Harris plays Trump clips at rally to show him 'unsettled': NPR

Vice President Kamala Harris plays a highlight reel of her opponent, former President Donald Trump, during a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, Oct. 14, 2024.

Dustin Franz/AFP

Hide caption

Toggle label

Dustin Franz/AFP

ERIE, Pa. (AP) — Vice President Harris brought a bit of her Republican rival to her own campaign rally on Monday, aiming to make more people aware of some of the most extreme threats he has raised on the campaign trail.

Saying “Please shoot the clip” and pointing to a large video screen, Harris took the unusual step of showing a packed arena of supporters a highlight reel of former President Donald Trump, which she said shows him “increasingly “unstable and out of joint”.

The 30-second montage showed Trump repeatedly complaining about “the enemy within” and suggesting he should be locked up – or used violence against him. Harris' use of the clips is a sign that she is entering the home stretch to issue even stronger warnings about Trump.

“He is looking for uncontrolled power. That’s what he’s looking for,” Harris said, urging people to vote.

The role is a page from Trump's rally playbook

Similarly, Trump has shown reels of Harris at recent rallies — examples of Harris stumbling in interviews as well as snippets of her talking about policies that he and his supporters oppose. The videos also often rile up his audience and elicit boos.

Trump has long used authoritarian language and praised authoritarians, but recently he has gone a step further, saying that police violence can reduce crime and that he would use the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to detain or deport people .

On Sunday, Trump was asked on Fox News whether he thought Election Day would be peaceful. In response, he spoke of using the National Guard or the regular military to contain problems, particularly problems caused by his ideological opponents.

“I think the bigger problem is the people on the inside. We have some very bad people. Sick people. Radical left. Insane. And it should be able to be handled very easily – if necessary – by the National Guard or, if really necessary, by the military,” Trump said. Harris used this clip in her montage.

It is unclear what he meant by that, especially since he is not currently president and has no power over the military.

Later, Trump specifically called Representative Adam Schiff of California, who is running for Senate, one of these “enemies within.” Trump's campaign team did not respond to NPR's requests for details about his comments about using the National Guard or the military against US citizens.

It's part of a strategy to appeal to moderate Republicans and independents

Harris has sought to appeal to moderate Republicans and independent voters in states like Pennsylvania, where polls show the candidates are essentially tied.

She has said that if she wins, she would add a Republican to her Cabinet and appoint a bipartisan council to advise her. She campaigned with former GOP Rep. Liz Cheney, and other prominent Republicans have also endorsed her.

Harris this weekend too published a medical report described her as being in excellent health. She uses it to draw a contrast with Trump, who is almost two decades older than her – and to ask questions about his rambling speeches.

She noted Trump's decision to skip a second debate and a CBS broadcast 60 minutes Interview show that his advisers want to hide him from undecided voters. Trump is scheduled to hold two town halls this week – one with Latino voters on Univision, the second on Wednesday on Fox News with a female audience.

Meanwhile, Harris will give her first interview with Fox News on Wednesday, answering questions from host Bret Baier.