An Interesting Take From The “Trump Whisperer”

Trump, who saw his standing in 2011 GOP primary polls rise when he encouraged a lie that the first Black president was born in Kenya, questioned Harris's racial identity before a panel of Black journalists https://t.co/spqIrau7Fx

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) July 31, 2024

For younger people, this was every day covering Trump from June 2015 to November 2016. But also, then he won. https://t.co/xqjIO6sUJQ

— Benjy Sarlin (@BenjySarlin) July 31, 2024

Second Gentleman @DouglasEmhoff, at a fundraiser in Maine, addressed Trump's remarks about his wife's racial identity.

"A worse version of an already horrible person," Emhoff said of Trump.

"The insults, the BS," he added, "shows a lack of character—but it's a distraction."

— Kara Voght (@karavoght) July 31, 2024

VP Harris just responded to former Pres Trump questioning her identity as a Black and Indian woman, saying: "It was the same old show. The divisiveness and the disrespect. And let me just say, the American people deserve better. The American people deserve better. The American…

— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) August 1, 2024

A man of few moves he uses over and over. Today was a lot of 2016 in a few hours...except Harris didn't really take the bait. Unclear what happens in the next 97 days. https://t.co/NB67Bo08P3

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) August 1, 2024

Which is certainly a take:

What evidence do we have that Trump's racism -- which arguably was more overt in 2016 than in 2020 -- was what lost him the presidency?

— emptywheel (srian) (@emptywheel) August 1, 2024

Although 2024 is neither 2016 nor 2020. Trump has never run directly against a black woman.  I think Harris would be smart not to take the bait.

Lagniappe: remember when Trump said he’d get Evan Gershkovich freed, implying he alone could do it?

🚨*WSJ REPORTER RELEASED BY RUSSIA IN MULTI-COUNTRY PRISONER SWAP

*RUSSIA FREES WSJ'S GERSHKOVICH, EX-US MARINE WHELAN IN SWAP

— Jordan Fabian (@Jordanfabian) August 1, 2024