Taiwan's political fight is heating up as President Lai Ching-te goes after Taichung's KMT mayor, and her camp says the attacks show she is his real threat for the 2028 presidency.

• Lai campaigned in Taichung for his party's mayoral pick and called the city a "food safety breach," aiming the jab at Mayor Lu Shiow-yen.
• Lu's ally, lawmaker Liao Wei-hsiang, fired back that the harder Lai hits Lu, the clearer it is he fears her as his 2028 opponent.
• The KMT touts Lu's record on transport, investment, welfare, and schools, while slamming Lai's government as stuck — pointing to a tainted-oil scandal, worries over TSMC shifting toward the US, and a failed recall drive that lost 32-0.
• A separate tainted-oil case is dragging on the ruling DPP, with fresh polls showing Lai's disapproval now topping his approval.
• Side skirmishes are spreading, from a night-market shop caught between rival candidates' signatures to a public-housing notice that used an AI image resembling China's national emblem.

Outlook: Expect the food-safety row and tainted-oil fallout to keep fueling an early, personal run-up to the 2028 presidential race.