Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a news conference at Trump National Golf Club, on August 15, 2024, in Bedminster, New Jersey
| Photo Credit: AP

Republican Presidential candidate former president Donald Trump said he is “very angry” at Vice President Kamala Harris and is entitled to personal attack on his Democratic opponent.

“I don’t have a lot of respect for her. I don’t have a lot of respect for her intelligence. I think she’ll be a terrible president. I think it’s very important that we win. And whether the personal attacks are good or bad … she certainly attacks me personally,” Trump said to reporters at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.

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Trump was responding to questions from his party members urging him not to make personal attacks on Harris, who is the first woman of colour running for presidency.

“As far as the personal attacks [against Harris], I’m very angry at her because of what she’s done to the country. I’m very angry at her that she weaponised the justice system against me and other people. [I am] very angry at her. I think I’m entitled to personal attacks,” he said.

“She [Harris] actually called me weird. He’s weird, it was just a sound bite, and she called J D [Vance, his running mate] and I weird. He’s not weird. He was a great student at Yale, he went to Ohio State, graduated in two years at the top of his class and all of these different things. We have this guy that’s running failed, really a very failed state who had a terrible career. I mean, you have him saying they’re weird. No, he’s a weird guy,” Trump said.

He said Ms. Harris is “weird in her policy”, adding that “people don’t know who she is yet”.

“She is weird in her policy. Who wouldn’t want to have strongholds, who doesn’t want to have lower taxes? You know, all my life I’ve watched as politicians campaigned and I’ve always been on for the most part, on the other side. This is the only campaign I’ve ever heard. When they’re saying we’re going to increase your taxes and then people say they’re going to vote for,” Trump said.

Early this week, several of his party colleagues and aides, including former Trump White House aide Peter Navarro and former Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, urged him to focus on policy instead of attacking Ms. Harris.