Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., weighed in on the upcoming presidential election during an appearance Wednesday on Newsmax, framing it as a fight between "hope" under a Donald Trump presidency and "more hurt" under a Kamala Harris administration.
Kennedy appeared on "Rob Schmitt Tonight" with just 13 days before the Nov. 5 election and emphasized the concerns he believes voters have about Harris' leadership.
"You don't have to be a Latin scholar to figure out what's going on at this moment," Kennedy said, pointing to the dwindling time before Election Day.
"Thirteen days until the election, and Harris is behind. That's why you see her, President [Barack] Obama, and all of the pop stars and movie stars running around like ants on a sugar bowl."
Kennedy argued that Harris' struggles with voters in the race stem not from the public perception of her Republican opponent but rather from a lack of confidence in her abilities.
"Most voters, unless they're cell-deep stupid, have already formed an opinion about President Trump," Kennedy said. "That's not why the vice president is falling behind. She is falling behind because the American people, or at least a critical portion of them, are very uncertain about her.
"They want to know that she's not a chowderhead. They want to know she has the right stuff. They want to know what she's going to do about inflation, the border, crime, and national security. And President Trump has addressed all those things, and frankly, she hasn't.
"They want to know that if they gave her a penny for her thoughts, they wouldn't get back change."
Looking ahead to the election, Kennedy acknowledged, notwithstanding Harris' lack of engagement, the race remains close.
"I think at the end of the day, both sides will be motivated, and it will be a close race," he said, stressing the momentum has shifted in decisive battleground states.
He referenced his recent visits to Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Montana, and Nevada, stating, "This race has turned, and I think the vice president's strategy, for what it's worth, is star-spangled stupid."
"I mean, her thesis seems to be, Look, I may be bad, but the other guy is worse. Yeah, that's not how you win a campaign," he said.
Kennedy underscored the election's stakes, saying, "This race right now is about the following: hope versus more hurt. Hope versus more hurt."
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Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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