"That is weird behavior. And I don't think you call it anything else. It is simply what we're observing."
Whether you're left, right, or somewhere in between, you've probably heard comments about Trump and Vance being called "weird."
I don’t know who in the Kamala Harris campaign was behind the strategy to call Donald Trump and JD Vance “weird” but I cannot remember the last time something so simple has had the entire right wing this triggered. They are truly punching air.
— chris evans (@notcapnamerica) July 30, 2024
And if you haven't...well, let me explain!
It arguably started when Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (who people havespeculated might be a VP pick for Harris) went on MSNBC last week and said, "These are weird people on the other side."
I’m telling you: these guys are weird. pic.twitter.com/fvNRNf7T7T
— Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) July 24, 2024
MSNBC / Via Twitter: @Tim_Walz
He continued, "They want to take books away; they want to be in your exam room. That's what it comes down to. Don't sugarcoat this; these are weird ideas. Listen to them speak."
Note: He's been calling conservatives weird since February.
I’m telling you: These guys are just weird. https://t.co/mLGrh7l6lY
— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) February 25, 2024
The phrase stuck and kinda started a moment. The Harris campaign co-opted the sentiment in a press release that asked, "Is Donald Trump ok?" and "Trump is old and quite weird?"
Did a double take to make sure this was a real press release. "Trump is old and quite weird?" is kind of genius. pic.twitter.com/e4SIP4ittY
— Marina Fang (@marinafang) July 25, 2024
And then the campaign released another one, which declared "JD Vance is weird" in its first sentence, with "JD Vance Is A Creep (Who Wants To Ban Abortion Nationwide)" as the headline.
Yes. This is a real press release from our campaign: "JD Vance is a creep. JD Vance is weird." pic.twitter.com/2xIqa20OL0
— Victor Shi (@Victorshi2020) July 26, 2024
As Tapper and others have pointed out, the shift in messaging has changed dramatically since Biden dropped out and Harris became the presumed Democratic nominee.
Visualized: The overnight shift in tone when the Biden campaign became the Harris campaign. It's the same staffers writing these statements. pic.twitter.com/yI6q6D7JsF
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) July 26, 2024
Somesay the new messaging has been "much more effective" than the previous "when they go low we go high" messaging.
I’m so glad Democrats have moved on from “When they go low we go high” to “lol look at this loser”… much more effective messaging pic.twitter.com/q9a44IgBIy
— Sam Stryker (@sbstryker) July 26, 2024
This person said it's a better strategy because "moralizing at" conservatives doesn't work.
we joke but for real laughing at trump supporters and telling republicans how weird they are is actually a better strategy than wagging our fingers and moralizing at them. they do not care about morals, that doesn’t work— but no one likes to be laughed at
— ellie schnitt! (@holy_schnitt) July 22, 2024
Basically, "meeting them at their level" is working.
i do kinda love that the right was so used to dems turning the other cheek/“when they go low we go high” that now that people are refusing to engage that way and straight up calling them weird/meeting them at their level they are having conniptions and crying for civility lol
— david alexander (@DavidADC) July 29, 2024
In response to Tapper's question, Walzsaid removing some of the scariness from communication (like Trump putting women's rights at risk and constitutional liberties at stake) and just naming it what it is — weird behavior — takes away some of Trump's credit and power. He said, "Listen to the guy. He's talking about Hannibal Lecter and shocking sharks and just whatever crazy thing pops into his mind, and I [think] we just give him way too much credit. I think one of the things is [to] just ratchet down some of the scariness and just name it what it is."
Gov. @Tim_Walz: It’s true that Donald Trump is going to put women's lives at risk and wants to end constitutional liberties. But also just listen to the guy. He's talking about Hannibal Lecter and electrocuting sharks. Have you ever seen the guy laugh? If he has laughed, it's at… pic.twitter.com/pDFX21kqp0
— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) July 28, 2024
He continued, "I've got to tell you. My observation on this is: Have you ever seen the guy laugh? That seems very weird to me that an adult can go through six and a half years of being in the public eye, if he has laughed, it's at someone, not with someone. That is weird behavior. And I don't think you call it anything else. It is simply what we're observing."
CNN / Via Twitter: @KamalaHQ
In further response to the new communication tactic, Harris supporters are standing behind the strategy. This sociology professorsaid that making fun of fascists has worked in history because they "cannot deal with being laughed at."
I had a professor in undergrad whose area of expertise was modern European history, and one of the things he always emphasized, with total seriousness, is that you should always make fun of Fascists, because the one thing they absolutely cannot deal with is being laughed at. https://t.co/TrAFVo9qDj
— Jeffrey Parker (@jnparker.bsky.social) (@jeffreynparker) July 29, 2024
This has proved somewhat true for the conservative media — they are NOT having it with the "weird" remarks.
For instance, Fox News has been dissecting and rebuking the remark incessantly:
Fox News / Via youtube.com
On Twitter, Vivek Ramaswamy called the "they're weird" argument "dumb" and "juvenile" and compared it to a "high school prom queen contest":
This whole “they’re weird” argument from the Democrats is dumb & juvenile. This is a presidential election, not a high school prom queen contest. It’s also a tad ironic coming from the party that preaches “diversity & inclusion.” Win on policy if you can, but cut the crap please.
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) July 29, 2024
In response, userspointed out that Trump is playing the same game:
Vivek saying “cut the crap” while Trump is workshopping 69 different nicknames for Kamala Harris is also weird.
— Franklin (@franklinisbored) July 29, 2024
Dumb and f*cking juvenile? Trump literally jokes about the size of his dick on national TV. Also if you gotta say your aren’t weird- I got bad news for ya.
— David Hogg 🟧 (@davidhogg111) July 29, 2024
AOC chimed in, writing, "Being obsessed with repressing women is goofy. Trying to watch what LGBTQ+ people do all the time is abnormal. Punishing people who don't have biological offspring is creepy. It's an incel platform, dude. It's SUPER weird. And people need to know."
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 29, 2024Being obsessed with repressing women is goofy.
Trying to watch what LGBTQ+ people do all the time is abnormal.
Punishing people who don’t have biological offspring is creepy.
It’s an incel platform, dude.
It’s SUPER weird.
And people need to know. https://t.co/vgDeM9e7pU
And as others have pointed out, some conservatives who are rebuking the "weird" claims are doubling down by being even weirder. Like this lady who said calling people weird is a "feminine behavior":
how did this work so well they're f*cking flailing https://t.co/A346soxMHP
— zeddy (@Zeddary) July 29, 2024
Or when Ben Shapiro argued that Harris hanging with the cast of RuPaul's Drag Race was "substantially weirder than anything Vance has ever done":
It's so funny that the only conservatives that are fighting back against the weird allegations are in the weird people hall of fame. https://t.co/88xIYNoMYg
— Ron Iver (@ronnui_) July 30, 2024
Note: Vance has been called weird for saying that adults without childrendo not deserve an equal sayat the polls, saying America is run by “a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives," suggestingpeople in “violent” marriagesshouldn't get divorced, and bymaking an awkward jokeabout diet Mountain Dew being racist, amongst other things.
As this person said, "it's genuinely amazing that in response to being called weird, conservatives keep saying the oddest sh*t."
it's genuinely amazing that in response to being called weird, conservatives keep saying the oddest sh*t. https://t.co/Skr8NOVihf
— Edward Ongweso Jr (@bigblackjacobin) July 29, 2024
Conservatives have also attempted to fire back by calling the left weird, but Democrats have argued it's not the same thing:
There's a difference between "pineapple on pizza" weird and "can't stop talking about sterilization and birth rates" weird. https://t.co/Ta4CzZK4uC
— Batwingdings (@batwingdings) July 29, 2024
it’s weird to be transphobic. it’s weird to be anti-abortion. it’s weird to be afraid of drag queens. it’s weird to call people DEI hires. it’s weird to get radicalized by youtube. it’s weird to want to make it harder for people to divorce. it’s all f*cking weirdo behavior.
— jourdain searles (@judysquirrels) July 29, 2024
y'all there's weird like "has a massive collection of stamps" and there's weird like "cover your drink when he's nearby at the bar" and we are not talking about the stamps here
— Leah Greenberg (@Leahgreenb) July 30, 2024
you are trying to conflate “early era wes anderson character” weird with “cousin who doesn’t get invited to thanksgiving because you have to make sure he’s not left alone with your fourteen year old niece” weird and it’s not gonna work https://t.co/WpTfzwkBcx
— one dozen rats at a keyboard (@PanasonicDX4500) July 29, 2024
@ellaemhoff / Via instagram.com
JD Vance is like when your friend brings a new person to a party and he spends the whole time saying weird and provocative things to seem cool and get attention. You smile and nod, and when your friend leaves you pull him aside and go, “Never bring that freak around again.”
— Khalid El Khatib (@kmelkhat) July 26, 2024
