Trump's message as campaign comes to close: "I'm not Hitler"
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Donald Trump at a rally in Rocky Mount, North Carolina on Oct. 30. Photo: Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images
Former President Trump struck a defensive tone at a North Carolina rally Wednesday, pushing back on Democrats' attacks on him and his supporters.
Why it matters: In the final days of the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump is responding to Vice President Harris' efforts to paint the Republican presidential nominee as a danger to democracy and a fascist.
- Harris' push to label Trump a fascist came after Trump's former White House chief of staff John Kelly used the term to describe his former boss and recalled Trump's propensity for praising Adolf Hitler.
State of play: "Kamala and her party have called us racists, bigots, fascists, deplorables, irredeemables, Nazis, and they've called me Hitler...I'm not Hitler," Trump said.
- He told the audience, "they've bullied you, they've demeaned us. They've demonized us and censored us."
Catch up quick: Harris' efforts to separate Trump from his supporters and promise to be a "president for all Americans" were undercut Tuesday night by President Biden, who set off a media firestorm by seemingly referring to Trump supporters as "garbage."
- Biden later clarified that he was referring to the words of comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who likened Puerto Rico to an "island of garbage" at Trump's Madison Square Garden rally on Sunday. The rally also featured a litany of racist, sexist and vulgar rhetoric from speakers that caused widespread outcry.
- Biden's response immediately recalled Hillary Clinton's 2016 blunder when she referred to Trump supporters as a "basket of deplorables" — an incident that incited Republican outrage at the time and which Trump also brought up several times Wednesday.
- Trump's running-mate, Sen. JD Vance, was quick to dismiss the racist rally jokes and said Monday people should "stop getting so offended at every little thing."
Yes, but: Vance called Biden's garbage comment "disgusting."
What they're saying: Trump returned to the topic several times Wednesday.
- Biden and Harris have "treated our whole country like garbage," the former president said.
- "My response to Joe and Kamala is very simple. You can't lead America if you don't love America," he added.
The other side: Harris told reporters on Wednesday she "strongly" disagrees "with any criticism of people based on who they vote for." She added that if elected, she "will represent all Americans."
Go deeper: Trump's vulgar rally becomes a drag on his campaign
