(NewsNation) — The Democratic National Convention is still more than a week away, but the national political scene has been heating up for weeks with increased verbal attacks from both sides of the aisle.
With the general election just three months out, attacks are getting heated.
In recent days, Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz have been calling former President Donald Trump and Sen. JD Vance “weird,” while Trump and Vance have attacked Harris’ race, appearance and personal life.
Vance has even taken shots at Walz about his military service, accusing the governor of abandoning his military unit before it deployed to Iraq in 2005. Walz retired after serving for more than 20 years to run for Congress.
Walz wasted no time poking fun at his vice presidential opponent, making jokes at unproven viral stories about Vance having sex with a couch. Walz said at a rally this week he was prepared to debate Vance “if he’s willing to get off the couch and show up.”
At an appearance at the National Association of Black Journalists in Chicago last week, Trump went after Harris’ race and character.
“I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black,” Trump said. “And she happens to be really a low-IQ individual. She really does. She has a very low IQ. We don’t need a low IQ.”
Harris held her own against Trump’s attacks, throwing an insult right back at him.
“He and his running mate sure seem to have a lot to say about me. And by the way, don’t you find some of their stuff to just be plain weird?” Harris said.
Much of this mudslinging between the two campaigns has been fueled by social media. A Pew Research Center poll showed that 30% of adults said that’s where they get their political news.