What Harris and Trump say about each other
In an unprecedented moment in modern American history, the 2024 Republican and Democratic presidential candidates will debate each other for the first time, after just seven weeks of campaigning.
The New York Times analyzed what the two candidates said about each other on social media from July 21, when President Biden withdrew from the race and Vice President Kamala Harris became the favorite to replace him as the Democratic presidential nominee, through Sept. 6. (Their social media statements largely match their public comments at rallies and other events.)
While both candidates attack each other, The Times found that former President Donald Trump attacks Ms. Harris much more frequently, an average of more than three times a day, and his posts (on Truth Social) almost always include a personal smear campaign.
What Harris says about Trump in personal terms
Ms Harris’s posts about Mr Trump (on X) have been less than cutting. On a few occasions she has drawn attention to his history of legal troubles, saying for example that she knows “Donald Trump’s type” because she has “gone after predators, fraudsters and cheats” as a prosecutor.
She also described him as follows:
What Trump Says About Harris in Personal Terms
By contrast, Mr. Trump’s attacks on Ms. Harris resemble the invective of a sexist schoolyard bully. He often drops personal insults into political attacks, but he has also repeatedly attacked Ms. Harris personally without specifically referring to her policies or political record. Some of these messages have instead touched on her racial identity or included general insults that referred to her authenticity or competence.
This is how he described her:
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‘TERRIBLE INCOMPETENT BORDER CITIZEN’
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‘“Dumb as a rock” Kamala Harris’
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‘total failed and insignificant vice president’
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‘Lying’ Kamala Harris
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‘Lying’ Kamala
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‘Lying’ Kamala Harris
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‘most unpopular vice president in history’
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‘Lying’ Kamala Harris
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‘Lying’ Kamala Harris
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‘Lying’ Kamala Harris
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‘Lying’ Kamala Harris
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‘LIE’ KAMALA HARRIS
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‘A GREAT DISGRACE FOR AMERICA’
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‘Lying’ Kamala Harris
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‘RADICAL LEFT MARXIST, AND WORSE!’
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‘Lying’ Kamala Harris
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‘ORIGINAL Marxist District Attorney’
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‘Crazy Kamala Harris’
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‘CRAZY KAMALA HARRIS’
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‘Crazy Kamala’
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‘CRAZY KAMALA HARRIS’
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‘CRAZY KAMALA HARRIS’
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‘Crazy Kamala Harris’
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‘WORST Vice President in American History’
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‘Crazy Kamala’
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‘Crazy Kamala Harris’
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‘Wack Job’
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‘Crazy Kamala’
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‘Crazy Kamala Harris’
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‘Crazy Kamala’
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‘Crazy Kamala Harris’
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‘Crazy Kamala’
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‘Crazy Kamala Harris’
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‘Crazy Kamala’
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‘Crazy Kamala Harris’
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‘Crazy Kamala Harris’
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‘Crazy Kamala’
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‘Cold example of fakery’
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‘Crazy Kamala Harris’
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‘Crazy Kamala’
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‘Crazy Kamala Harris’
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‘Crazy Kamala Harris’
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‘Crazy Kamala Harris’
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‘LOW IQ INDIVIDUAL’
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‘cannot join two sentences’
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‘Low IQ’
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‘Worst Vice President in History’
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‘doesn’t have the mental capacity to have a REAL debate’
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‘really STUPID’
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‘extremely low IQ’
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‘cannot join two sentences’
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‘not being able to speak properly without an autocue’
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‘Crazy Kamala’
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‘Crazy Kamala Harris’
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‘Crazy Kamala’
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‘Crazy Kamala Harris’
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‘incompetent vice president’
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‘Crazy Kamala’
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‘Radical left nutcase’
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‘VERY STUPID’
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‘INCOMPETENT’
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‘Kamabla is the WORST VP’
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‘Crazy Kamabla is indeed CRAZY’
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‘Crazy Kamabla’
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‘CRAZY KAMABLA HARRIS’
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‘Crazy Kamabla’
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‘Crazy Kamabla’
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‘Crazy Kamabla’
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‘Incompetent’
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‘WORST BORDER CZAR IN HISTORY’
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‘WORSE than Biden’
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‘Crazy Kamala Harris’
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‘low IQ’
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‘grossly incompetent’
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‘Weak’
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‘Failed’
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‘HAS NO IDEA’
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‘has no ideas’
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‘has no imagination’
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‘Comrade Harris’
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‘FAKE’
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‘fraud’
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‘Comrade Kamala’
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‘Comrade Kamala Harris’
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‘Communist’
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‘LIAR’
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‘Comrade Kamala Harris’
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‘Crooked Radical Left Politician’
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‘STONE COLD LOSER’
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‘Comrade Kamala Harris’
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‘Radical Left Marxist’
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‘Comrade Kamala Harris’
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‘Comrade Kamala Harris’
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‘Comrade Kamala Harris’
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‘Worst Vice President in United States History’
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‘Comrade Kamala’
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‘Comrade Kamala Harris’
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‘Comrade Kamala Harris’
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‘Comrade Kamala Harris’
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‘Comrade Kamala Harris’
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‘Radical Left Marxist’
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‘Comrade Kamala Harris’
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‘The Worst Vice President (and Border “Czar”) in United States History’
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‘Comrade Kamala Harris’
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‘COMMISS KAMALA’
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‘Comrade Kamala Harris’
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‘Comrade Kamala Harris’
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‘Comrade Harris’
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‘Worst Vice President’
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‘Weakest presidential candidate’
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‘Comrade Kamala’
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‘Radical Left Marxist’
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‘Marxist candidate’
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‘Comrade Kamala Harris’
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‘Radical left, not a fracking Marxist’
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‘Comrade Kamala Harris’
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‘Comrade Kamala Harris’
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‘Comrade Kamala’
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‘Comrade Kamala Harris’
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‘Comrade Kamala Harris’
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‘Comrade Kamala’
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‘Comrade Kamala’
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‘Comrade Kamala’
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‘Comrade Kamala Harris’
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‘FAKE’
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‘Comrade Kamala Harris’
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‘Comrade Kamala Harris’
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‘totally incompetent’
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‘Comrade Kamala Harris’
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‘totally incompetent’
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‘COMMISS KAMALA HARRIS’
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‘Comrade Kamala Harris’
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‘Comrade Comrade Kamala Harris’
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‘fraud’
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‘Marxist election weapons’
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‘Comrade Kamala Harris’
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‘COMMISS KAMALA’
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‘Comrade Kamala Harris’
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‘lies about everything’
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‘Lightweight VP Kamala Harris’
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‘Comrade Kamala Harris’
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‘weak’
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‘not effective’
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‘Comrade Kamala Harris’
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‘Comrade Kamala Harris’
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‘Comrade Kamala Harris’
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‘Comrade Kamala’
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‘Comrade Kamala Harris’
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‘Comrade Kamala Harris’
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‘Comrade Kamala Harris’
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‘Communist’
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‘COMMISS KAMALA HARRIS’
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‘Crazy Kamala’
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‘Comrade Harris’
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‘Comrade Kamala Harris’
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‘Comrade Kamala Harris’
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‘Comrade Kamala Harris’
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‘Comrade Kamala Harris’
Mr. Trump told rally-goers in North Carolina last month that he had struggled to come up with a “name” for Ms. Harris, but had settled on “comrade.”
“I think that’s the most accurate name,” he said.
What the candidates say about each other on the issues
While both candidates criticize each other on policy issues, Trump almost always throws in a personal dig (or two or three) at Ms. Harris.
| Extremism | ||
| Economy | ||
| Border / Crime | ||
| Eligibility | ||
| Trump Legal | ||
| Abortion | ||
| Foreign policy | ||
| Environment / Energy |
Mr. Trump’s posts about Ms. Harris often contain spelling errors, falsehoods and his trademark style of grammar and capitalization. He spent a few days in August regularly calling Ms. Harris “Kamabla,” though he has since dropped that nickname. Ms. Harris’ posts are more typical of a traditional politician.
The border is a particularly controversial topic.
In making immigration a central theme of his campaign, Trump repeatedly and incorrectly calls Ms. Harris the Biden administration’s “border czar.” Ms. Harris notes that Trump pressured Republicans to oppose a bipartisan immigration deal.
Trump · July 22
The Lying Kamala Harristhe Biden-appointed “border czar” who has never visited the border, and whose incompetence gave us the WORST and MOST DANGEROUS border in the world, has absolutely terrible pole numbers against a fine and brilliant young man named DONALD J. TRUMP!
Harris · Aug 10
Donald Trump has botched the toughest bipartisan border security bill in decades because he thought it would help him win the election.
Both accuse each other of being extremists.
Ms. Harris links Mr. Trump to Project 2025, a series of conservative policy proposals from which Mr. Trump has recently sought to distance himself. Mr. Trump claims (falsely) that Ms. Harris is a “communist” who will “destroy America.”
Trump · July 25
We are not ready for a Marxist president, and The Lying Kamala Harris is a RADICAL LEFT MARXISTAND WORSE!
Harris · Aug 28
Project 2025 is the blueprint for Trump to make himself the most powerful president ever. We can’t let him win.
Ms. Harris attacks Mr. Trump over abortion rights.
The vice president frequently reminds voters that Trump appointed the Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade. Trump rarely talks about reproductive rights.
Harris · Aug 30
Donald Trump made his position clear when he personally handpicked three Supreme Court justices to overturn Roe—which has decimated reproductive freedom and jeopardized IVF access for American women. I have never wavered in this, so believe me when I say: I will always protect reproductive freedom.
Their criticism of the economy is more classically partisan.
Ms. Harris accuses Mr. Trump of caring only about wealthy Americans. The former president blames Ms. Harris for inflation.
Trump · Aug 5
Of course there is a huge market decline. Kamala is worse than Crooked Joe. Markets will NEVER accept the radical left nutjob who DESTROYED San Francisco and California as a whole. Next move, THE GREAT DEPRESSION OF 2024! You can’t play games with MARKETS. KAMALA CRASH!!!
Harris · Aug 17
Donald Trump Fights for Billionaires and big business. I will fight to give money back to working and middle class Americans.
