Donald Trump Says Kamala Harris' “Time” Cover Reminds Him of Melania, Looks Like 'Most Beautiful Actress to Ever Live'

"She’s a beautiful woman, so we’ll leave it at that," Trump said of his competitor during a livestreamed conversation with Elon Musk on Aug. 12

<p>Andrew Harnik/Getty; Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via AP </p> Vice President Kamala Harris and former first lady Melania Trump

Andrew Harnik/Getty; Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via AP

Vice President Kamala Harris and former first lady Melania Trump

Donald Trump compared Kamala Harris to his wife, Melania Trump, while complimenting her "beautiful" appearance on the cover of Time magazine.

On Monday, Aug. 12, the Republican presidential nominee, 78, participated in a virtual interview with Elon Musk, 53, on X Spaces. During the conversation, Trump called Harris, 59, "terrible," before changing the subject to focus on the art used in Time's new cover story about his opponent.

Related: Donald Trump Says Kamala Harris 'Happened to Turn Black' as He Questions Her Race at Black Journalists' Convention

"I saw a picture of [Harris] on Time magazine today. She looks like the most beautiful actress ever to live," he said. "Actually, she looked very much like our great first lady, Melania."

"She didn’t look like Kamala, that’s right," he continued. "But of course, she’s a beautiful woman, so we’ll leave it at that."

The portrait of Harris was illustrated by artist Neil Jamieson and based on a real Getty image.

<p>Neil Jamieson/TIME</p> Kamala Harris appears on the cover of Time magazine in August 2024

Neil Jamieson/TIME

Kamala Harris appears on the cover of Time magazine in August 2024

Trump spoke with a notable lisp on Monday night and continued his tradition of pronouncing Harris’ name incorrectly throughout the call, opting to refer to her as "Camilla" in the portion about her appearance.

Related: Nancy Pelosi Says Republicans Privately Told Her That Democrats ‘Have to Beat’ Donald Trump so GOP Can Start Fresh

Harris appeared on the cover of Time magazine on Monday in a story that details her quick rise as the new leader of the Democratic Party.

"Within a week, Harris erased Trump’s polling dominance in key states, turning a burgeoning landslide into a dead heat,” the piece notes, as it was reported last week that Republicans no longer have the advantage in three key swing states.

During the conversation, Musk fawned over Trump, calling him "the path to prosperity" while also claiming that Harris "is the opposite."

The tech mogul endorsed Trump after he was nearly assassinated at his July 13 campaign rally. Musk posted on X at the time, "I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery."

Related: Donald Trump Falsely Claims 'A.I.' is Responsible for the 12,000+ Attending Kamala Harris Rallies

<p>Theo Wargo/WireImage</p> Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who also owns X (formerly Twitter)

Theo Wargo/WireImage

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who also owns X (formerly Twitter)

Musk later wrote on social media that he would be "happy" to host a conversation with Harris on the platform as well, though Harris' campaign has been critical of Musk.

"Donald Trump’s extremism and dangerous Project 2025 agenda is a feature not a glitch of his campaign, which was on full display for those unlucky enough to listen in tonight during whatever that was on X.com," Harris 2024 spokesperson Joseph Costello said in a statement on Monday.

"Trump’s entire campaign is in service of people like Elon Musk and himself — self-obsessed rich guys who will sell out the middle class and who cannot run a livestream in the year 2024," Costello continued.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The livestream got off to a late start after about nearly an hour of being on hold, which Musk blamed on a "massive" cyber attack.

Trump and Harris are scheduled to debate for the first time on Sept. 10 on ABC News. Trump has proposed two additional debates, on Sept. 4 and Sept. 25, that have not yet been arranged.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.

Advertisement