This is an adapted excerpt from the Aug. 1 episode of “Way Too Early.”
Let’s talk about Donald Trump’s week.
Things started to kick off on Tuesday with Trump policing who is and isn’t a good Jew. The former president called a conservative radio show to escalate his attacks on Jewish Democrats, calling them “fools” and saying they “should have their heads examined.”
Then on Wednesday, Trump held a rally in Pennsylvania where he mistakenly referred to Republican Senate candidate David McCormick as the state’s “next governor.” Twice.
This is a guy who is clearly still struggling to find his footing against Harris. So what does he do? He goes back to his original playbook.
Earlier that same day, Trump made an appearance at the National Association of Black Journalists conference and took aim at his opponent Vice President Kamala Harris — accusing Harris, who’s biracial, of “turning Black.”
So in 24 hours, Trump went from deciding who’s a good Jew to who’s really Black or who’s really Asian.
This is a guy who is clearly struggling to find his footing against Harris. So what does he do? He goes back to his original playbook, one that dates back even further than 2016. He’s trying to play the greatest hits of birtherism all over again.
Ever since the Republican Party’s convention it seems Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, have leaned into the weirdness. It’s almost like Trump is saying, “Boy, you know that Vance is really weird. Hold my beer, because look what I’m going to do here.” But Trump’s appearances aren’t a one-off. What we witnessed this week is pure Donald Trump. This is who he is. This is what he looks like when he’s in a somewhat hostile environment and asked tough questions. He has a meltdown. This is a moment in American politics where you step back and realize that you have the Republican candidate for president playing the race card and engaging in some of the worst kinds of racial stereotyping. It’s a repulsive moment in American politics, but it’s also a reminder of what Trump is doing and all he represents.
Charlie Sykes is an MS NOW contributor and the author of the newsletter "To the Contrary."
Allison Detzel is an editor/producer for MS NOW.
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