That’s not, actually, what it was like. As soon as he obtained on the stage close to Virginia Seashore, it was extra his regular, discursive, expansive routine. Mr. Trump is inescapably himself.
The marketing campaign, and the promise of the second presidency, inescapably begins with Mr. Trump’s voice. It’s in all probability why he’s nonetheless rolling on, dominating opponents and politics itself, and it’s definitely why by means of just about any eventuality, the polling numbers of this race barely transfer: what powers him additionally limits him. He retains every thing shut.
In Chesapeake, Mr. Trump lined every thing from his unfaithful declare that the majority the roles created the final 4 years have gone to undocumented immigrants to his form of humorous ideas about Camp David to telling the gang that the Supreme Courtroom had issued a technical ruling almost certainly overturning some Jan. 6 rioter convictions, which morphed right into a “U.S.A., U.S.A.” chant from the gang whereas he talked about liberating the J6 prisoners. He talked concerning the debate some; he, after all, was brutal about Mr. Biden, at one level throwing out a blithe, chopping, “We don’t need you.” But Mr. Trump’s enthusiasm for speaking appeared to outlast the gang; even the large American flag behind him obtained barely tangled right into a cross-like form within the scaffolding that held it.
Mr. Trump retains being the individual we all know — statically supported by someplace between 44 and 49 p.c of individuals on any given day, with or with out enthusiasm, and the principle affect on American politics for near a decade now. He can appear calmer, like on Thursday night time, and his marketing campaign is extra skilled, however he hasn’t undertaken an effort to rebrand his politics, or shift away from the previous, for this to be a brand new period. He’s nonetheless him.
Through the debate, he mentioned completely wild stuff about Jan. 6 and immigration and what occurred throughout his presidency. He mentioned, primarily, that Jan. 6 was Nancy Pelosi’s fault. At one level, he was requested a query about little one care prices and responded by persevering with a considered firing a normal. He mentioned Evan Gershkovich can be freed throughout his presidency, one thing that, at this price, no one can promise.
