Donald Trump’s inner circle says he has “changed” since the shooting. But is he really?
The failed assassination of Donald Trump at a rally in rural Pennsylvania over the weekend––the first attempt on the life of a sitting or former president in 43 years––is sure to shake up the 2024 race in shocking and unexpected ways. Nowhere is this moment of uncertainty more palpable than inside the Trump campaign as thousands of delegates descend on Milwaukee to kick off the 2024 Republican National Convention. Three sources who have spoken to Trump since the shooting said they are struggling to recognize his softer tone. “He’s changed, and we’re all scared,” one of the sources said.
The Trump campaign is racing to reprogram the convention. What was originally going to be a four-day festival of rage is being repositioned as a post-shooting show of unity. “Trump has said he doesn’t want any talk of revenge or retaliation in the speeches or anywhere else,” said a Republican close to the campaign. On his flight to Milwaukee on Sunday, Trump told reporters from New York Post Office And Washington Inspector that he would rewrite his nomination speech to unite the country. “I basically gave a speech that was incredible. It was brutal—really good, really tough. I threw it out,” Trump said.
Even the campaign’s biggest decisions are being reconsidered by staff. According to one source, Trump’s staff is concerned that Trump might choose Nikki Haley as his running mate at the last minute to appeal to moderates; she was added to Tuesday’s speaker lineup after the shooting. “There was concern that he might bring her in as vice president,” the source said. Two sources close to Trump dismissed the idea, but the fact that aides were discussing a Vice President Haley scenario underscores the confusion of this historic moment. (Trump reportedly made his choice and Marco Rubio was told he was not that person.)
The fundamental question for the election, of course, is whether Trump has truly changed. Is his retribution a short-term response to a near-death experience? Or is it smart politics? Will a reformed Trump replace his extreme policies with a moderate agenda? And will Trump, who has spoken ominously of seeking revenge and retribution if elected, suddenly rein in those darker impulses?
These are fair questions. Trump has repeatedly tweaked his tone to sound more presidential, only to revert to his demagogic instincts. But sources who have spoken to Trump privately say he actually seems like a different man. “He was like, ‘Damn, that was close.’ He felt blessed,” said one of the people who spoke to Trump after the shooting.
Trump also appears to be aware that the Pennsylvania tragedy has generated goodwill among a wide range of voters––including his critics. According to one source, major Hollywood and Silicon Valley executives reached out to Trump over the weekend to express their support. “They were sending messages like, ‘That was the bravest thing I’ve ever seen,’” said a source familiar with the conversations. (After the shooting, Elon Musk And Bill Ackman Trump is aware that there is a big political opportunity for him after the shootings, sources said. “He knows people are giving him another chance. He’s letting people back in,” said one of the people who spoke to Trump over the weekend. “He wants to be loved.”
Given recent events, you can’t blame Trump for wondering whether his campaign benefited from divine intervention. On Monday morning, a Trump-appointed judge Aileen Cannon dismissed classified documents case against former president, saying appointment of special counsel Jack Smith is unconstitutional. (Trump responded on Monday by launching into one of his all-too-familiar tirades against the legal system, calling for the rejection of “ALL witch hunts,” including “The January 6 Hoax in Washington, DC, the Manhattan DA’s Zombie Case, the New York Attorney General’s Scam, the Fake Claims About a Woman I Never Met… and the ‘Perfect’ Phone Call allegations in Georgia.”)
Cannon’s decision comes after a shocking Supreme Court ruling granting the president broad immunity for actions taken while in office. And Democrats have been left paralyzed by the question of what to do about it. Joe BidenThe candidate is falling apart.[Trump] “It’s going to be a landslide victory,” said a Republican close to the campaign.
