Democrats’ new tactic: Branding Trump and Vance as 'weird'

New line of attack echoed by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Senator Chuck Schumer and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz

In a surprising shift in rhetoric, Democratic leaders, from Kamala Harris to Hillary Clinton, have started labelling Donald Trump and his vice-presidential candidate, JD Vance, as 'weird,' according to the New York Post.

This new line of attack has been echoed by prominent figures like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) and Senator Chuck Schumer, intensifying the political banter. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz was one of the earliest adopters of this strategy. 

During an interview on MSNBC, Walz remarked, “That stuff is weird, they come across weird.” He reinforced his statement on social media, posting, “Say it with me: Weird.” His persistence continued with an appearance on CNN, where he criticised the Trump campaign for “weird behavior.”

The term “weird” quickly gained traction. Kamala Harris’s campaign tweeted a photo of Vance with the caption, “It’s getting weird…” and later called him “weird and creepy.” 

Senator Schumer added his voice, suggesting Trump regretted choosing Vance, telling CBS’ Face the Nation, “Every day it comes out that Vance has done something more extreme, more weird, more erratic.”

AOC went further, describing Trump’s policies as an “incel platform” and labeling them “SUPER weird.” Hillary Clinton joined in, posting, “If Republican leaders do not enjoy being called weird, creepy, and controlling, they could try not being weird, creepy, and controlling.”

Mock campaign posters depicting Trump and Vance with the word “WEIRD” have flooded social media, particularly targeting Vance’s controversial remarks about “childless cat ladies” and his proposal for increased voting power for parents.

However, some see this strategy as more of a childish name-calling routine than a substantive critique. “Saying weird is not a schoolyard taunt — it’s an observation,” tweeted Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz. Yet, the tactic’s effectiveness remains questionable.