Trump repeats insults about Harris’ mental state as some GOP allies urge him to stick to issues

By Jack Forrest, CNN

(CNN) — Donald Trump on Sunday repeated his personal insults about Vice President Kamala Harris’ mental state as some GOP allies urged him to stay on message and avoid such attacks after he made similar remarks at a rally the night before.

“Joe Biden became mentally impaired. It’s sad, but lying Kamala Harris, honestly, I believe she was born that way,” the former president said at Sunday’s rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, reprising attacks from the night before in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, where he said, “Kamala is mentally impaired.”

Blaming Harris for illegal immigration taking place under the Biden administration, Trump on Saturday went on to say, “If you think about it, only a mentally disabled person could’ve allowed this to happen to our country.”

On Sunday morning, some Republicans said the former president should to stick to the issues — a plea they have made repeatedly during his third presidential run.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, a top Trump ally, told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union” that he did not think Harris was mentally impaired but that “she’s crazy liberal.”

“And here’s what I would tell President Trump: When people look at the state of play, they trust you on the economy, the border, inflation and foreign policy by wide margins. Focus on those,” the South Carolina Republican said.

“I’m not saying she’s crazy. I’m saying your party, your policies, are batsh*t crazy,” Graham added of Harris after attacking her record on the border.

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, who has been playing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to help prepare Ohio Sen. JD Vance for Tuesday’s vice presidential debate, told ABC’s “This Week” that “I think we should stick on the issues” when asked about Trump calling Harris “mentally disabled.”

Asked by ABC’s Martha Raddatz whether he thought the vice president was “mentally disabled,” Emmer said, “I think Kamala Harris is the wrong choice for America.”

Republican former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, an outspoken Trump critic who has rejected the former president’s endorsement in his Senate race, pushed back on Trump’s attacks on Harris. He told CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday that Trump’s comments are “insulting not only to the vice president but to people who actually do have mental disabilities.”

“I’ve said for years that Trump’s divisive rhetoric is something we can do without,” said Hogan, who’s running in the deep-blue state of Maryland.

But former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who is supporting Trump despite their shaky relationship, would not condemn the former president’s insults against Harris in an interview with CNN’s Manu Raju on “Inside Politics.”

“Do you think anybody would be mentally stable that would allow 13,000 murders into your own country,” the California Republican said, citing a statistic that has been misrepresented and misused by GOP lawmakers and right-wing commentators as evidence of Harris’ supposed mismanagement of immigration policy.

Asked about Trump’s recent line of attack on Harris, Steven Cheung, communications director for the Trump campaign, told CNN in a statement that “Kamala Harris is wholly unfit to serve as president” and went on to attack her record on immigration.

CNN has reached out to Harris’ campaign about Trump’s most recent comments. Sarafina Chitika, a spokesperson for the campaign, responded to Trump’s speech Saturday in a statement, saying, “Donald Trump is finally telling the truth to voters: He’s got nothing ‘inspiring’ to offer the American people, just darkness.”

CNN’s Sarah Davis, Aileen Graef, Kate Sullivan, Jeff Zeleny, Ali Main, Rashard Rose and Daniel Dale contributed to this report.

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