Well, that didn’t last long.
All day Sunday and into Monday morning, one of the most radical political transformations in American history was being written. The old Trump, the nasty and malevolent political operative who is determined to get revenge and take over the election, was no more. Politicians, commentators and writers have been told that after Saturday’s shooting and miraculous escape, a new guy has emerged.
He even planned to break his NCR script and, instead of making plans to attack Biden (and write what he called a “humdinger”), he would provide a moderate, unifying figure who would be there to heal the wounds dividing United States. “Honestly, now it will be a completely different communication. It is a possibility to unite the country. I gave him this possibility,” Trump said. The time comes, the boy arrives.
And who better than Donald Trump to unite the country, right?The script was being radically rewritten. Meet New Trump, a martyr, now “spiritual” and who has now decided to unify United States.
It’s like Lazurus.
He was banished to death’s door in the new Pilgrim’s Progress short story (Trump edition) on Monday morning.
It is also complete.
Early Monday morning, when news broke that a Florida judge (and, coincidentally, a Trump-appointed judge) had ignored the classified documents case, the real Trump re-emerged and spoke to Truth Social;
“As we move forward in the unity of our country after the horrific events of Saturday, this dismissal of the illegal indictment in Florida will be only the first step, temporarily followed by the dismissal of ALL witch hunts: the January 6 hoax in Washington, D. C. , the Manhattan District Attorney’s Zombie case, the attorney general’s scam in New York, false accusations about a woman I never met (an online photo from decades ago with her husband doesn’t count). . . . “
It was a damascene conversion until that message landed on Truth Social, and then Trump goes back to being Saul.
The first half-sentence of the post is, comically, a nod to the Lazarus-like figure we were told would emerge from his near-death experience. But it didn’t last. And neither does this new fictional creation.
Within seconds of the shooting and after Trump recovered, surrounded by Secret Service agents, he raised his right fist and, his face distorted by a mixture of hatred and rage, shouted “Fight!Fight! Fight!”
No one ignores the feeling of anguish, worry and anger that can triumph over someone who has just escaped. But this vindictive, hateful, and angry reaction is in line with everything we know about the former president.
And yet, in a matter of hours, it was as if Trump had been replaced through a double frame. They were recruited to play the Good Boy (outside of Trump’s herbal repertoire). Soon we had a short and unique article on Truth Social, “Unite America! “.
Did your account get hacked?
Well, yes, in a way. His two co-campaign managers, Chris LaCivita and Susan Wiles, saw that senior Republicans’ reaction to the shooting blamed Democrats.
Trump’s collaborators in his absurd transformation are Chris LaCivita (immediately to his right) and Susie Wiles (immediately to his left).
The language was incendiary and intemperate. They said it would do nothing to convince Trump’s potential electorate, which had so far avoided their divisions, to go to the polls in November.
LaCivita and Wiles called a meeting Sunday morning to cancel the attack dogs. RNC speakers have been told the GOP will turn off the sound, not turn it up, this week in Milwaukee. Trump had had the opportunity to appear as a martyr and the Republican Party may now provide a newly sympathetic, even witty, figure. It is a political gift.
As Politico reported: “The pivot emerged from a Sunday morning phone call with Susie Wiles, Chris LaCivita, Jason Miller and pollster Tony Fabrizio. . . After hours of relentless and incendiary Republican attacks accusing Democrats of inciting violence, the team agreed.
Trump and the Republicans’ first reaction to this assassination attempt was to shake their fists and shout “fight, fight, fight. ” But this was temporarily overcome and became a message of unity. This lasted less than 24 hours.
And it worked. The influential political site Axios, a headline courtesy of prominent moderate politician Tucker Carlson, said, “Getting shot in the face changes a man. »
“His advisers tell us that Trump plans to get to his moment by toning down his Trump character and stepping up his efforts to unify a United States in a powder keg. “
The guy we have known for over 8 years, during our political dates, is no more. A guy who decided to get revenge, who raises his voice instead of lowering it, uses inflammatory language, channels grievances and challenges to each other. At every turn, he lies and tries to borrow the elections, he no longer exists. No more Mr. Nasty Guy.
Apparently.
The campaign’s co-chairmen, LaCivita and Wiles, have so far managed to shape a more moderate Trump. His performance in the debate was oddly benign (he is found separately), and he chose not to criticize Biden while the president was under attack for his performance. in the debate of the last two weeks. This stunt duo will have to keep intervening, tearing up the old Trump and playing M. Nice Guy until November.
For this pivot (or rewrite/scam) to work, you’ll need to continue to master it each and every turn. The omens, based on his Truth Social outburst this morning, are not good.
But it will be an incredible act to watch.
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