August 17, 2024

Trump claims he's 'better looking,' continues personal attacks toward Harris

WATCH: Candidates make battleground swing in Pennsylvania

Former President Donald Trump at his rally in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, continued to focus on attacking Vice President Kamala Harris on the economy, President Joe Biden dropping out and personal attacks on her appearance.

Returning to the battleground state on Saturday, the former president spoke for nearly two hours quickly hitting on Vice President Harris' economic policy rollout before going off script and calling himself "better looking."

"Yesterday, Kamala laid out her so-called economic plan. She says she's going to lower the cost of food and housing starting on day one. But day one for Kamala was three and a half years ago," Trump said.

MORE: Secret Service prepares use of bulletproof glass for outdoor Trump rallies: Sources

Trump, however, insisted he could bring prices down, without providing additional specifics other than the general push for expanding U.S. oil production.

"Starting the day I take the oath of office, I will rapidly drive prices down, and we will make America affordable again. We're going to make it affordable again," Trump said.

Adam Gray/Getty Images
BEDMINSTER, NEW JERSEY - AUGUST 15: Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump holds a news conference outside the Trump National Golf Club Bedminster on August 15, 2024 in Bedminster, New Jersey. Trump's campaign leaders announced they were expanding his staff as the reelection campaign heads in to its final few months. (Photo by Adam Gray/Getty Images)

While again railing against the vice president's Time Magazine cover, Trump claimed he was "better looking" than the vice president, after previously calling her "beautiful," during a conversation with Elon Musk last week.

"Don't ever call a woman beautiful, because that'll be the end of your political career, please." Trump began, later going on to say, "But I say that I am much better looking. I'm a better-looking person than Kamala."

MORE: Trump says he's 'entitled' to make personal attacks on Harris, citing lack of respect

"They said, 'No, her biggest advantage is that she's a beautiful woman.' I'm going, huh? I never thought of that. I'm better looking than she is."

Ahead of the Democratic National Convention next week, Trump questioned why Harris is going, falsely claiming it's "rigged," again bringing attention to the idea that she never earned any votes as a presidential candidate.

"Why does she go to the convention?" Trump asked.

MORE: Trump wants a role in setting interest rates. Some economists say it's a bad idea

Trump continued to falsely claim Harris "stole" President Joe Biden's presidential bid, saying Biden is "angry" and that he "hates" Harris. "Joe Biden hates her. This was an overthrow of a president. This was an overthrow," Trump said.

Trump said he looked forward to debating Harris, claiming, "She'll be easier."

In response to Trump's rally, the Harris-Walz campaign slammed Trump for resorting to "lies" and "name calling" to sell his economic agenda. "Another rally, same old show. Donald Trump can't sell his dangerous Project 2025 agenda to raise taxes on working families by $3,900, terminate the Affordable Care Act, and rip away our freedoms, so he resorts to lies, name-calling, and confused rants.

There were nearly 8,500 people seated for the beginning of Trump's remarks, but nearly an hour in, folks started to trickle out. The arena was only half full at the end of his nearly two-hour speech.

Some people in line told ABC News they couldn't convince their friends to come as they were nervous about the security since the former president's attempted assassination in Butler, Pennsylvania.