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Inside the Three Worst Weeks of Trump’s Campaign

Inside the Three Worst Weeks of Trump’s Campaign

Update: 2024-08-1216
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This podcast episode analyzes Donald Trump's campaign strategy in the wake of Kamala Harris replacing Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee. Trump is struggling to adapt to the new race dynamics, lashing out in public statements and campaign events. His campaign is focused on a narrow group of voters they believe are persuadable, betting on the enthusiasm for Harris being temporary and that the economy, immigration, and crime will favor Trump. The campaign is attempting to define Harris as someone who is not presidential, not strong, and not serious, using her past statements and actions to portray her as ideologically inconsistent and a fraud. The biggest question mark for Trump's campaign is whether he can control himself and avoid alienating voters with his impulsive behavior. His recent actions, including questioning Harris's race and attacking Republican governors, have raised concerns among his allies. The episode also mentions the alleged hacking of Trump's campaign by Iran and the US women's basketball team winning gold at the Olympics.

Outlines

00:00:00
Trump's Rude Awakening: Adjusting to a New Race

Donald Trump is struggling to adjust to the realities of the presidential race after Kamala Harris replaced Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee. He's frustrated by the shift in dynamics and is lashing out in public statements and campaign events.

00:01:13
Trump's Campaign Strategy: A Narrow Focus

Trump's campaign is focused on a narrow group of voters they believe are persuadable. They are betting that the enthusiasm for Harris is temporary and that the fundamental issues of the economy, immigration, and crime will favor Trump.

00:16:04
Defining Kamala Harris: Unscripted Moments and Personal Attacks

Trump's campaign is trying to define Harris as someone who is not presidential, not strong, and not serious. They are using her past statements and actions to portray her as ideologically inconsistent and a fraud.

00:27:04
Trump's Biggest X-Factor: Himself

The biggest question mark for Trump's campaign is whether he can control himself and avoid alienating voters with his impulsive behavior. His recent actions, including questioning Harris's race and attacking Republican governors, have raised concerns among his allies.

00:30:01
Campaign Hacked, US Wins Basketball Gold

Trump's campaign was allegedly hacked by Iran, resulting in the theft of sensitive documents. The US women's basketball team won gold at the Olympics, tying China for the most gold medals.

Keywords

Donald Trump


Donald John Trump is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. He is a controversial figure known for his outspoken views and business dealings.

Kamala Harris


Kamala Devi Harris is an American politician serving as the 49th and current vice president of the United States. She is the first female vice president, the first African American vice president, and the first Asian American vice president.

2024 Presidential Election


The 2024 United States presidential election is scheduled to be held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. It will be the 59th quadrennial presidential election.

Target Persuadables


In political campaigns, "target persuadables" are voters who are considered to be open to changing their minds about who they will vote for.

Word Salad


"Word salad" is a term used to describe a speech or writing that is incoherent and nonsensical, often characterized by a jumble of words and phrases that do not make sense together.

Q&A

  • What is Donald Trump's biggest challenge in adjusting to the new race with Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee?

    Trump's biggest challenge is controlling his impulsive behavior and avoiding alienating voters with his harsh rhetoric. He has struggled to adapt to Harris as a new candidate and has lashed out in public statements and campaign events.

  • How is Trump's campaign trying to define Kamala Harris?

    Trump's campaign is trying to portray Harris as someone who is not presidential, not strong, and not serious. They are using her past statements and actions to paint her as ideologically inconsistent and a fraud.

  • What is the Trump campaign's strategy for winning the election?

    The Trump campaign is focused on a narrow group of voters they believe are persuadable. They are betting that the enthusiasm for Harris is temporary and that the fundamental issues of the economy, immigration, and crime will favor Trump.

  • What is the significance of Trump's recent actions, such as questioning Harris's race and attacking Republican governors?

    These actions have raised concerns among Trump's allies, who fear that he is alienating voters and sabotaging his own campaign. They are worried that his impulsive behavior will cost him the election.

  • What is the Trump campaign's plan for dealing with Harris's strong performance in public appearances?

    The Trump campaign is trying to force Harris into unscripted settings, such as interviews and debates, where they believe she will falter under pressure. They are hoping to create embarrassing moments that will undermine her credibility.

Show Notes

For much of the past year, Donald J. Trump and those around him were convinced that victory in the presidential race was all but certain. Now, everything has changed, after the decision by President Biden not to seek a second term.

Jonathan Swan, who covers the Trump campaign for The New York Times, discusses the former president’s struggle to adjust to his new opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.

Guest: Jonathan Swan, who covers politics and Donald Trump’s presidential campaign for The New York Times.

Background reading: 

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

Comments (2)

Tom MacDonald

so these guys are saying that Trump had the worst 3 weeks ever in his candidacy. they completely fail to mention of course that he just got shot in the face the week before that and was almost killed with an Assassin's bullet sorry eight bullets. and then you're saying boy what a lousy time to have three bad weeks right when Kamala Harris has committed the ultimate Palace coup. how disingenuous does the New York Times have to be before subscribers finally give up.

Aug 14th
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Inside the Three Worst Weeks of Trump’s Campaign

Inside the Three Worst Weeks of Trump’s Campaign

The New York Times