Trump counters DNC with economy focus, but also calls Harris' father 'Marxist'

Former President Donald Trump is spending the week traveling to battleground states -- a way of counterprogramming against the Democratic National Convention, -- starting with remarks Monday on the economy and energy in York, Pennsylvania, just a few hours before key speakers took the stage at the DNC.

While Trump mostly focused his speech on economic messaging, he doubled down on his attacks on Harris, escalating his effort to pain her as a "communist." Trump repeatedly called her "Comrade Kamala" and accused her of pushing "communist" policies – and at one point called her father, who is a renowned economist at Stanford, a "Marxist professor," saying "he taught her well."

"Her father is a Marxist professor, and I believe he taught her well, you know, he's a Marxist professor. Can you imagine? Does anyone know that?" Trump said.

"I wonder if they knew that when they did an overthrow or a coup on Joe Biden, I wonder if they knew where she comes from, where she came from, what her ideology is. But you could see it a little bit by this whack job," Trump continued.

"If Kamala gets in, the United States will rapidly become a deindustrialized third world nation," Trump told the crowd of fewer than 200 people, many of them employees of Precision Custom Components.

Pledging to cut taxes, eliminate regulations and implement tariffs on foreign goods, Trump said Harris' economic agenda "punishes" American workers" and "rewards outsources."

"What I'm promising today is a total pro American overhaul of our tax regulation and trade systems to promote domestic production and punish those who ship jobs and factories overseas or to places like Mexico," Trump said.

"Under the Tump administration, we will build American, buy American, and hire American," Trump said, again promising to bring back manufacturing jobs and the auto industry back.

Trump also advocated for an expansion of U.S. oil production as well as nuclear power industry, while disparaging Harris' past support for a fracking ban and a renewable energy.

Over the past week, Trump spoke about the economy at two separate events -- one in North Carolina followed by one in Pennsylvania -- during which he went back and forth between on-topic messaging, non sequiturs and personal attacks aimed at Harris and former President Joe Biden.

The former president and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance will continue to hold issue-centered campaign events throughout the week in states including Wisconsin, North Carolina, Arizona, Nevada and Georgia. The Trump campaign suggests that they are "dividing and conquering" with their ticket spread across the nation in the highly-contested states.

Each campaign stop will focus on a key election issue, Trump's campaign said.

After economy-centered events in Pennsylvania on Monday, the campaign will focus on crime and safety on Tuesday, national security on Wednesday, immigration on Thursday -- when the former president is expected to visit the southern border -- and then will round out the week with "no tax on tips" events on Friday to highlight the policy Trump has advocated for.

The campaign's schedule uptick comes as the Harris campaign criticized Trump's lack of swing-state events in recent weeks. Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz barnstormed key swing states earlier this month.

As Trump's campaign continues to accuse Harris of dodging the press, it has offered the media several opportunities to talk with Trump's surrogates -- with the presumed expectation that either Trump or Vance will take questions too.

Harris has not sat down for an official interview since the evening of the first presidential debate with Biden.

Trump allies including Sen. Ron Johnson, Sen. Rick Scott and Rep. Byron Donalds will be in the convention host city of Chicago to host news conferences every day of the convention. In addition, the Trump campaign has teased a "special guest" on Thursday ahead of Harris accepting the Democratic Party's nomination at the DNC.

"As they meet Americans where they are in battleground states across the country, President Trump and Senator Vance will remind voters that under their leadership, we can end inflation, protect our communities from violent criminals, secure the border, and Make America Great Again," Trump Campaign Senior Advisers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles said in a statement.

The campaign suggests their strategy is being with everyday Americans and telling their stories -- whereas they claim Harris and Democrats will roll out big names at the Democratic National Convention from "yesteryear," including former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former President Barack Obama and President Joe Biden.

In the evening, during the DNC's prime-time programming, Trump is scheduled to participate in fundraisers and media engagements, according to the campaign.

"Our goal and message that we're trying to send other than continuing to define Kamala Harris and Tim Walz is a very clear signal that there'll be no free shots on goal," a campaign official said, pivoting to suggest that Harris' "honeymoon" period is over.

"We believe that we have the winning message. We believe that the Democrats have the losing message," the campaign official said.