As Donald Trump faces the challenge of growing support for Kamala Harris, his campaign has recently shifted tactics, launching a new attack alleging that his Democratic opponent has a "drinking problem."
These accusations come with no evidence and are being promoted by Trump's allies on social media. James Blair, a Trump campaign insider, appears to be the first to make these unsubstantiated claims, which were shared in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday. Pro-Trump accounts have since echoed the allegations.
Despite concerns from Republicans like Senator Lindsey Graham, who worry that personal attacks against Kamala Harris could jeopardize Trump's election chances, Trump has intensified his focus on personal criticisms. He has repeatedly insulted Harris's intelligence and appearance, claiming he has a right to make such attacks. Trump's running mate, JD Vance, has also contributed to the personal assaults, famously labeling Harris as a "childless cat lady."
The attacks do not appear to be as effective as Trump might have hoped, as Harris continues to lead in many polls. Additionally, her running mate, Tim Walz, gained widespread attention by ridiculing the Republican criticisms, calling Trump and Vance "weird people."
Despite this, Trump's team has shifted focus to allegations about Harris's drinking habits. Blair, the political director for Trump 2024, posted on X: "A lot of rumors out there about Kamala having a serious drinking problem...apparently coming into focus as campaign heats up."
His post received over 9,000 likes, was shared by nearly 4,000 users, and has been viewed 5 million times.
Several responses to his post highlighted the lack of evidence for the allegations, with one commenter noting, "You Republicans really have nothing against Kamala Harris, do you?"
However, some found Blair's allegations persuasive, with one person asserting that Harris's supposed drinking problem was "obvious" and another suggesting "the signs are there."
Blair's claims were later picked up and widely shared by numerous accounts associated with the Trump-supporting Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.
One X user shared a clip of Harris stumbling over her words during a speech, captioned: "OH MY GOSH! It's all starting to make sense."
Kamala Harris is a raging alcoholic because there's no good explanation for having moments like this on Live TV," he continued.
However, both Harris and Vance are known to drink. Harris is a member of a wine club at a winery in Alameda, California, as noted in a 2020 San Francisco Chronicle article.
Vance has openly discussed addiction issues in his family and his mother's path to sobriety but also drinks himself.
