‘I’m Just Really Glad That Trump’s OK’

Explicit content warning

07/15/24 • 34 min

5 Listeners

You’ve seen the image by now: Former President Donald J. Trump has blood running down the side of his face. He’s being escorted off his rally’s stage by the Secret Service, and he pauses to look at the crowd, his fist proudly in the air.

It’s too soon to know how the attempt on his life on Saturday in Pennsylvania will affect the outcome of the race. But Trump’s allies have already made the shock of the assassination attempt, and the violence, part of a clear political message.

To hear them tell it, Trump and his party are under attack.

This sense of persecution has long been core to Trump’s message. And the events of the weekend will only amplify that.

Today, as the Republican National Convention gets underway, we’re digging into that message with the Trump supporters who most embody it. And we’re doing so from their unlikely headquarters, where they gather every evening in Washington D.C.: outside the D.C. Jail.

Do you have a question about the 2024 election? We want to hear from you. Fill out this form or email us at [email protected]

To hear them tell it, Trump and his party are under attack.

This sense of persecution has long been core to Trump’s message. And the events of the weekend will only amplify that.

Do you have a question about the 2024 election? We want to hear from you. Fill out this form or email us at [email protected]

Previous Episode

Project 2025, Suddenly Everywhere, Explained

President Biden is telling people to Google it. Former president Donald J. Trump is distancing himself from it. Even the actress Taraji P. Henson talked about it onstage at the B.E.T. Awards.

Project 2025. It’s a blueprint for an incoming conservative president — presumably Donald Trump — spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.

And now it is everywhere in this tumultuous moment of the 2024 presidential race.

But what is it? Is it a guide to a possible second Trump administration? And why are Democrats seizing on it now, as Mr. Biden struggles to quiet doubts about his ability to defeat Mr. Trump? This week, we’re working through those questions.

On today’s episode

Jonathan Swan, who covers politics and Donald Trump’s presidential campaign for The New York Times.

Representative Ro Khanna, Democrat of California.

Next Episode

With J.D. Vance and a Bandaged Ear, Trump Gets His Party Started

Republicans had a big day on Monday. Donald Trump picked J.D. Vance as his running mate. Two days after surviving an assassination attempt, he officially became his party’s presidential nominee. And the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee got underway, with a festive mood among the delegates.

The Run-Up is here in Milwaukee for the occasion. In special episodes this week, we’ll tell you what we’re seeing — and what that tells us about Trump’s Republican Party.

To kick things off, Jess Bidgood, who writes the On Politics newsletter, joined Astead to analyze key moments from Night 1.

Do you have a question about the 2024 election? We want to hear from you. Fill out this form or email us at [email protected]