Donald Trump, Kamala Harris struggle with civility, compliments

Image via AP.

Donald Trump on Wednesday was asked to name three virtues of his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris, a week after Harris was asked to do the same for the Republican nominee.

His answer sounded a lot like hers.

“That’s a very hard question,” Trump said at the end of a town hall-style event hosted by Univision, the nation’s largest Spanish-language network. “That’s the toughest question. The other ones are easy.”

Trump first said Harris had “harmed our country horribly” before complimenting what he said was her “ability to survive.”

Then came the jab.

“Because she was out of the race,” Trump said, referring to Harris’ early departure from the 2020 Democratic presidential nominating campaign and her replacement this summer of President Joe Biden atop the 2024 ticket. “And all of a sudden she’s running for president.”

He also noted that “she seems to have some pretty long-time friendships” and that “she seems to have a nice way about her.”

“I like the way, you know, some of her statements, some of her — the way she behaves in a certain way,” he said. “But in another way, I think it’s very bad for our country.”

 Asking major-party candidates to say something nice about the other is a presidential tradition, sometimes leading to memorable moments and quips. But Trump and Harris don’t know each other personally, only having me publicly at their September debate. And in a tense election in which both sides have called the other a threat to democracy, neither candidate is under much pressure from their supporters to offer a compliment.

Harris last week said Trump’s approach to politics “pains me,” singling out what she called his “us-versus-them” approach and adding “I don’t think that’s healthy for our nation and I don’t admire that.”

She eventually offered, “I think Donald Trump loves his family and I think that’s very important,” only to continue, “But I don’t really know him. I only met him one time…so I don’t really have much more to offer you.”

Both Trump and Harris were questioned by the same audience member, 48-year-old Teresa Djedjro, who attended both events.

Eight years ago, when a voter asked Trump and his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, to say something each respected about the other, Clinton offered to answer first, saying she respected Trump’s children, whom she called “incredibly able and devoted.”

Trump called it a “very nice compliment,” then said, “I will say this about Hillary: she doesn’t quit, she doesn’t give up. I respect that.”

Both candidates, however, said they disagreed with the other on most everything.

___

Republished with permission of the Associated Press.