Former President Donald Trump delivered a withering critique of the Democrats who might compete for the presidency should President Biden not “make it to the gate” — and he was particularly brutal about Vice President Kamala Harris.
“She speaks in rhyme. It’s weird. It’s weird,” Mr. Trump told Tucker Carlson in an interview shown Wednesday night on X, formerly Twitter.
He went on to give an impression of the vice president in a sing-song voice mocking her: “The bus will go here. And then the bus will go there. Because that’s what buses do.”
Mr. Trump concluded: “It’s weird. The whole thing is weird. This is not a president of the United States’ future.”
The 46-minute interview with Mr. Carlson served as a platform for Mr. Trump, who is running to reclaim the White House in 2024, to critique his GOP rivals, but also to evaluate the Democrats he might face.
He cast doubt on Mr. Biden’s health, saying the president appears to be ailing both mentally and physically.
In particular, Mr. Trump said Mr. Biden struggles to make it to the presidential helicopter when it’s parked on the South Lawn of the White House.
“He can’t lift his feet out of the grass,” Mr. Trump said, who as a former occupant of the White House pointed out that the grass is “only two inches,” and said Mr. Biden still struggles. “It looks like he’s walking on toothpicks.”
Twice during the interview, Mr. Trump wondered if Mr. Biden would be able to campaign all the way to November 2024.
“I don’t think he’s going to make it to the gate,” the leading Republican candidate said.
He wondered about Mr. Biden’s handlers’ decision to give the press access to the president during his numerous beach vacations, saying it’s a bad look.
“He can’t walk through the sand,” Mr. Trump said.
Asked by Mr. Carlson whether that means Ms. Harris, the vice president, will end up being the Democrats’ candidate, Mr. Trump said he doubts the party would allow that.
“She has some bad moments. Her moments are almost as bad as his,” he said, referring to Mr. Biden.
Ms. Harris, who served as state attorney general and a senator from California, then flamed out in her own presidential bid before being tapped for the 2020 Democratic ticket, has earned poor reviews for her two-and-a-half years in office.
She’s now on a bit of a rehabilitation effort, with a lengthy piece in Politico, which said she and her team believe their rocky start is behind them.
Mr. Carlson on Wednesday suggested other potential Democratic candidates, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Mr. Trump said he gets along with the governor but scoffed at his accomplishments.
“California’s a bad record,” Mr. Trump said, pointing to crime sprees in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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