Lara Trump Compares Harris to a Fashion Designer’s Faux ‘Trash Bag’

Lara Trump, the Republican Party co-chair and former President Donald J. Trump’s daughter-in-law, compared Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday to a fashion designer’s faux “trash bag” that gained notoriety for its nearly $1,800 price tag.

Ms. Trump, speaking to Sean Hannity on Fox News, complained that Ms. Harris was now being championed as “some sort of amazing political figure” by people who had harbored doubts about her before President Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed her to be the party’s presidential nominee.

“It reminds me of — there was this bag that a very famous designer designed — this was several years ago,” she said. “And it literally was a trash bag, but they sold this thing for like $2,000, thinking that people would actually buy it. It’s a similar situation with Kamala Harris.”

Ms. Trump, who was installed in March as a top G.O.P. leader and married Mr. Trump’s middle son, Eric Trump, was referring to a faux trash bag that was introduced in 2022 by Balenciaga. It turned heads on the runway and drew derision in the tabloids.

The metaphor used by Ms. Trump was another personal attack against Ms. Harris from Republicans, who have repeatedly used her race and gender in their criticism.

Several of Mr. Trump’s allies have repeatedly called Ms. Harris, whose mother emigrated from India and whose father emigrated from Jamaica, a “D.E.I.” hire, a reference to diversity, equity and inclusion programs. And at a gathering of religious conservatives on Friday, Mr. Trump called Ms. Harris a “bum.”

The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.

Some Republicans have urged Mr. Trump’s surrogates to dial down their insults and have warned that racist and sexist attacks on Ms. Harris could backfire.

Nikki Haley, a daughter of Indian immigrants who was one of Mr. Trump’s Republican primary opponents, has rebuked members of her party for referring to Ms. Harris as a D.E.I. hire.

“It’s not helpful,” Ms. Haley, who was the South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador during the Trump administration, told CNN on Thursday.

Ms. Haley, who endorsed Mr. Trump months after her bitter primary campaign against him, urged Republicans to focus instead on Ms. Harris’s record. “You don’t need to talk about what she looks like or what gender she is,” she said.