As the race for President heats up, opponents Donald Trump and Kamala Harris launch counter-campaigns with differing goals and strategies; as Americans gear up to make a historical decision.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JULY 31: Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks with Rachel Scott, senior congressional correspondent for ABC News during a question-and-answer session at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) convention at the Hilton Hotel on July 31, 2024, in Chicago, Illinois. Trump also fielded questions from Harris Faulkner, anchor of The Faulkner Focus on FOX News and Kadia Goba, politics reporter at Semafor during the event. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Maliyah Simone, CRDN
Thursday, September 19, 2024

There is no question as to where former President Donald Trump stands when it comes to women. In his very first Presidential campaign, a sound bite from an interview he did with Access Hollywood went viral; in which Trump spoke explicitly about his desires and actions towards women’s bodies. He has also been quoted calling women inexcusable profanities, making fun of their appearances, and speaking inappropriately about his daughter. The countless statements have made women worldwide rethink their support of the candidate.

When President Joe Biden withdrew his reelection bid, many were left shocked and unsure about the future of the Democratic Nomination; Trump included. So, when Kamala Harris stepped up and announced her Presidential Campaign, the Democratic party rallied behind her and awarded her enough electoral votes to win the nomination within a week. Now that the race is running, full steam ahead, and with both major parties having secured a nominee, the counter-campaigning begins.

A counter-campaign is a campaign that aims to directly affect a candidate's opponent by creating oppositional messages, bad press, and drawing negative attention to the campaign. Oftentimes candidates focus more on the counter-campaign rather than the campaign itself, in hopes that convincing voters of why they should not vote for the opposing candidate will help them win. In this day and age, however, Americans have begun to recognize this behavior for what it is: a distraction.

In his campaign against Biden, Trump has been well known for avoiding direct questions, deflecting on major issues, and flip-flopping on his policies and opinions. He has always stuck to the narrative about his former opponent being unfit for the Presidency because of his age and mental aptitude. However, as Harris enters the race, there seems to be a bit of a shift in the Trump counter-campaign's strategy towards his new political opponent; ignore and discredit Harris.

Trump has gone so far as to decline to debate the newcomer, an action that would have undoubtedly affected public opinion; however, he has since recanted the statement and ultimately agreed to debate Harris three times across multiple networks. Throughout his most recent rallies and engagements, Trump has implemented his new tactic; mispronouncing Kamala Harris’ name, calling her expletives, and questioning her ethnic background.

In an interview conducted by a panel of journalists at the National Association for Black Journalists (NABJ) Annual Conference, Trump claimed to be unsure of Harris’ heritage.

“I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black and now she wants to be known as Black. So, I don’t know, is she Indian or is she Black?” Trump said after being asked a question regarding his claims about Harris’ race.

The tactic Trump deploys in calling Harris’ race into question seems to mirror his accusations towards President Barack Obama. During his 2016 election campaign, Trump attempted to launch a probe into the validity of Barack Obama’s birth certificate, claiming Obama was not an American citizen; the accusations were proven false.

When he ran against Joe Biden in the 2020 election, Trump coined the name ‘Sleepy Joe’ as he described Biden’s demeanor, speech, and overall approach to governing the country. Over the past few weeks, reports have been made that Trump has repeatedly called Kamala Harris a much less creative name than those he has called his male opponents- a name that likens her to a female dog.

As Trump’s counter-campaign continues an attack on the woman herself, Harris’ counter-campaign aims to discredit Trump by using his own words and actions against him. Through fact-checking, investigations, and utilizing the new criminal charges against him, Harris’ team has honed in on the strategy of morals and ethics; driving home the difference between the former prosecutor and the current criminal.

In a speech for campaign staffers in Delaware headquarters, Harris gave her qualifications for the job as President; a statement that drastically contrasted Trump's.

“I was a courtroom prosecutor, and in those roles, I took on perpetrators of all kinds,” Harris said. “Predators who abused women, fraudsters who ripped off consumers, cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain. So, hear me when I say I know Donald Trump’s type.”

Harris finished, stating, “In this campaign, I will proudly,” she repeated for emphasis, ”… proudly, put my record against his.”