In a clever turn of events, former President Donald Trump turned the tables on Vice President Kamala Harris during Tuesday’s debate, using her own words against her in a moment of clever wordplay.
As Trump outlined Harris’s history of shifting positions on key issues, including fracking and defunding the police, Harris attempted to interject. Trump, however, was quick to shut her down, saying “Wait a minute. I’m talking now. You don’t mind, please. Does that sound familiar?”
The phrase was a clear nod to Harris’s infamous “I’m speaking” moment from the 2020 vice presidential debate, where she condescendingly told former Vice President Mike Pence to let her finish speaking. Trump’s use of the phrase caught Harris off guard, leaving her standing with her mouth open, muttering a response.
The exchange was a clever move by Trump, who effectively flipped the script on Harris’s previous moment of assertiveness. Some had speculated that Harris’s team had opposed the use of muted microphones during the debate in the hopes of recreating another empowering “I’m speaking” moment. Instead, it was Trump who seized the opportunity, using Harris’s own words to silence her.
