Trump's press conference was not good. But he's still better for America than Harris.
A Donald Trump press conference is like a ride on the fastest rollercoaster at an amusement park. It's simultaneously thrilling and boring, fast and slow, fun and terrifying. There are ups and downs, smears and self-congratulations, facts and myths all packed into one dizzying ride.
The former president's question-and-answer session with reporters on Thursday at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida was classic Trumpian stream of consciousness. The Republican presidential nominee smeared his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris, and her new running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. He repeatedly slammed the state of the country, citing myriad issues, including inflation, the cost of electric vehicles and the chaos at the border.
It wasn't great; it wasn't terrible. But a few things stood out.
Trump did show up. He should get credit for that. Harris has been on the campaign trail for nearly three weeks and has yet to hold a similar news conference, complete with questions from reporters. She also has refused interview requests since late June.
Trump on Thursday showed some chutzpah, which Harris has yet to show.
During the news conference at Mar-a-Lago, Trump said a few things that made sense ? and a lot of things that didn't quite make sense.
He also said he has agreed to debate Harris on Sept. 10 on ABC News. The network released a statement saying that Harris also has agreed to the debate.
Trump smears Kamala Harris' intelligence
A Trump press conference is a fact-checker's nightmare. He speaks without notes, without pausing ? and much of what he says seems off-base, if not blatantly fabricated. However, every now and then, he throws in a few incisive comments to keep Republicans smiling.
Trump took umbrage, as he should, at the fact that Democratic primary voters supported President Joe Biden for a second term and now Harris is running for president without facing the primary gauntlet. It's not unconstitutional, but it's not exactly democratic, either.
Trump is correct that we have all witnessed a historic turn of events, and that it's not how the election process is supposed to work. A lot of conservatives have struggled with how Harris captured the nomination. The fact that Biden was pushed aside and Democrats embraced Harris with glee, and with little scrutiny, still seems strange.
"The presidency was taken away from Joe Biden ? and I'm no Biden fan," Trump said.
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Trump also said that when it comes to leftist policies, Harris "is worse than Biden."
"If she becomes president, our country is going to be a giant fail," he said. "Kamala's record is horrible; she's a radical left person."
Republicans agree on those charges for sure.
With Walz as her VP, Harris doubles down on her far-left plans. Republicans must use this.
However, Trump couldn't resist predictable and superficial attacks.
"I'm not a big fan of his brain," Trump said about Walz, "but I think that (Harris is) actually not as smart as he is."
Trump also said Harris isn't "smart enough to do a news conference." If she is smart, she'll take him up on that challenge.
Trump says the country is in a 'dangerous position'
Trump led off his remarks with concern about the country, specifically the economy. He's right to do that. It's the issue at the forefront of most Americans' minds.
"Our country is right now in the most dangerous position it's ever been," Trump said, when it comes to our economic position. "We have leadership that has no clue."
Are we heading to a recession? As stock markets plummet, ask yourself: Do you really want Harris running the economy?
While Trump didn't go into detail on what his fiscal policy would look like in a second presidential term, he did tout the idea of eliminating the federal income tax on tips.
The proposal, a regular part of his campaign messaging, might actually gain bipartisan support. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz has already introduced the proposed tax cut in Congress.
Trump's style isn't improving
In typical Trump fashion, the news conference gave him a platform to praise himself. Donald Trump's praise for Donald Trump is often effusive, superficial and wrong.
On Thursday, he claimed that he had drawn a larger crowd than the one that gathered to hear Martin Luther King Jr.'s historic "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963. In reality, an estimated 250,000 people attended the March on Washington, where King spoke.
That's Trump. He's narcissistic and full of braggadocio, heavy on innuendo and false claims, light on facts and details.
Trump is not a great politician, a gifted speaker, a kind man or a compelling candidate. Yet, he is who the Republican Party has chosen. His press conference Thursday was further proof that he is not the best choice to represent the GOP, conservatives or America.
But is he better than Harris? I believe conservative policies are better for the country, so if he can implement those, then yes.
Harris is a more conventional politician, but she's also to the left of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. Trump is a stranger to facts, but he does hold some conservative ideas.
The bar for the presidency is so low it's been buried. This is America 2024.
Nicole Russell is an opinion columnist with USA TODAY. She lives in Texas with her four kids. Sign up for her newsletter, The Right Track, and get it delivered to your inbox.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump is better than Harris. And America, we're in deep trouble
