CNN
—
Donald Trump may not have changed in the past week, but the presidential race clearly has.
In the seven days since he narrowly escaped an assassin’s bullet, Trump has:
► His supporters spoke reverently about their view of God’s plan to save his life and elevate him to near-divine status.
► He demonstrably united the Republicans at a rousing Republican convention.
► Saw former rivals like Nikki Haley singing his praises.
► Benefited from a judge he appointed dismissing criminal proceedings against him in Florida.
► Watched President Joe Biden become isolated by the growing number of Democrats who fear he cannot defeat him.
► Read polls that suggest he is ahead in what previously seemed a neck-and-neck race.
The party conventions are always an opportunity for presidential candidates and their party to present themselves and unite their party before the election. But this week was special for Trump. His surge coupled with the Democrats’ concern for Biden has changed the race.
Biden is essentially under fire as more and more Democrats call on him to resign, arguing that doing so is the right thing to do to protect his legacy and give them a chance in November. If Biden were looking for inspiration to overcome the naysayers, he might find it in Trump. The former president, despite a criminal conviction in New York and hundreds of millions for defamation and economic fraud, has emerged from purgatory after trying to overturn the 2020 election results to claim his reward of having his name flashed in the Broadway lights at the Republican National Convention.
Many Americans will likely come across the riveting first part of his acceptance speech on social media, in which he recounted his near-death experience, espoused the theory of his survival due to divine intervention, and paid his last respects to the fire chief who died in the attack by kissing his firefighter’s helmet.
But later in his 90 minutes on stage, when Trump deviated from the script, he delivered a rally of sorts, airing his grievances and factually incorrect boasts about his record. If the focus ever turns back to him from the Democratic drama, such speeches could stir memories of his chaotic years in office.
Trump returns to the campaign trail on Saturday and will hold his first joint rally with his running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio. The two will speak at an arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Michigan is one of the key building blocks of the so-called Blue Wall, which also includes Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. If Democrats win these states, they can capture the White House. But while Democrats focus on whether Biden becomes their nominee and he recovers from a Covid-19 diagnosis, Trump and Vance can continue their campaign without an answer.
In a poll of likely voters released Thursday by CBS News and YouGov, Trump is at over 50 percent nationwide.
Trump’s lead in the polls suggests he could be the first Republican in 20 years to win a majority of the popular vote nationally, following incumbent President George W. Bush’s defeat of Democratic Senator John Kerry in 2004.
Interestingly, according to the CBS News poll, most registered Democratic voters (56%) do not think Biden should drop out. Lawmakers see things differently. Democrats’ efforts to push Biden out of the race are both an admission that Biden is behind in the presidential race and a function of Democrats in the House and Senate hoping to change the debate in their own campaigns.
California Democrat Zoe Lofgren joined the list of Democrats calling on Biden to resign. In a letter to Biden, she said she would support his candidacy if he stays in the race and would work to help him win. But…
“Unfortunately, I highly doubt the outcome will be positive and our country will pay a terrible price for it,” she said.
Motive for shooting still unclear
Investigators continue to puzzle over the motive of the suspected shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, who was killed by a sniper a week ago shortly after firing from the roof of an off-site building at Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
In recent days, CNN has learned that Crooks has been seeking information on Trump and Biden, including details about the Democratic National Convention. Crooks was also seeking information on Ethan Crumbley, the mass murderer who killed four classmates at a Michigan high school in 2021. Crumbley’s parents were recently sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison for manslaughter.
CNN also reported that Trump’s campaign was not informed by the Secret Service before its appearance at the outdoor rally in Butler that police were looking for a suspect identified as Crooks. Republicans called for the firing of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, and Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee released a video of lawmakers vociferously pursuing Cheatle and demanding answers during the Republican National Convention.
Regardless of Crooks’ motive or how he was able to climb onto the roof and shoot Trump, his attack on Trump could be a turning point for the country, infusing Trump’s campaign with a sense of righteousness.
