By Mary Jones | Monday, July 29, 2024 | 2 min read
Former President Donald Trump responded to a Fox News poll that showed Vice President Kamala Harris leading him in several key swing states by posting a series of videos attacking her. The poll, conducted from July 22–24 and released on a Sunday, indicated that Harris’s approval rating was higher than Trump’s in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and Michigan. Notably, in Michigan, Harris led Trump by a substantial margin of 57 percent to 47 percent.
The results of the poll sparked predictions of a strong reaction from Trump, known for his outspoken and often aggressive responses to unfavorable news. Former Clinton White House aide Keith Boykin humorously anticipated Trump’s reaction on social media, suggesting that “the ketchup is going to hit the wall in Mar-a-Lago after this new Fox News poll,” referencing Trump’s reported history of throwing food in moments of anger.
Former President Donald Trump quickly took to Truth Social to post five videos featuring Fox News host Mark Levin attacking Vice President Kamala Harris. Levin, known for his staunch support of Trump, criticized Harris on his show, Life, Liberty & Levin. In the videos, Levin labeled Harris a “rabid Marxist scholar” and condemned her statements advocating for equity. He specifically targeted her view that equity involves ensuring every person has access to the resources needed to achieve similar outcomes.
Levin argued that Harris’s stance implied a forced uniformity, comparing it to ending up in a “gulag,” a term associated with Soviet-era forced labor camps. He further claimed that promoting equity was a “prescription for tyranny and totalitarianism” and asserted that improving citizens’ quality of life was “not the government’s job.” These posts were part of Trump’s immediate and emphatic response to the unfavorable poll results, illustrating his strategy of using aggressive rhetoric to counter political threats.
In one of the videos shared by former President Donald Trump, Mark Levin criticized Vice President Kamala Harris for her past comparison of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to the Ku Klux Klan, accusing the agency of causing fear and intimidation in immigrant communities. Levin derisively remarked, “The combination of stupidity and arrogance is on full display, right here.” He also incorrectly referred to Harris as the “border czar,” a position she has never held, as she was not responsible for border security.
Despite Levin’s aggressive attacks, Harris’s favorability has seen a notable increase. According to an ABC News/Ipsos poll conducted on Friday and Saturday, her overall favorability jumped from 35 percent to 43 percent, and her unfavorability rating dropped from 46 percent to 42 percent. This suggests that arguments like Levin’s may not resonate with the broader American public as strongly as intended.