2024 Republican National Convention

Former first lady Melania Trump plans on releasing her first memoir this fall, entitled Melania. The book is slated to tell “a powerful and inspiring story of a woman who has carved her own path, overcome adversity and defined personal excellence,” according to her office. The book will be published by Skyhorse Publishing and will have two versions, a “Collector’s Edition” signed by the former first lady and a “Memoir Edition.” The fifty-four-year-old has kept relatively quiet about her time in the White House and life as a whole, and opted not to speak at the RNC, marking a departure from tradition for candidates’ wives. She did appear onstage with her husband at the end of his remarks and watched other speakers from the dais on the final day.

It’s Joever. The president of the United States has announced that he is out of the race and thrown his support behind “Coconut Tree” Kamala Harris. On its face, this may sound like good news for overly confident Republican strategists. Harris may not be fossilized, but she still shares responsibility for her administration’s failures. Polls show that she is roughly as popular as Biden. Still, in electoral politics, overconfidence is a vice: Republicans should start talking and acting as if they can lose.  One of Trump’s greatest strengths is his ability to depict wins. “We’re gonna win so much that you are gonna get tired of winning,” he loves to tell his audience.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin A global IT meltdown seemingly caused by a glitch in the CrowdStrike platform caused members of Congress, members of the media and Republican Party operatives of all ranks to suffer together as they scrambled to get to their home bases across America after the conclusion of the RNC. Most were stuck either in Milwaukee or in one of Chicago’s bigger airports. The “RNC 2.0 is happening in the Chicago airport currently,” one attendee who made it out of Milwaukee quipped.  In order to make up for the mass delays and cancellations, airlines attempted to be generous, but many offerings ended up reinforcing several of the messages that came from the RNC: that America’s borders are wide open and that the cost of food remains out of control.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin “The challenge for Trump,” says The Spectator editorial from this month’s magazine “is to show Americans a steady hand and a normal face.” The normal face the Republican National Convention opted for was that of wrestling legend Hulk Hogan, who took to the stage waving a huge American flag, began his remarks by yelling, "Well let me tell you something brother" and later removed his jacket so he could tear his vest in half to reveal a red "Trump-Vance" tank top underneath. "Let Trumpomania run wild!" he screamed. The Fiserv Forum was exuberant. High up in the stands, Russell Brand was sat a few rows behind me, for some reason. Is this America's new normal? https://twitter.com/jordanuhl/status/1814111040076153156?

Elon Musk is parting from his home state, publicly endorsing Trump minutes after the former president was almost assassinated at his rally in Pennsylvania. Musk also announced he will be donating $45 million to a pro-Trump political action committee and that he will be moving the headquarters of SpaceX and X from California to Austin, Texas.  He is among many other Silicon Valley billionaires who are announcing their support for Trump following the attack, including Bill Ackman, the Pershing Square Capital Management CEO. Musk cited California governor Gavin Newsom’s new law that bars school districts from requiring staff to notify parents of their child’s gender identification change as the “final straw,” as the law was “attacking both families and companies.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Cockburn is currently drinking his first half-decent coffee of the Republican National Convention in the media filing center, bleary eyed after two nights of aggressive socializing. Wisconsin is supposed to be famous for its beer and cheese — but it’s overcooked burgers and watery cold brew that have been keeping your devoted correspondent functional in the sweltering Midwest heat. (If anyone has any food recommendations in Milwaukee, please, for the love of God, email them to cockburn@thespectator.com.) His first social soirée was an impromptu Monday cocktail with Liz Truss, the former British PM who was recently de-MP’d in Labour’s landslide victory.

Former president Donald Trump was dragged off stage by Secret Service, his face bloodied, after an assassination attempt during his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, tonight. Video footage from the incident suggests multiple shots were fired. Supporters behind him ducked for cover as they rang out. “Glass fragments not a bullet hit Trump,” a source familiar told Axios's Juliegrace Brufke. https://twitter.com/nickfondacaro/status/1812252032272593009?s=46&t=KTzG0soGgiCKUdkuiUQOwA Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger told the Washington Post's Meryl Cornfield that "Trump was grazed by gunfire but is safe. An audience member was killed and the shooter is dead. Another person is in serious condition.

Republican National Committee chairman Michael Whatley defended changes to the GOP’s party platform, teased “surprise” speakers and shed insight into the party’s strategy to defeat President Joe Biden — or, potentially, another Democratic nominee — in a wide-ranging interview previewing next week’s convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Whatley told The Spectator that the convention, during which former president Donald Trump will officially receive the party’s nomination in the 2024 presidential race, will be about “highlighting everyday Americans.

With the Republican National Convention just around the corner, Cockburn sees only three possible options when it comes to Donald Trump announcing his VP pick. And according to the former president in an interview with Sean Hannity Monday night, he’d “love to do it during the convention," but "my people say that’s a little complicated.” Trump is hosting a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday night. With the RNC on Monday in Milwaukee, this could be prime time for Trump to make the VP announcement. Because his “people say it’s a little complicated” to do it during the convention, this would give the party a day or so to get their ducks in a row. “You know in the old days they would announce the vice president during the convention.

For years now Republicans have voiced some version of the same opinion: "If only Donald Trump could get out of his own way..." things would be going much better for them. In the DC swampland, this usually was followed with some comment about his tweets and personal feuds. Outside, if it came from older voters, it was usually expressed as "I wish he'd just put down the phone sometimes." And if it came from middle-aged supporters, it was more than once expressed to me that Trump just needs to "stop tripping on his own dick."  The attitude is ubiquitous among some portions of the president's base: they just think he'd be better off if he could focus and not give Democrats so much material.