In an unprecedented moment in modern American history, the 2024 Republican and Democratic presidential candidates will face off in their first debate after just seven weeks of campaigning.
The New York Times analyzed what the two candidates said about each other on social media between July 21, when President Biden dropped out of the race, and Sept. 6, when Vice President Kamala Harris became the front-runner to succeed Biden as the Democratic nominee. (For the most part, the candidates’ social media statements mirror their public comments at rallies and other events.)
While the two candidates have been attacking each other, The New York Times found that former President Donald Trump has attacked Harris far more frequently — more than three times a day on average — and that Trump’s posts (on Truth Social) almost always contain personal assailants.
What Harris said personally about Trump
Harris’ posts about Trump (above) are less to the point. She makes a few remarks about Trump’s history of legal troubles, saying, for example, that she knows “people like Donald Trump” because, as a prosecutor, she “fought against predators, con artists and charlatans.”
She also said about him:
What President Trump said personally about Harris
In contrast, Trump’s attacks on Harris resemble the name-calling tirades of a sexist school bully. Trump frequently laces his political attacks with personal insults, but he has repeatedly attacked Harris in personal terms without specifically mentioning her policies or political record. Some of these posts include general insults that allude to Harris’ racial identity or refer to her integrity and competence.
He said of her:
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“Horribly incompetent border patrol officers”
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“Kamala Harris is ‘stupid as a stone'”
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“A completely incompetent vice president who has completely failed.”
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“Kamala Harris is a liar”
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“Liar Kamala”
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“Kamala Harris is a liar”
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“The most unpopular vice president in history”
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“Kamala Harris is a liar”
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“Kamala Harris is a liar”
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“Kamala Harris is a liar”
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“Kamala Harris is a liar”
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“Kamala Harris is a liar”
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“A huge embarrassment for America”
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“Kamala Harris is a liar”
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“Far-left Marxists, nothing less!”
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“Kamala Harris is a liar”
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“The Original Marxist District Attorney”
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“Crazy Kamala Harris”
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“Crazy Kamala Harris”
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“Crazy Kamala”
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“Crazy Kamala Harris”
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“Crazy Kamala Harris”
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“Crazy Kamala Harris”
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“The worst vice president in American history”
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“Crazy Kamala”
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“Crazy Kamala Harris”
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“Wack Job”
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“Crazy Kamala”
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“Crazy Kamala Harris”
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“Crazy Kamala”
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“Crazy Kamala Harris”
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“Crazy Kamala”
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“Crazy Kamala Harris”
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“Crazy Kamala”
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“Crazy Kamala Harris”
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“Crazy Kamala Harris”
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“Crazy Kamala”
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“A complete fake”
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“Crazy Kamala Harris”
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“Crazy Kamala”
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“Crazy Kamala Harris”
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“Crazy Kamala Harris”
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“Crazy Kamala Harris”
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“People with low IQs”
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“I can’t connect two sentences”
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“Low IQ”
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“The worst vice president ever”
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“I don’t have the mental capacity to have a real debate.”
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“You’re such an idiot.”
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“Very low IQ”
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“I can’t connect two sentences”
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“I can’t speak properly without a teleprompter.”
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“Crazy Kamala”
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“Crazy Kamala Harris”
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“Crazy Kamala”
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“Crazy Kamala Harris”
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“An incompetent vice president”
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“Crazy Kamala”
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“Far-left madman”
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“So stupid.”
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“Incompetent”
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“Kamabula is the worst vice president.”
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“Crazy Kamabra is just crazy.”
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“Crazy Kamabra”
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“Crazy Kamabra Harris”
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“Crazy Kamabra”
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“Crazy Kamabra”
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“Crazy Kamabra”
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“Incompetent”
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“The worst border patrol officer ever”
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“Worse than Biden”
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“Crazy Kamala Harris”
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“Low IQ”
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‘Severely incompetent’
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‘weak’
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‘We’re screwed’
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“I have no idea.”
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“I have no ideas”
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“No imagination”
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“Comrade Harris”
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‘fake’
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‘scam’
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“Comrade Kamala”
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“Comrade Kamala Harris”
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“Communist”
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“Liar.”
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“Comrade Kamala Harris”
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“Twisted far-left politicians”
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“Stone Cold Loser”
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“Comrade Kamala Harris”
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“Radical Left Marxist”
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“Comrade Kamala Harris”
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“Comrade Kamala Harris”
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“Comrade Kamala Harris”
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“The worst vice president in American history”
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“Comrade Kamala”
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“Comrade Kamala Harris”
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“Comrade Kamala Harris”
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“Comrade Kamala Harris”
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“Comrade Kamala Harris”
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“Radical Left Marxist”
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“Comrade Kamala Harris”
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“The worst vice president in US history (and border ‘czar’)”
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“Comrade Kamala Harris”
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“Comrade Kamala”
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“Comrade Kamala Harris”
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“Comrade Kamala Harris”
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“Comrade Harris”
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“The worst vice president”
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“The weakest presidential candidate”
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“Comrade Kamala”
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“Radical Left Marxist”
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“The Marxist Candidate”
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“Comrade Kamala Harris”
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“Radical left, anti-fracking Marxist”
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“Comrade Kamala Harris”
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“Comrade Kamala Harris”
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“Comrade Kamala”
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“Comrade Kamala Harris”
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“Comrade Kamala Harris”
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“Comrade Kamala”
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“Comrade Kamala”
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“Comrade Kamala”
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“Comrade Kamala Harris”
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‘fake’
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“Comrade Kamala Harris”
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“Comrade Kamala Harris”
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“Completely incompetent”
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“Comrade Kamala Harris”
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“Completely incompetent”
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“Comrade Kamala Harris”
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“Comrade Kamala Harris”
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“Comrade, Comrade Kamala Harris.”
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‘scam’
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“Marxists Weaponizing Elections”
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“Comrade Kamala Harris”
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“Comrade Kamala”
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“Comrade Kamala Harris”
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“Lie about everything”
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“Lightweight Vice President Kamala Harris”
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“Comrade Kamala Harris”
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‘weak’
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“It’s ineffective.”
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“Comrade Kamala Harris”
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“Comrade Kamala Harris”
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“Comrade Kamala Harris”
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“Comrade Kamala”
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“Comrade Kamala Harris”
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“Comrade Kamala Harris”
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“Comrade Kamala Harris”
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“Communist”
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“Comrade Kamala Harris”
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“Crazy Kamala”
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“Comrade Harris”
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“Comrade Kamala Harris”
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“Comrade Kamala Harris”
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“Comrade Kamala Harris”
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“Comrade Kamala Harris”
Trump said Trump told attendees at a rally in North Carolina last month that he struggled to come up with a name for Harris but settled on “comrade.”
“I think that’s the most accurate name,” he said.
What the candidates are saying to each other about the issues
While the candidates have also criticized each other on policy issues, Trump has almost always sprinkled in personal attacks on Harris (at least two or three times).
| Extremism | ||
| economy | ||
| Borders / Crime | ||
| Chances of winning an election | ||
| Trump’s legal | ||
| abortion | ||
| Foreign Policy | ||
| Environment and Energy |
Trump’s posts about Harris often contain spelling mistakes, falsehoods and unusual grammar and capitalization. For a few days in August, Trump frequently referred to Harris as “Kamabra,” but has since stopped using that term. Harris’ posts are more typical of a more traditional politician.
Borders are a particularly contentious issue.
Trump has made immigration a central theme of his campaign and has repeatedly and incorrectly referred to Harris as Biden’s “border secretary.” Harris has pointed to Trump’s pressure on Republicans to oppose a bipartisan immigration deal.
Trump July 22
Kamala Harris the LiarBiden appointed a “Border Secretary” who has never been to the border. That incompetence We have the worst, most dangerous border in the world, and we have a fine, bright, young man named Donald J. Trump who has absolutely awful approval ratings.
Harris August 10
Donald Trump vetoes the toughest bipartisan border security bill in decades Because he thought it would help him win the election.
Both sides accuse each other of being extremists.
Harris has linked Trump to Project 2025, a set of conservative policy proposals that Trump has recently tried to distance himself from. Trump has (falsely) claimed that Harris is a communist who will “destroy America.”
Trump July 25
We are not ready for a Marxist president, and Liar Kamala Harris is a Radical Left Marxistor even worse!
Harris August 28
Project 2025 Trump’s blueprint for becoming the most powerful president in historyI can’t let him win.
Harris attacked Trump on abortion rights.
The vice president frequently reminds voters that Trump appointed Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade. Trump rarely mentions reproductive rights.
Harris August 30
Donald Trump made his position clear by personally handpicking three Supreme Court justices to overturn Roe.–This has taken away reproductive freedom and has jeopardized American women’s access to IVF. I have never wavered on this, so believe me when I say, I will always defend reproductive freedom.
Their criticism of the economy is more typically partisan.
Harris has accused Trump of only thinking about wealthy Americans, and the former president has blamed her for inflation.
Trump August 5
Of course, the market has fallen sharply. Kamala is even worse than Crooked Joe. The markets will never accept the far left lunatics who destroyed San Francisco and all of California. Next move is a Great Depression in 2024! You can’t game the markets. Kamala Crash!!!
Harris August 17
Donald Trump fights for billionaires And big corporations. I will fight to give money back to working and middle class Americans.
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