Trump's DNC counterprogramming got predictably outlandish
President Trump called into Sean Hannity's Fox News show during the final night of the Democratic National Convention to paint a picture of absolute bedlam under a Biden/Harris administration, forcefully — and falsely — asserting that they will "without question" dismantle the Second Amendment.
Earlier in the hour, the network had the DNC on in a smaller screen, but Trump received Hannity's undivided attention. He did his best to scare his supporters into going to the polls by declaring that the "Second Amendment is gone, you can forget about the Second Amendment if we lose the election. And your taxes will be doubled, tripled, and quadrupled. Your jobs will be gone. You're going to have a depression if that happens."
As images of tear gas being used against protesters and people getting punched in the face played on the screen, Trump stated that police "aren't allowed to do their thing, they're all good police, they don't want to lose their pension." He also said suburban women are "really going to want to support me" because "we're for law and order, we're for safety and security, and [Democratic presidential candidate Joe] Biden is not."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Hannity told Trump that Biden "seems frail to me, weak to me," and Trump demurely responded that he "didn't want to get into that," adding that "when you deal with President Xi [Jinping] of China, which I do all the time, [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin ... they're very sharp. They're at the top of their game. If you're not at the top of your game, it's not going to be a pretty picture. ... If you're not a great chess master, you're going to have a problem."
Trump also said he has "watched some" of the DNC, and panned former first lady Michelle Obama for recording her address. He said the Republican National Convention next week will have more live parts, because it will be "boring" otherwise.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
7 bars with comforting cocktails and great hospitalitythe week recommends Winter is a fine time for going out and drinking up
-
7 recipes that meet you wherever you are during winterthe week recommends Low-key January and decadent holiday eating are all accounted for
-
Nine best TV shows of the yearThe Week Recommends From Adolescence to Amandaland
-
Bari Weiss’ ‘60 Minutes’ scandal is about more than one reportIN THE SPOTLIGHT By blocking an approved segment on a controversial prison holding US deportees in El Salvador, the editor-in-chief of CBS News has become the main story
-
CBS pulls ‘60 Minutes’ report on Trump deporteesSpeed Read An investigation into the deportations of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador’s notorious prison was scrapped
-
Trump administration posts sliver of Epstein filesSpeed Read Many of the Justice Department documents were heavily redacted, though new photos of both Donald Trump and Bill Clinton emerged
-
Trump HHS moves to end care for trans youthSpeed Read The administration is making sweeping proposals that would eliminate gender-affirming care for Americans under age 18
-
Jack Smith tells House of ‘proof’ of Trump’s crimesSpeed Read President Donald Trump ‘engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election,’ hoarded classified documents and ‘repeatedly tried to obstruct justice’
-
House GOP revolt forces vote on ACA subsidiesSpeed Read The new health care bill would lower some costs but not extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies
-
Hegseth rejects release of full boat strike footageSpeed Read There are calls to release video of the military killing two survivors of a Sept. 2 missile strike on an alleged drug trafficking boat
-
Trump vows naval blockade of most Venezuelan oilSpeed Read The announcement further escalates pressure on President Nicolás Maduro
