During the first presidential debate Tuesday, Vice President Kamala Harris took a page out of former President Donald Trump’s playbook, attacking Trump by using his exact words against him.
Trump has repeatedly touted the world is laughing at the United States, and that the country has become a “disgrace” as a result of the Biden-Harris administration’s foreign policies.
Harris instead painted Trump as the “disgrace” that the world is laughing at Tuesday night.
“I have traveled the world as vice president of the United States and world leaders are laughing at Donald Trump,” she said.
In addition to appropriating one of Trump’s regular lines, Harris also told the former president that dictators “can manipulate you with flattery and favors” and foes like President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia “would eat you for lunch.”
At the start of the debate, Harris said Trump would deliver “the same old tired playbook, a bunch of lies, grievances and name-calling.” However, she seemed to take a page out of this playbook with name-calling of her own.
She continued to reverse the foreign policy blame onto Trump and referred to him as “weak” and a “disgrace” – terms he has repeatedly directed towards her party and administration.
“It is very well known that Donald Trump is weak and wrong on national security and foreign policy,” she said. “It is well known that he admires dictators, wants to be a dictator on day one, according to himself.”
She added that military leaders that have worked with Trump “say [he’s] a disgrace.”
In terms of overall strategy, Harris also used Trump’s tactics against him, taking on an attack stance and attempting to get under his skin.
The vice president mocked Trump for talking about “fictional characters like Hannibal Lecter” and said he was “fired by 81 million people” – just a few of her many jabs throughout the night.
According to a New York Times analysis, Trump’s total speaking time spanned longer than Harris,’ but the vice president spent more time attacking her opponent.
Harris spent 17 minutes and 25 seconds attacking Trump, while Trump spent 12 minutes and 54 seconds attacking Harris, the report said.
ABC News has reached out to Harris’ campaign regarding her debate strategy.
While Trump did not explicitly acknowledge Harris’ use of his signature phrasing and typical attack strategy, he insinuated that she was copying him.
“Everything that she believed three years ago and four years ago is out the window. She’s going to my philosophy now,” he said during the debate. “In fact, I was going to send her a MAGA hat.”
