Watch FIFA World Cup 2026™

LIVE, FREE and EXCLUSIVE

INTERVIEW: Why do we often witness vitriol and personal attacks in US politics?

Harris and Trump (Getty).png

Why are US politicians so rude about each other? Source: Getty

There's been a fair share of personal attacks and vitriol between US Republican candidate Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris as the US election nears. Many have become immune to vitriolic remarks in US politics, particularly from Trump, but why is this behaviour more common in US politics compared to Australia? SBS' Catriona Stirrat speaks to Associate Professor David Smith from the University of Sydney's United States Studies Centre for this edition of Weekend One on One.


Published

By Catriona Stirrat

Source: SBS News



Share this with family and friends


There's been a fair share of personal attacks and vitriol between US Republican candidate Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris as the US election nears. Many have become immune to vitriolic remarks in US politics, particularly from Trump, but why is this behaviour more common in US politics compared to Australia? SBS' Catriona Stirrat speaks to Associate Professor David Smith from the University of Sydney's United States Studies Centre for this edition of Weekend One on One.


Listen to Australian and world news, and follow trending topics with SBS News Podcasts.


Latest podcast episodes

Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Watch now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world