BEDMINSTER, New Jersey, (Reuters) – Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump sought to tie his Democratic rival Kamala Harris to the Biden administration’s economic record yesterday during a meandering, 80-minute press conference at his New Jersey golf club, his latest effort to blunt her momentum.
Flanked by tables stacked with assorted grocery items, Trump blamed Harris, the U.S. vice president, for the inflation that has caused the price of everyday goods to rise during President Joe Biden’s term in office.
“Harris has just declared that tackling inflation will be a day one priority for her,” he said. “But day one for Kamala was 3-1/2 years ago. Where has she been?”
The event was aimed at drawing a contrast with Harris, who has rarely answered questions from reporters since replacing Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket in late July.
But the press conference quickly became reminiscent of a Trump rally, with the former president leveling many of the same false claims he typically unleashes on the campaign trail and speaking for 45 minutes before taking his first question.
He insulted Harris repeatedly, saying she is “not smart.” When a reporter noted that some Republicans have urged him to focus on policy, rather than personal attacks, he said, “I think I’m entitled to personal attacks.”
“She certainly attacks me personally,” Trump said.
Trump noted that Harris has called him and his running mate JD Vance “weird,” a criticism made viral by Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz.
He also dismissed the suggestion that he alter his approach, telling reporters, “I have to do it my way.”
Harris’ entry into the race has galvanized Democrats, and polls show she has erased the lead Trump had enjoyed over Biden.
The Harris campaign sent out a mock “media advisory” ahead of Trump’s press conference with the headline, “Donald Trump to Ramble Incoherently and Spread Dangerous Lies in Public, but at Different Home,” a reference to his Bedminster estate.
Harris is scheduled to deliver a speech on economic policy on Friday in North Carolina.
The grocery staples Trump used as props included household brands like Wonder Bread, Oreo cookies, Folgers coffee and Campbell’s soup.
Bread and coffee prices have actually fallen over the last year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ monthly Consumer Price Index. Food costs more broadly are now experiencing an inflation rate comparable with when Trump was president – between zero and 2% a year.
Their substantial price rises in 2022 and 2023, however, have pushed them about 20% to 30% above their levels when Trump left office.
