Trump’s fury over Harris’ switch with Biden is increasingly driving his campaign

CNN —

Deep into his ranting news conference on Thursday, former President Donald Trump told a truth that explained everything : “I’m very angry at her.”

He was referring to Vice President Kamala Harris, whose late entry into the general election race has left him bitter, disoriented, and mourning the loss of the old campaign — the one he was winning against President Joe Biden.

Trump’s discombobulation was laid bare in a self-pitying and raging stream of consciousness delivered at his New Jersey golf club that raised serious questions about the future trajectory of his quest to return to power.

The ex-president insulted his way into the Oval Office in 2016 — when his often-unhinged soliloquies that shattered all the rules of decorum and politics delighted grassroots Republican voters craving an anti-establishment revolution. But eight years on, the now-familiar act is getting tired, a reality that’s been thrown into sharp relief now that Trump is facing a new campaign against younger, more energetic opponent rather than a re-run against 81-year-old Biden. The former president is driving his strategists to distraction by refusing to stay focused on the issues — like the economy — that could help him prevail in November. He keeps missing chances to prod Harris’ vulnerabilities, allowing the vice president the space to power up her campaign and erase Biden’s polling deficits.

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks to reporters during a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

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