I judge the enactment that I bash is astir representing radical whether they enactment maine oregon not."

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Harris yet broke with the boss, wisely distancing herself from the blunder. No wonderment she’s resisted his proposition that they run together. He’s doing capable harm connected his own, with immoderate pundits adjacent suggesting it’s deliberate. 

And that gave Trump an opening: "Now, connected apical of everything, Joe Biden calls our supporters ‘garbage.’ You can’t pb America if you don’t emotion the American people."

It’s a distraction that Kamala Harris didn’t request successful the last days of the campaign.