In 2016, Democrats used names like “dangerous Donald” to describe Donald Trump. In 2020, they called Trump’s Republican Party a threat to the “soul of America.” Both messages showed the danger they believed Trump posed. This year, as Democrats campaign against Trump and his supporters, they have changed their language.
Now, Democrats like Kamala Harris and JD Vance are calling Trump and his allies “weird.” This shift started with Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, who is now Harris’s running mate. Walz said the Republican Party was so extreme that it was strange to most Americans. He mentioned how they want to ban books and be involved in personal medical decisions.
Other Democrats quickly embraced Walz’s description. Pete Buttigieg said Trump was becoming “older and stranger.” Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania also called Trump “weird” at a rally for Harris. Senator Chuck Schumer of New York added that Vance was “erratic.”
While calling someone “weird” may not seem like a strong insult, it seems to have had an impact. Republican politicians have been surprised by the idea that they are seen as outside the mainstream. They are taken aback by the accusation that their beliefs and actions are alienating to most Americans.
However, this reaction shouldn’t be a surprise. The main focuses of Republican politics in recent years—such as denying election results, banning books, restricting abortion, and targeting transgender individuals—are either unpopular with the majority of Americans or are not helping them win elections. Democrats have been successful in local, state, and federal elections by opposing these ideas. If the Republican Party had not been so focused on this divisive far-right cultural agenda, they might have seen the “red wave” they hoped for in the 2022 midterm elections.
Overall, the shift in Democratic messaging from focusing on the danger of Trump to calling him and his allies “weird” seems to be resonating with voters. It highlights the extreme and unpopular views of the Republican Party, which may help Democrats gain support in upcoming elections.
