Trump calls Kamala Harris 'grossly incompetent', says 'surprised' by Biden's pick

US President Donald Trump launched a fresh attack against Joe Biden’s running mate Kamala Harris, saying he was surprised by Biden decision to pick “grossly incompetent” Senator. Trump targeted the 55-year-old California Senator for her comparatively poor performance in Democratic presidential primaries which forced her to step back and endorse Biden. 

“I was surprised to learn when Biden selected Harris as his running mate...I think she's grossly incompetent I'll be honest with you,” Trump told a re-election campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

Harris made history at the Democratic National Convention last month as she accepted the party’s nomination for vice-president, becoming the first woman of colour on a major-party ticket. Trump said that Biden chose Harris even being treated “badly” by the Senator during Democratic primaries. 

 “Also, Harris was dropped out of the Democratic Party’s presidential race as her popularity ratings dipped low,” he added.

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Birther theory

Soon after Biden announced Harris as his running mate, Trump intensified his attack on Democratic vice presidential nominee with false claims over her eligibility for the office because of her origin. During a White House news conference, Trump referred to an opinion article in Newsweek written by conservative law professor John Eastman to stoke the baseless claims that he long promoted from his predecessor Barack Obama.

"I heard it today that she doesn't meet the requirements," said Trump, calling Eastman “very highly qualified, very talented lawyer”. 

The US President drew a barrage of criticism for his remarks as Biden campaign accused Trump of resorting to “abhorrent” lies to distract American people from the “horrific toll of his failed coronavirus response”. House Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said that questioning the citizenship of people of colour is one way that white supremacy manifests.

In a series of tweets, Ocasio-Cortez said that white US officials born abroad almost never face similar questions about their birth and citizenship. She said that the belief system of white supremacy is based on the idea that people of colour are “fundamentally illegitimate” as equal citizens or human beings. Later, Trump re-election campaign officials backed away from pursuing the theory, saying the issue is a non-starter for the president and for the campaign.

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