Harris slams leaders as 'coward' for 'beating down' others

Vice President Harris on Sunday condemned "coward" leaders who are focused on "beating down" others in an apparent dig at former President Trump as she tries to distinguish her leadership approach from his.

“This campaign is about a recognition that, frankly, over the last several years, there’s been this kind of perversion that has taken place, I think … which is to suggest that the measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you beat down," Harris told supporters during a campaign stop in Rochester, Pa. "When what we know is the real and true measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you lift up."

“Anybody who’s about beating down other people is a coward,” she added.  

She did not directly name Trump, her main challenger, though the remark fell in line with the Harris campaign's focus on strength, leadership and democracy to contrast herself with Trump on the trail in recent weeks.

The Hill reached out to the Harris and Trump campaigns for further comment.

Trump, known for his brash comments about his political opponents, has lobbed a series of insults at the vice president, calling her “incompetent” and even questioning her racial identity. He has since faced a growing number of calls from GOP members to focus his rhetoric more on policy differences with Harris — and less on personal attacks.

Trump has seen his lead in the presidential race narrow since Harris replaced President Biden atop the ticket, and some political pundits have attributed this to his tendency to lean heavily on insults.

According to The Hill/Decision Desk HQ’s national polling average, she has a 1.8 percentage point lead over Trump based on an aggregate of 120 polls.

Harris's remarks Sunday were part of her and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's bus tour of western Pennsylvania, where they were greeted by supporters in Pittsburgh. She and Walz will attend the Democratic National Convention in Chicago later this week to accept the Democratic nominations.