It’s getting hard to keep up with Trump’s absurdities

All eyes turned to Vice President Kamala Harris. What would she say in response? Surely, she would take him to task and correct him on her history and her own identity. Instead, Ms. Harris simply said the following: “It was the same old show — the divisiveness and the disrespect. And let me just say, the American people deserve better. … The American people deserve a leader who tells the truth, a leader who does not respond with hostility and anger when confronted with the facts. We deserve a leader who understands that our differences do not divide us. They are an essential source of our strength.”

And that was it. No vitriol. No getting into the weeds about her own identity. (She is the product of a marriage of two professors — a Black Jamaican father and an Indian mother — so it’s actually not complicated. It’s as American as apple pie.)

The disappointment in the media beast was palpable. Post columnist Matt Bai said it was “a missed opportunity” [“For Harris, there’s a way to escape the Trump trap,” Friday Opinion, Aug. 2]. He could not be more wrong. Instead of playing into the stereotype of the angry Black woman, Harris’s tone encouraged us to expect more from our leaders.

Saul Alinsky said: “Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon. There is no defense. It is almost impossible to counterattack ridicule. Also, it infuriates the opposition, who then react to your advantage.” Until now, Mr. Trump has used this technique effectively. This month, Ms. Harris has shown Mr. Trump that he has met his match. He will no longer set the media agenda by laying the bait. Instead, President Joe Biden might have made yet another brilliant decision in choosing Ms. Harris, a leader who has seen it all and knows when to leave the bait on the table, where it belongs.

Terence McGinty, Warren, Mass.

Did we go back in time?

Watching Donald Trump white-splain race to an audience of Black journalists was like watching a dinosaur that somehow survived to present times, oblivious to the tectonic shifts that have taken place.

The former president rarely ventures outside the protective MAGA bubble, which functions like a time machine. He is rarely asked anything but softball questions, which leaves him unable to learn and adapt to situations in which he must confront reality — such as explaining and defending his racist remarks. His reaction is to always lash out, like a Tyrannosaurus rex flailing its little arms, claiming the questions are unfair and calling the interviewer “nasty” or worse.

Mr. Trump has chided Barack Obama, Joe Biden and others, saying the world is laughing at them. Yet he seemed totally unaware of the many audience members at the Black journalists’ conference who were laughing at his antiquated, prehistoric thinking. Hopefully, racism — along with Mr. Trump’s other outdated views, such as isolationism, nationalism and voodoo economics — will eventually die out. Maybe they’ll be placed in a museum somewhere as a reminder of ancient ideas that thrived in the darkness of ignorance.

Voters should realize that electing a dinosaur to lead us into the future makes absolutely no sense. It might, instead, lead the United States to extinction.

Michael Karath, Sonoma, Calif.

Your desperation is showing

We shouldn’t get too upset by former president Donald Trump’s inane, offensive and outrageously false statements about when Vice President Kamala Harris began identifying as Black. Mr. Trump’s narcissism and desire to get on the front page cause him to be desperate enough to say pretty much anything — even that which shows him to be a fool. These past few weeks, when all the attention has been on Ms. Harris, have prompted him to act crazier than usual. Best to warn everyone on Fifth Avenue.

Ira Belsky, Franklin Lakes, N.J.

D-E-Oh, dear

Donald Trump and JD Vance whine about Vice President Kamala Harris being a “DEI hire.” They fail to see the irony of years of racial and gender preference given to White men like them in political, vocational, commercial and educational life. Would either of them have risen to their stations without the patronage of other White men? Mr. Trump was given a fortune by his father, and Mr. Vance is the protégé of Peter Thiel. Instead of DEI, we should be talking about PEI (prejudice, exclusion and injustice), which has been the scourge of our culture.

Steve Waldman, Dallas

Not your token talking point

Former president Donald Trump’s characterization of Vice President Kamala Harris underscores a troubling hierarchy designed to undermine and devalue the leadership of women of color. By reducing Ms. Harris to a mere token of diversity, equity and inclusion, Mr. Trump dismisses her substantive contributions and qualifications. This rhetoric is part of a broader goal to reinforce systemic barriers that disempower women of color. Such comments contribute to a climate where their achievements and leadership are constantly questioned and devalued, perpetuating stereotypes and biases that hinder progress toward racial and gender equity.

Mr. Trump’s comments extend beyond individual slights. They reinforce prejudices that shape public perception and undermine efforts to create a more inclusive society. It is essential that we challenge and reject such oppressive rhetoric and work to recognize and value leadership from women of color. There is no place for racism and sexism in the United States, whether that be workplaces, boardrooms or elections. We must dismantle these systemic behaviors and create environments in which the contributions of Black women are respected and celebrated.

Mica Whitfield, Atlanta

Ashley Panelli, Brooklyn

The writers are co-presidents of the workplace advocacy group 9to5.

But shouldn’t we want to vote again?

Former president Donald Trump’s brazen declaration in a speech last month that if he is reelected, his audience of Christian voters “won’t have to vote anymore,” because in four years things will “be fixed,” was the ultimate expression of his mockery of democracy, unfitness for office and promotion of authoritarianism.

Although Mr. Trump’s autocratic ambitions are ominous, a more immediate and worrisome concern is the effort by Republicans to stonewall certification of election results this November. The underreported scheme of undemocratically replaced election officials appears poised to skew results in Republicans’ favor.

Mr. Trump’s threat to democracy is well known and very real. An overwhelming response by voters this fall has the best chance of saving our institutions.

Roger Hirschberg, South Burlington, Vt.

You say one thing; context says another

Conservatives are suggesting that former president Donald Trump’s recent statement about voting means the country will be fixed and they’ll never have to vote to fix it again. They say that, when the statement is put into context, its meaning is obvious. I agree. So, here’s the context, given Mr. Trump’s other declarations:

He has repeatedly promoted the idea of trying people in “televised military tribunals” for treason. Once again, Mr. Trump is telling us directly what he intends. Military tribunals are used when martial law has been declared. The president simply has to declare a state of “national emergency” to impose martial law on the nation. Lincoln did it, for obvious reasons, and one of Mr. Trump’s advisers reportedly suggested doing it after the 2020 election.

Military tribunals lack many of the constitutional safeguards and procedures afforded to civilian defendants, removing power from the legislative and judicial branches and placing it in the executive branch. With vast powers given to military commanders and the president as supreme military commander, it’s not hard to imagine the president as the ultimate judge.

Context is important, as the Republicans tell us. When Mr. Trump’s latest statement to his base about never needing to vote again is viewed in the context of his prior actions, his goals seem pretty clear: Of course there will be no need to vote ever again if Mr. Trump gets elected to the presidency. He just told us that — openly, plainly and clearly.

Mark S. Milker, Laguna Woods, Calif.