RNC ends on a high note

The Republican National Committee’s memorable four-day convention came to an end in Milwaukee last night. With an unusual performance from Kid Rock, a shirt-ripping Hulk Hogan and dozens of Trump-humanizing speeches, the RNC managed to throw a party that drew some attention, some laughs and certainly some tears — from worried Democratic strategists and enamored Trump-fans alike.

It was, as The Spectator’s James Heale put it, “the first convention in twenty years where polls suggest the Republicans are on course to win the White House, producing an air of expectation and excitement.” This, combined with other well-known current events, made the excitement at the Fiserv Forum arena quite palpable, with cheese-hatted delegates dancing to the tunes of Elvis Presley and Lee Greenwood. 

The star of the night was obviously Donald Trump, who, following Tucker Carlson and some of his employees, gave a powerful ninety-three-minute speech. He started it by retelling the events of the attempt on his life at Saturday’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

“I’ll tell you what happened, and you’ll never hear it from me a second time, because it’s too painful to tell,” Trump told the crowd.

One of the best moments of the night came when Trump walked his way from the podium to kiss the firefighter helmet of Corey Comperatore, who was killed by one of the bullets aimed at Trump last Saturday. 

The rest of his speech resembled that of a Trump rally, which made some sense considering that he never finished his last one. Some critics found it meandering, claiming that it proves that Trump hasn’t changed. Others saw it as effective messaging, proving, among other things, that unlike the other candidate still on the race, Trump has the stamina of a national leader. 

-Juan P. Villasmil

On our radar

LIKED IT Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook/Meta founder, said he gets the appeal of Donald Trump after the former president got up and fist-pumped after getting shot. Zuck said Trump’s reaction “with the American flag is one of the most badass things I’ve ever seen in my life.”

WSJ REPORTER SENTENCED Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has been sentence to sixteen years in prison after pleading not guilty to espionage charges in Russia, the first journalist to be detained in the country since the Cold War.

FORGIVE ME One of President Joe Biden’s signature policy, er, achievements? — the administration’s student loan forgiveness and repayment program — has been blocked by a federal appeals court. The ruling is expected to affect 8 million borrowers. 

Biden’s last days in office?

It appears that the Biden presidency may be reaching its final days. After weeks of Democrats slowly turning their backs on him, the number of Democratic congressmen who have called for him to bow out has now reached thirty.

Influential Democrats such as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and former House speaker Nancy Pelosi each told Biden in separate meetings he should reconsider his election bid or risk losing and dragging the Democratic party down with him.

New Mexico senator Martin Heinrich, also called on Biden to exit the race, making him the third Senate Democrat to do so. “By passing the torch, he would secure his legacy as one of our nation’s greatest leaders and allow us to unite behind a candidate who can best defeat Donald Trump and safeguard the future of our democracy,” he said.

According to an APpoll, seven in ten adults, including 65 percent Democrats, are saying Biden should withdraw and be replaced by another nominee.

And on Thursday, Newsmax contributor Mark Halperin made some dubious claims that Biden will drop out of the 2024 race this weekend and does not plan on endorsing Kamala Harris. Halperin said he was told by “multiple sources that we can expect the president to make his announcement as early as the weekend, perhaps next week, and to clear the way for Kamala Harris and perhaps others to compete for the nomination.”

“Harris is vetting at least four possible running mates,” he said, “including [Kentucky governor] Andy Beshear and possibly Shapiro,” referencing Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro. He added that the Democrats want to turn August’s convention into a homage for Biden. It’s unclear how a convention would work under these circumstances, he said. Halperin was slammed by many on social media for “fake news,” but neither Biden nor his campaign have reacted to his claims.

Biden still insists he has a path to victory and says he plans to return to the campaign after isolating with Covid-19. He claimed Trump’s acceptance speech at the RNC showcased a “dark vision for the future.” “Together, as a party and as a country, we can and will defeat him at the ballot box,” Biden said. “The stakes are high, and the choice is clear. Together, we will win.”

–Elisenne Stoller

Desk job

Word is that Amy Klobuchar is still recovering from the Senate gay sex scandal that claimed her desk (first reported by Cockburn, to his eternal chagrin). Klobuchar reportedly shrugged knowingly when asked about the twinks who did their extracurricular activities on her workspace. A spy tells Cockburn that Klobuchar refuses to use the desk until it’s replaced with a fresh one, but that, for whatever reason, whoever furnishes Senate offices still has not given Klobuchar the clean slate she so desires.

–Cockburn