Former President Donald Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, addressed criticisms during a Fox News town hall event in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
As reported by The Independent, Trump repeatedly insisted that he and Vance were "not weird" in response to recent characterizations by political opponents.
The pre-taped event, moderated by Sean Hannity, aired on Wednesday and covered a range of topics, including immigration policy, economic plans, and Trump's upcoming debate with Vice President Kamala Harris.
Throughout the hour-long session, Trump made several controversial statements about his political rivals and reiterated his campaign promises.
Trump was quick to dismiss the "weird" label that had been applied to him and Vance by Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz. He emphasized their strength and solidity as candidates:
We're not weird. We are other things, perhaps, but we're not weird.
The former president then pivoted to discussing Walz's family, mentioning that Walz's brother and extended family had endorsed him. This shift in conversation was accompanied by Trump's praise for the appearance of Walz's family in a photo where they wore "Walz's for Trump" T-shirts.
During the town hall, Trump also took aim at Vice President Kamala Harris, criticizing her border policies and economic plans. He made several unsubstantiated claims about migrants entering the country and promised "the largest deportation in the history of the country" if re-elected.
Trump expressed strong opinions about Harris's economic proposals, warning of dire consequences if she were to become president. He claimed, "This country will end up in a depression if she becomes president, like 1929. She has no idea what the hell she's doing."
The former president also took the opportunity to attack Harris's father, referring to him as a "Marxist teacher of economics." This comment aligns with Trump's recent rhetoric, labeling the vice president as a "Marxist" and "communist."
The town hall comes just days before Trump and Harris are set to debate on September 10, hosted by ABC News. Trump used the Fox News platform to criticize ABC, calling it "the most dishonest network, the meanest, the nastiest" and singling out anchor George Stephanopoulos as "a nasty guy."
In a moment that garnered attention, Trump briefly went off-topic when distracted by a mosquito on stage. He expressed his dislike for the insects, seamlessly connecting this to his political message.
I hate mosquitos. I'm surprised, I didn't think we had... We don't like those mosquitoes running around. We want nothing to do with them — and we want nothing to do with bad politicians that hate our country, too.
The town hall event provided Trump with a platform to address his supporters directly, reiterate his campaign promises, and respond to criticisms from his opponents. As the presidential race continues to heat up, such appearances are likely to play a crucial role in shaping public perception and campaign narratives leading up to the November election.
