Donald Trump and J.D. Vance at the Republican National Convention, July 15, 2024 (Will Lanzoni/CNN)

Trump, Political Violence, and the Future of America

EA on International Media: Can America Survive Trump’s “Politics of Violence”?

UPDATE, JULY 19:

I spoke with BBC Radio Scotland on Friday morning about Donald Trump’s rambling speech laden with falsehoods and insults — “standard Trump, but at a lower volume” — to the Republican National Convention.

I explain why that speech is already being replaced in the news cycle by the growing likelihood that President Joe Biden will step aside as the Democratic candidate for November’s election.

Listen to Discussion from 1:07.09

UPDATE, JULY 18:

I spoke with RTE Radio 1’s Philip Boucher-Hayes on Thursday about the Republican National Convention: the “cult of personality” around Donald Trump; the spectacle at the expense of any recognition of important issues; and the speech of Trump’s hard-right Vice Presidential pick J.D. Vance.

Listen to Discussion

Along the way, I note how Vance erased his criticism in 2016 of Trump as a “moron” and “America’s Hitler”, spoke about fighting for the “working class” but covered up his Congressional record of 0% support for legislation on their behalf, and hid positions such as his opposition to abortion even in cases of rape and incest.

But some matters can’t stay buried. I reveal how in December 2023, Vance issued a threat to the Irish Government. In a letter to the Irish Ambassador to the US about hate speech legislation, he compared Ireland to China, Myanmar, and Iran and threatened the US-Irish relationship if the measure was adopted.

I also return to the topic of whether President Joe Biden, contracting COVID, will be persuaded to step aside as the Democratic nominee.

There’s a small timeframe for the Democrats who want to push aside Biden to get it done, because you have to prepare a new candidate for the National Convention on August 19.

ORIGINAL ENTRY, JULY 16: I joined Al Jazeera English on Monday night to analyze Donald Trump’s choice of J.D. Vance as his Vice Presidential running mate, and how this elevates the threat to the US system.

J.D. Vance is a smarter version of Trump who has remade himself for political advance.

You no longer have a conventional Republican Party. You have a Trumpist camp which has effectively taken over the Republican Party, and some people have made themselves into Trumpists to be part of that camp.

Vance is part of the phenomenon of people who, rather than support the American system, are quite happy to run with Trump and his vision of autocracy.

Video in two parts: