Kamala Harris ramps up her attacks on Donald Trump during Democratic debate comparing him to The Wizard of Oz and labeling him ‘a really small dude’
- Kamala Harris compared President Trump to The Wizard of Oz during Thursday night’s Democratic debate
- Harris claimed that Trump, like the Wizard, was ‘a really small dude’ – a comment which received laughter from the crowd
- Her joke received mixed reviews from social media users watching the debates unfold at home
- Elsewhere on the night, Harris faced criticism from ABC moderator Linsey Davis for her perceived flip flopping on several issues surrounding criminal justice
Kamala Harris ramped up her attacks on President Donald Trump, describing him as a ‘really small dude’ during ABC’s Democratic debate on Thursday night.
The 2020 hopeful – whose momentum has stalled in recent weeks – made the withering remarks when discussing the Commander-in-Chief’s trade policies.
Harris, 54, stated: ‘The bottom line is this: Donald Trump, in office on trade policy, he reminds me of that guy in The Wizard of Oz. When you pull back the curtain, it’s a really small dude.’
The jibe provoked laughter from the audience, as well as from debate moderator George Stephanopoulos – who is 5ft 5 in tall.
‘I’m not even going to take the bait, senator,’ Stephanopoulos quipped.
‘Oh, George, it wasn’t about you!’ Harris cackled in reply.
Many on Twitter were also amused by Harris’s quip, with one writing: ‘Nice – we need more zingers mocking Trump- he hates being laughed at!’
Kamala Harris has ramped up her attacks on President Donald Trump, describing him as a ‘really small dude’ during ABC’s Democratic Debate on Thursday night.
‘The bottom line is this: Donald Trump, in office on trade policy, he reminds me of that guy in The Wizard of Oz. When you pull back the curtain, it’s a really small dude?’ Harris stated. The Wizard is pictured center in the 1939 film
However, some others were less than impressed with the senator’s attempt at comedy, accusing her of being too scripted.
One critic posted on Twitter: ‘Kamala three hours ago.. “I cant wait to drop this awesome Wizard of Oz joke.. people will think its hilarious”‘, accompanied by an eyeroll GIF.
Meanwhile, Harris’s quips helped deflect from another headline-grabbing moment, which came when another of the moderators accused her of flip-flopping on issues around crime -including the criminalizing of marijuana and her thoughts on police shootings.
ABC’s Linsey Davis confronted Harris’ record while she served as California’s top prosecutor and asked her ‘Why didn’t you try to affect change then?’
Harris received a mixed reaction after dropping her zinger- although she couldn’t help but laugh at her own joke
One Twitter user wasn’t buying Harris’ prepared lines that were dropped during the debate
Remarking on Harris’ criminal justice reform she said there were ‘contradictions’ on some of her positions.
‘You said that you’ve changed on these and other things because you were, quote, “swimming against the current and thankfully, the currents have changed,” Davis said, before adding that she didn’t try when she ‘had the power.’
‘Was I able to get enough done? Absolutely not,’ Harris confessed but added that her current plan was ‘described by activists as bold and comprehensive.’
After her poll numbers rose following the first Democratic Debate back in July, Harris has lagged in recent weeks.
Several polls put her in fourth or fifth position, behind Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg – however the senator still believes she is a ‘top tier candidate’.
During Thursday night’s debate, ABC moderator Linsey Davis (left) called out Harris (right) for her stance point on certain issues and how they have changed
The crowds were stunned by Davis’ questioning of Harris at the third Democratic Party Presidential Debate. (Pictured L-R; Amy Klobuchar, Cory Booker, Pete Buttigieg, Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Andrew Yang, Beto O’Rourke and Julian Castro)