Since stepping into the 2024 presidential race just over three months ago, Vice President Kamala Harris has faced a myriad of obstacles from the media, her political opponents and the American public. Donald Trump’s supporters have painted her as “unserious” and “unqualified” to lead, citing her warm demeanor and easy laughter as reasons she is unfit for office.
Make America Great Again (M.A.G.A) Republicans continue to question her extensive political record and her intelligence. Former White House political consultant Kellyanne Conway claimed Harris doesn’t work hard and “does not speak well.” Trump himself branded her as having a “very low IQ.”
But all of these criticisms are painfully ironic given that Trump tends to embody the very qualities his supporters attribute to Harris. In mid-October, he hosted a town hall in Pennslyvania that was anything but serious, spending about 40 minutes playing music rather than addressing constituents’ questions. And he’s no stranger to incoherent ramblings, making citizens question if his mental health is on the decline.
CNN commentator Van Jones said it best: while Trump “gets to be lawless, Kamala Harris has to be flawless.”
This stark contrast encapsulates the double standard defined this campaign season, where Harris is held to an impossibly high standard. She has to be perfect meanwhile Trump gets to be a convicted felon and his transgressions often go unchecked.
Harris’ run for president was historic. She has the opportunity to become the United States’ first Black and South Asian woman elected as president, however, these same defining attributes have placed her under intense scrutiny. Due to her race and gender, she has faced many false and offensive comments from voters and political figures.
Tennessee Republican Rep. Tim Burchett said she is “a DEI hire” and, “when you go down that route, you get mediocrity.”
There are also rumors the political commentator Megyn Kelly spread about Harris, claiming she “slept her way to the top” and attributed her political success to her past relationship with former San Fransico Mayor Willie Brown. Even a current pastor and former candidate for the U.S. Senate in Oklahoma, Jackson Lahmeyer, referred to Harris as a “h*” on X.
The Republican party cannot fathom a successful woman who goes to where she is based on her own merits because instead of recognizing her qualifications and accomplishments, they resort to derogatory claims and tactics.
Claiming that the vice president is a “DEI hire” and perpetrating the narrative that she is a jezebel is not only dangerous rhetoric for people of color and women everywhere, but it strips Harris of her agency and disrespects the years and hard work she dedicated to her political career.
This all stands in stark contrast to the treatment of former President Donald Trump. While Harris faces relentless scrutiny, Trump’s troubling conduct is mostly excused by his supporters.
Trump is America’s first indicted president. And in 2023, “Over a five-month span, former President Donald Trump was charged in four criminal cases.”
His inflammatory rhetoric that incited the events of January 6, and in turn his refusal to accept election results, often goes unchecked. His supporters dismiss his felony charges, overlook his questionable dealings and deflect blame for his alleged criminal actions. There’s little to no accountability, with his base finding excuses or shifting blame elsewhere to defend him whenever possible.
Trump’s felony charges are not an issue for his supporters. They do mental gymnastics claiming he’s the victim of a political setup orchestrated by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. When faced with accusations of sexual misconduct, it’s the victims, not Trump, who were scrutinized as though they’re out to “take down” the former president. This pattern extends to his policies, where Trump’s plans seem to be lacking.
“There’s a higher level of expectations placed on Harris, but when it comes to Trump, there is really no policy platform throughout his entire campaign outside of just the old recycled rhetoric that’s been said now for like four to six years,” Howard’s political science alumnus Tye Compton, who participated in student government and interned at the White House said.
Most of the time Trump avoided policy discussions and leaned instead on verbal jabs and fear-mongering about immigration or claiming an impending World War III if Harris wins. At a Colorado rally, Trump painted a disturbing, exaggerated image.
“Kamala has imported an army of illegal alien gang members and migrant criminals from the dungeons of the third world,” he said.
Meanwhile, at the start of her campaign, Harris was sharply criticized for not having fully developed policies, despite her short timeline to assemble a presidential platform.
The disparities in treatment between both presidential candidates starkly highlight the issue of double standards in American politics. It is disheartening to see how race and gender biases continue to shape public perception and expectations. If Harris were to engage in even a fraction of Trump’s daily questionable behaviors, perhaps the country would finally recognize his unfitness for office, revealing how bias can blind people to his shortcomings.
Copy edited by Anijah Franklin
