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Trump remained silent on his planned running mate during a speech at his golf club in Doral, Florida, on Tuesday, though he mentioned several times Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who was in attendance and is a leading candidate for the position.
Trump, who took the stage nearly an hour late on a hot evening, harshly criticized Biden, 81, for his poor performance in the June 27 debate, sparking concerns about Biden’s mental health and calls from some Democrats for him to step down.
Biden said he had a bad night last night but will not withdraw from the presidential race.
Trump mocked Biden by saying that choosing Harris, the first black female vice president of the United States, was “a smart move” on his part, suggesting that she was so incompetent that the Democratic Party was unwilling to replace Biden as the top candidate.
“It’s an insurance policy, maybe the best insurance policy I’ve ever seen,” Trump said.
“If Joe had picked someone who was even half as capable, they would have kicked him out years ago.”
Trump also accused Harris, a former U.S. senator and California attorney general, of working with other Democrats to cover up Biden’s alleged mental acuity issues. Biden said he has the stamina and mental acuity to do the job.
Trump also said Harris’ record would hurt her chances of being elected, the latest sign that he and his Republican allies are beginning a full-scale attack on Harris in preparation for a possible end to Biden’s reelection bid.
“I don’t think Kamala Harris’ California socialism will be popular with the people of Doral, or the people of Miami, or the people of Florida. Because in Florida we don’t like socialism, we want freedom,” Trump said.
The Biden campaign accused Trump of lying about Harris and said he was trying to deflect attention from “2025,” a controversial plan from conservative groups that would reshape the presidency if Trump wins the Nov. 5 election.
“Trump’s bizarre and crazy rhetoric will not stop Vice President Harris from defending Biden and Harris’ record and prosecuting Donald Trump’s extreme record,” said Amal Moussa, a spokesman for the Biden campaign.
Golf Challenge
Trump appeared to be joking when he challenged Biden to another debate, saying it should be “man versus man, no moderator, no restrictions,” and involve 18 holes of golf — a reference to their argument in the Atlanta debate over who was better at the sport.
“This is going to be one of the most watched sporting events in history, probably more watched than the Ryder Cup or even the Masters,” Trump said, adding that he would give Biden 20 strokes.
The Biden campaign dismissed Trump’s golf challenge as a stunt. They said Biden was too busy governing after he delivered a speech at a NATO summit in Washington on Tuesday in which he vowed to defend Ukraine against an invasion by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“We challenged Donald Trump to stand up to Putin, but he caved to him,” campaign spokesman James Singer said.
Trump hailed the Supreme Court’s “incredible decision” last week that he cannot be prosecuted for actions he took within his constitutional powers as president, a landmark ruling that could have broad implications for the criminal charges he faces.
Biden called the ruling “a dangerous precedent” because the president’s power will no longer be constrained by law.
Trump called the prosecution of him politically motivated and said he had “great respect” for the courage shown by the conservative judges who ruled in his favor. “They have great wisdom and insight, incredible insight,” he said.
The former president will travel to Butler, Pennsylvania, outside of Pittsburgh, for an afternoon rally on Saturday, and the focus will be on any hints or statements about who he would choose as vice president.
Rubio, Ohio Sen. JD Vance and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum are seen as the leading candidates to join the Republican race alongside Trump.
Trump said this week he might make a decision “before” or during the Republican National Convention, which opens on July 15.
Trump singled out Rubio, noting the large number of reporters in attendance. “I think they probably thought I was going to announce Marco as vice president because there was so much media coverage,” he said.
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