The Pros and Cons of Trump’s Political Mastery

Still, the event was consistent with Trump’s nearly decade-long political career: risky, unplanned events that few candidates for office would ever undertake, that drive the news cycle for days, but not always in his favor, from a master a showman who formed a deep emotional bond with his supporters.

On Sunday, Trump showed how much he has changed the Republican Party. Speaker after speaker stood up to denounce Dick Cheney, the Iraq War, the Patriot Act and other staples of GOP orthodoxy just 20 years ago, and the crowd seemed largely to agree. The exception, a holdover from that GOP era who is still beloved by MAGA Republicans, was Rudy Giuliani, the 9/11-era “mayor of America,” who was humiliated by his ill-fated 2020 election maneuvers and received a standing ovation. .

You can also witness this change at Vice President Kamala Harris’ events. She campaigned alongside Liz Cheney and received the support of both Cheneys. Liberals on social media are calling on George W. Bush and even Mike Pence to follow suit.

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However, the main takeaway from the event was the disparaging mention of Puerto Rico in an offensive comic strip. The Commonwealth Island did not receive a vote in the presidential election, although Trump won more than 96% of the vote in the Republican primary. (It should be noted that only a little more than 1,000 people voted, and the remaining candidates on the ballot have already dropped out.) But hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans living in battleground states do.

The Trump campaign distanced itself from this joke, which the audience clearly did not like. For now, that requires careful examination of what other remarks at the sprawling, multi-speaker rally the former president rejects or endorses.

This is the paradox of Trump’s live broadcasts. A reality TV star, Trump nonetheless prioritizes entertaining and inspiring his supporters in the arena, regardless of the impact it has on viewers at home. This was demonstrated in his 90-minute acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

No matter how much time Trump devotes to his iconic speech, the headlines will inevitably focus on his most controversial off-script comments. In the age of social media, campaigns distribute excerpts from these speeches, and far more people hear about Puerto Rico, Arnold Palmer, and eating dogs than will ever hear or watch the entire speech, let alone anything Trump says about trade or taxes politics.

At the same time, Trump subscribed to the theory that there is no such thing as bad publicity, dating back to his early days in New York real estate. He became a tabloid celebrity as a businessman, parlayed it into a second act on television, and eventually competed against wealthier opponents in three consecutive presidential elections, in part by dominating the free media.

Trump has demonstrated that it is possible to survive unfavorable headlines and even catastrophic events because the news cycle moves so quickly. Many of his supporters enjoy his unfiltered remarks and are accustomed to the constant outrage generated by the press and his political opponents. He’s also returned to the less confrontational and more humane banter that once allowed him to be a friendly guest of Howard Stern and David Letterman with his many podcast appearances.

There are times when Trump’s approach clearly works. The most dramatic example occurred when he was shot and killed during a failed assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump’s immediate instinct was not to leave the stage without showing defiance, demonstrating to the world that he was insubordinate.

On the contrary, Harris is very disciplined in getting her message across. She is uncomfortable in unplanned moments and avoids answering the most predictable questions if they might cause a rift in the anti-Trump coalition that she hopes will take her to the White House.

In 2020, with the pandemic and economy battered by lockdowns, enough voters tired of Trump are indicating they’re willing to change the channel to Joe Biden. Now, a critical mass of voters may be ready for a Trump reset.

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So Trump gives three-hour interviews to podcasters and invites offensive comics to his political events on the eve of what most pollsters consider a toss-up election. Harris is much more cautious and hopes voters, not to mention her vaunted ground game, will reward her caution.

Harris, of course, wants all the attention to be on Trump. Trump would like the election to be a referendum on the Biden-Harris principle, but finds it impossible to concede the center stage.