Sorry, Harris: Trump is as authentic as they come

And what did she choose as one of her main attack strategies? Waging war with Trump over authenticity, presenting themselves as an understanding representative of America’s middle class, while labeling Trump as a fake and excessive elitist.

There’s just one problem: In the political world, Trump is as authentic as they come, for better or for worse, while Harris is as inauthentic as they come. And yes, that means something.

Trump’s greatest strength, and perhaps his greatest weakness, is that he is always himself. Whether he’s putting Halloween candy on a child’s head, stopping on a windy day to put on a Marine’s hat, or living his best life serving french fries at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania, you get exactly what you pay for pays: Donald Trump.

And while his critics predictably fall over themselves in their condemnation – labeling his McDonald’s performance a “condescending” insult to the working class – where mainstream politicians struggle, Trump knocks it out of the park. Why? Because despite his aura of fame and fortune, there’s one thing he’s not: an actor.

Sure, this ruthless authenticity often blows up in his face, as conservatives beg him to be just a little less… Trumpy. But the instincts that made him talk about golf legend Arnold Palmer’s genitals at a campaign rally are the same ones that drove him to raise his fist immediately after he was shot, shouting, “Fight!”

The fact is that Trump’s authenticity, and the way people respond to him as a result, is exactly why the political elite despises him. It’s not because they’re suddenly against inappropriate behavior. It’s because they’re jealous that he has a gift with people that they can never reproduce.

For years, political candidates have tried so hard to pretend they are just like us. They’ve enjoyed fried chicken and collard greens with civil rights activist Al Sharpton, they’ve dropped to their knees in Kente garb and they’ve claimed to always carry hot sauce. Then, once the photo is over, they spray themselves with Purell and jump into their Escalades faster than you can say “basket of deplorables.”

Harris, the regime’s elected representative, is the most inauthentic politician of all, even more so than her running mate, Governor Tim Walz (D-MN), a 24-year veteran of the Army National Guard who knows less about loading a shotgun than you. average goldfish. Whether it’s announcing her love for rap before she struggles to name a rapper other than Tupac, and changes her accent more times than Russell Brand in Rock of Agesor searching the gas station for the perfect bag of Doritos, she will never understand that the reason voters see through her performance is simple: it’s because it’s a performance.

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Trump’s visit to McDonald’s was a political victory simply because it wasn’t a performance. He didn’t roll up his sleeves, put on a cap, or rush to buy a flannel shirt at Walmart to pretend he was something else. He showed up and served fries in his shirt and tie, and he enjoyed it.

Inauthentic people, by definition, will never understand what it means to be authentic. In Trump’s case, this means showing people the respect that you dare to be yourself. Harris’s problem? She doesn’t even know what ‘being yourself’ means.

Ian Haworth is a columnist, speaker and podcast host. You can find him at Substack and follow him up on X @ighaworth.