When a Con Man Meets a Prosecutor
Basil Odilim
Donald Trump has retreated from a proposed debate with Kamala Harris, citing ‘chaos’ within the Democratic Party—this despite his earlier bravado of accepting a showdown ‘anytime, anyplace.’
Trump has a long history of using crude and disparaging remarks during debates. In the 2012 party debate, he called Governor Jeb Bush “low energy.” During the 2016 debates, he referred to Senator Hillary Clinton as a “nasty woman.” In the 2020 debates, he attacked Joe Biden with comments like calling him “sleepy Joe” and mocking his intelligence. He also insulted John McCain, saying, “He’s not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured,” a remark that led McCain to bar Trump from his funeral. Additionally, Trump disparaged Mitt Romney, calling him a “choke artist” and mocking his 2012 presidential campaign as a “disaster.” Even at the funeral of George H.W. Bush, Trump was notably sidelined, reflecting the broader disapproval he faced within his own party.
Unlike all his past political opponents, Trump, for the first time in his jumpy political career, would have had to face a prosecutor. Aware that this wouldn’t be a tea party, he wisely chose to back down. No one had to tell him to run—it was time to save his dear life from the Lioness.
In reality, Trump likely realized what a formidable opponent he would have faced in Harris. With her prosecutorial prowess, she would have meticulously dismantled his arguments and exposed the many skeletons in his closet. Wisely, he chose to step back, understanding that engaging in such a debate could be politically disastrous.
