August 10, 2024

"[Trump] has found the change disorienting, those who interact with him say. Mr. Trump had grown comfortable campaigning against an 81-year-old incumbent..."

"... who struggled to navigate stairs, thoughts and sentences.... The people around Mr. Trump see a candidate knocked off his bearings... At the Aug. 2 dinner, Mr. Trump told donors that the news media had been incorrectly suggesting that he had mellowed since the assassination attempt. 'I’m not nicer,' he said, according to one person in attendance. Another said Mr. Trump described himself as 'angry' because 'they' — unspecified adversaries that the attendee took to mean Democrats — had first tried to bankrupt him and then to kill him.... He had been on a glide path to an all but certain victory. Now, he needs to work for it. But Mr. Trump has also been whipsawed by a seven-week roller-coaster-ride of events: an attempt on his life, the selection of a running mate, a nominating convention, his opponent’s withdrawal from the race, the entry of a galvanizing new rival, a potential Iranian assassination threat against him and new layers of security that have brought a bunker-like feel to his properties...."

Write Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, in "Inside the Worst Three Weeks of Donald Trump’s 2024 Campaign/People around the former and would-be president see a candidate knocked off his bearings, disoriented by his new contest with Kamala Harris and unsure of how to take her on" (NYT).

102 comments:

Tom T. said...

Media exaggeration aside, it's indeed hard to see how Trump has been doing anything to sell himself to the public over the past couple of weeks. Harris is here, and the reality is that she is going to be fully protected and insulated by the media. So what's the new plan?

Enlighten-NewJersey said...

And they know this how?

Mark said...

Trump is spent. He’s boring. He’s in his personal and political Fat Elvis era where he can’t do anything more but play the same old hits to an aging crowd.

Sally327 said...

I don't think the Democrats replaced Biden on the ticket because of anything Trump did but on the other hand Trump was openly criticizing and ridiculing Biden for his obvious infirmities for months and then he agreed to that early debate with Biden. Did he honestly not expect that Biden would get bumped off the ticket? Others in the party were warning about that happening as early as last year.

Michael K said...

To understand Trump I always rely on the New York Times.

Levi Starks said...

It’s too bad the Democrats couldn’t have had a primary.

NorthOfTheOneOhOne aka Doug Emhoff's Pimp Hand said...

If anything is throwing Trump it is that Harris is not talking to the press and that gives him very little to campaign against.

dreams said...

I predict even the Dems will be sick of that cackling laugh before her four years are over.

Darury said...

As I recall, the Democrats haven't even had their convention yet, so Kamala isn't even officially the nominee. What's the point of campaigning against some how may be replaced again in a couple weeks?

gilbar said...

wouldn't it be Great?
being assigned the Democrat Nomination.. less than 100 days b4 the election..
Without ever (In Your Life, EVER!) winning (or even Entering!) a primary..
and Not EVER having a Press conference? (though, you DID promise to have one AFTER the election?)

AMDG said...

If she won’t define herself then it is up to Trump to define her. Lord knows there is more than enough material! But Trump is focused on more important things like Brian Kemp and Joe Rogan.

gilbar said...

Darury
As I recall, the Democrats haven't even had their convention yet, so Kamala isn't even officially the nominee.

NOPE! they ALREADY HAD their (virtual) convention.. She is OFFICIALLY their nominee.

SGT Ted said...

The media sure like to just make up stuff, don't they?

Bob Boyd said...

The walls are closing in. It's the beginning of the end.

Gunner said...

Has any Maggie Haberman article ever helped Trump do anything? WHY DOES HE KEEP TALKING TO THIS WOMAN?

edward irvin said...

Is it possible that Trump may be suffering from some degree of PTSD? After all he did get part of his ear shot off.

Narayanan said...

If she won’t define herself then it is up to Trump to define her.
============
per SC Jstice Brown need advice on how many scientific qualification Trump need to define?

Michael K said...

I doubt he does. She is another lefty mind reader, like some here.

baghdadbob said...

Yes who is "they," this unspecified adversary, this figment of Trump's imagination, trying to bankrupt him, jail him, kill him? How delusional to think there are those out to get him.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

What Maggie? The CIA ran out of leaks for you? Must really suck to be assigned the "woe is Trump" beat when all the cool kids get to pen treacly Kamalot praise, enthuse endlessly about her joyful demeanor and admire the crease in her oh-so-hip pant suits. Hangitup Hagerman.

traditionalguy said...

100% wishful thinking. Trump will take no prisoners this time.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Good point. More combat than Tim Walz saw.

Sally327 said...

Yes.

traditionalguy said...

Think of Trump as Red Mike at the Battle of Edson’s Ridge. Fearless.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

From the Olympic story on there's been real air of subjectivity over objectivity to every story. Is that the theme today? Is it the Grand Theme every day?

Oh Yea said...

Time for Trump to brave enough to step down and let someone else have the nomination. Otherwise, his legacy will be a two-time loser handing the presidency to Biden then Harris.

Michael said...

He gets knocked down
But he gets up again.
Ain’t never gonna keep him down.

chuck said...

I'm already sick of her voice asking for money. Makes me want a "eff off" button for the ads. She presents as a nag, what genius thought that a good idea?

Big Mike said...

Althouse believes what Maggie Haberman writes. Isn’t that just precious?

Bob Boyd said...

This article smacks of hope.

Drago said...

LOL

Drago said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
RCOCEAN II said...

Two DNC operatives posing as "reporters".

Drago said...

The Wannabe Online DeSantis Influencers follow the lead of the left and globalists every single time.

But only every single time.

Without fail.

RCOCEAN II said...

Its hilarious how Kamala is running as if she wasn't part of the Biden Adminstration for 4 years. Guess she's been asleep the whole time. BTW, she didn't do badly in 2020 debate with pence, but that's because she spent the whole debate attacking Trump's record, and because Pence is such a zero. The moderator also did her bit, teeing up the Kamala Friendly questions, and helping her out.

Jamie said...

As I keep saying, it's not that he got part of his ear shot off, it's that he was a quarter of an inch from being shot and killed.

Cacimbo said...

"They" aka Democrats have tried to bankrupt and kill him. Anger is appropriate in that situation.
After being shot Trump's response was to show the crowd he was fine and fight back. The media is now doing all they can to try and convince people the man they saw respond bravely has been turned into a babbling scared fool because the dems replaced their senile candidate with someone who just sounds senile. This is laughably absurd. Yet Dem readers continue to accept whatever nonsense the media peddles.

Democratic Paychecks for Perks/ Dems for Demolition of Democracy/ fake-cares 4-U said...

Trump should pivot to obsessing over DeSantis. That will really bring in the voters.

rehajm said...

Meanwhile nobody is having the important conversation about policy...

I Shouldn’t Have Left the White House said...

Honestly, every iteration of this story is worse for Trump. Total self-inflicted wound--we're now on day 3 of this being a thing.

Yes, Trump Was in a Scary Helicopter Ride. But Not With That Politician.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/10/us/politics/trump-helicopter-crash-willie-brown.html

Democratic Paychecks for Perks/ Dems for Demolition of Democracy/ fake-cares 4-U said...

After Tim Walz Became Governor, Minnesotans Fled the State—and Took Almost $5 Billion With Them.

Inga said...

All one has to do is watch him for oneself no further convincing is necessary.

Inga said...

Harris’ massive rally in Arizona yesterday was full of policy. Not so much Trump’s rally in Montana which was especially chaotic and nonsensical.

Inga said...

“The population of Minnesota in 2023 was 5,737,915, a 0.41% increase from 2022. The population of Minnesota in 2022 was 5,714,300, a 0.06% decline from 2021. The population of Minnesota in 2021 was 5,717,968, a 0.13% increase from 2020. The population of Minnesota in 2020 was 5,710,578, a 1.25% increase from 2019.”

“Minnesota's population is growing again after a slight fall in the prior year, according to new population estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau. The state's population is now estimated to be 5,737,915, up by nearly 24,000 from 2022 to 2023.“
MPR

hombre said...

Really, Igna, the increase in the Somali population is not likely to replace the lost wealth.

hombre said...

Really, Igna, the increase in the Somali population is not likely to replace the lost wealth.

Yancey Ward said...

Another "Walls are Closing In" story about Trump. Big surprise.

hombre said...

The leftmediaswine have pulled out the stops. As with this article, the gaslighting is unprecedented. Trump is running against them, not Harris. If it's close, he's also running against the ballot harvesters. The cabal, the parasites and the nitwits will steal the country. Trump will not be allowed to win.

Howard said...

hombre is going full Desperado mode. Already making excuses for the Trump loss as a salve for his fragile ego. That of course is the modus operandi of your typical Trump fan: whatever you do don't put on your big boy pants and man up. Your best move is to whine and complain and claim everyone is against you and they're cheating and they're so bad and evil I'm helpless against the onslaught of the soy boys and feminazis.

boatbuilder said...

Do you honestly believe the BS they are selling you?

Michael K said...

Are you referring to the Secret Service ? And the NY AG? Sounds fair o me.

Michael K said...

Another troll ! What a surprise !

Michael K said...

The dullard tries to tell us she watches Trump.

Michael K said...

The illegals are replacing the middle class folks who are leaving.

Michael K said...

Typical for Howitzer Howard.

Rosalyn C. said...

So true! The NY Times won't publish a single positive sentence about Trump. Refuses to even be neutral.

Achilles said...

These people are just plain dumb.

Achilles said...

Trump has been all over the new media. He has rolled out a completely new campaign strategy over the last month. Ann has even been linking to it so you can't pretend you don't know about it.

It just isn't in the media that you are used to watching. People on this board are so myopic. Ann has even linked to these long form interviews. Trump is going to be on X with Elon. This is going to break all viewership records.

It is people in the old media bubble that need to catch up.

Achilles said...

So read what you just wrote.

Then ask yourself why Trump would go all out on Harris/Walz before they are locked in as candidates.

Achilles said...

The only people dumber than Harris supporters are Nevertrumpers.

Achilles said...

They could still switch her out if they wanted.

JIM said...

The Democrat run media want people focused on Trump's age, and that he now is feeling confusion. He's in complete meltdown mode. Like Biden's cognitive decline. Get out of the way B===h. The Harris campaign is a Hollywood production. And it's all hands on deck. To your Battle stations.
Yesterday theme was "Kamala is joy"!

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

Remarkable how every almost every frequent commenter, on both sides of the divide, respond to a pulled-from-our-asses bit of gaslighting exactly as the gaslighter intended. Like the source is suddenly, magically, credible.

Earnest Prole said...

Like Trump’s campaign the past three weeks has been anything but an utter disaster. A man picking fights with the Republican governor of a state he must win is a man who believes he’s already lost.

Rabel said...

I didn't see it covered here, and I hope this doesn't elevate anyone's blood pressure to dangerous levels, but one week ago the DOJ announced that they were awarding a two million dollar settlement/payoff to Peter Strzok and Lisa Page for releasing the text messages in which they were plotting Trump's downfall.

Paranoid?

narciso said...

Yes an inkind contribution

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

The point of the Montana rally was to support the Republican who is going to defeat Tester and flip Montana in the Senate. I’ll take your unreliable word that Harris was “all about policy” and assume for now there’s a first time for everything.

narciso said...

Trolls shoukd do better

Maynard said...

The election experts and trolls are determining the election outcome in August when most Americans are on vacation. It will get even dumber and crazier (if that is possible for the Althouse trolls) as November approaches.

deepelemblues said...

There are no negatives from Trump dunking on whiny little manchild Brian Kemp.

deepelemblues said...

Trump certainly has looked *checks notes* disoriented while gleefully savaging Kamala every time he's in front of a microphone.

Rusty said...

What policies were those, Inga?

Robert Cook said...

Trump is easy to understand. He wants it all and he wants if all for himself. He has no concern or love or any caring for anyone else in the world.

Iman said...

Harris reportedly is speaking to some reporters, but off the record. What a weak-suck campaign they are being allowed to run, while being aided and abetted by the veal calf media.

Cackles the Clown and Walzrus.

Rosalyn C. said...

I think this article is what is called a PSYOP. In reality Trump is better than before. If he can get elected he'll be even better as a president than he was in his first term. He'll actually be presidential because the press will not give him hostile stupid questions every time he has a press conference.

As for Harris, a Sky News Australia commentator nails it: when you give Harris a microphone and she's not on a teleprompter "she sounds like a kid who didn't do the reading in a class in college and is just saying words to fill space..." @04:50
Trump presented a shorter version of Harris word salad in action at his Montana rally.

Inga said...

Border security
Immigration
Foreign policy
Women reproductive rights
Presidential immunity
Crime
Project 2025
Social security and Medicare

Inga said...

Trump rambled incoherently during most of his rally in Montana.

Iman said...

Ride that veal calf, Howie!

Iman said...

“massive rally”, lol, “full of policy”. Full of bullshit, Igna, and you’re soaking in it, care of kamalamaladingdong.

Iman said...

Haberman runs everything by Hillary Clinton, the other Pantsuited Pantload.

Yancey Ward said...

Inga, no one, literally no one believes you even listened to 5 minutes of Trump's rally speech. At least try to write lies that aren't so obvious.

Iman said...

That highlight reel of “The Wisdom of Kamala” shown at the Montana rally, as someone mentioned, will make a great campaign ad.

My God that woman is vapid.

Michael K said...

Cook, once again, shows himself as one more lefty mind reader.

Michael K said...

Good Lord ! The dullard names most of the good things Trump did in office. Project 2025 is a leftist illusion they are obsessed with. Medicare is unfixable. We lost a chance for real healthcare reform when Obama signed Pelosi's mysterious bill.

MikeD said...

Trump is so fearful he even let the Kamel speak at his MT. rally.

RMc said...

Well, if you can't trust the New York Times to tell the truth about Donald Trump, who can you trust...?!

Mason G said...

"My God that woman is vapid."

A month ago, she was the vice president with the lowest approval rating ever. Today, she's the most joyful thing any progressive has ever known.

It's not so much the woman who's vapid (although she is) but instead, it's the typical, run-of-the-mill Democrat who eats this sort of shit up.

GRW3 said...

A "they say" from Maggie Haberman isn't worth the paper it's printed on.

Drago said...

"Tim Walz implies he suffers from PTSD after serving in Afghanistan…….something he never did.
The lies keep piling up."

https://x.com/dhookstead/status/1822402582033338406?t=kRbbjIBxttHcqKJ9KSRgng&s=19

How many videos of Stolen Valor /Blue Falcon liar Walz can there be where he is faking combat status and wearing Special Forcez garb?

Seems like hundreds....

...but the kamala-la-la-lala campaign says he simply "mispoke".

Maybe its just the longest stutter ever known to mankind.

Mason G said...

"How many videos of Stolen Valor /Blue Falcon liar Walz can there be where he is faking combat status and wearing Special Forcez garb?"

The thing is- Democrats don't like the military much (or the country, for that matter). Whatever Tampon Tim says will have little to no impact on them since they're mostly in agreement with him on how much the US sucks.

Inga said...

And healthcare.

effinayright said...

@ Drago:
Please send us to the vids where Walz is wearing US Army Special forces "garb" on a National Guard uniform. That would be ---at least politically---a hanging offense, because Guardsmen don't go through that program.. Just SHOW US the evidence, OK?

Drago said...

"Please send us to the vids where Walz is wearing US Army Special forces "garb" on a National Guard uniform. That would be ---at least politically---a hanging offense, because Guardsmen don't go through that program.. Just SHOW US the evidence, OK?"

https://x.com/DC_Draino/status/1821265788034298002

Inga said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Inga said...

The hat was a gift from the 1st SF Group

He can damn well wear the hat. He hasn’t claimed to be SF. Just more smearing. It’s not working. Harris/Walz keep going up in the polls while Trump is left behind with his bone spurs.

Mark said...

Trump has been all over the new media. He has rolled out a completely new campaign strategy over the last month

How is Trump's new strategy any different from Biden's basement campaign?

Drago said...

LOL

Hopelessly stupid.

Old and slow said...

The only people who care about the details of Walz's military service weren't going to vote for him anyway.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

After Walz used a title he didn’t earn, claimed combat experience he never had, ran for Congress as an Afghanistan veteran when he’d not even been there we are supposed to just accept him wearing insignia of certified badasses because he says NOW that the hat was a “gift”?

Sorry he hasn’t earned my trust. I respect that he served honorably for 20 some years but what he has said and done since disrespected his service. He was not proud enough of the truth to let it stand. We didn’t embellish his record. HE DID.

Robert Cook said...

It doesn't take being a mind reader, lefty or otherwise: It just takes knowing a little about human beings and looking at him frankly: his manner, his language, his actions and treatment of others, etc. (Not to mention what members of his own family have recounted about who he has been throughout his life.)

Robert Cook said...

Who's voting for Walz? People are voting either for Harris or for NOT TRUMP. (I'm in the latter cohort.)

effinayright said...

Walz isn't wearing a uniform, just that cap---which anyone can buy at Amazon. But I agree that his false statements were designed to pump himself up, so I also must agree that in his case, wearing that cap IS part of his deception.