Trump threatens violence on Cheney, media. Vote accordingly

If Donald Trump really feels the race is slipping away, his rhetoric will increasingly call for violence, even as his campaign struggles to insist that he wasn’t just saying what we’ve all heard him say.

Presidential campaigns typically spend a lot of time strategizing and organizing a closing message, final pitch for support, and a final appeal for your vote.

Donald Trump? He is a squirming mess ending his re-election campaign a rambling litany of grievances and fantasizes about violence for its perceived enemies, including the media.

Vice President Kamala Harris must be pleased about all of this. She worked at a stark message of unity and optimism. Trump provides a perfect contrast.

I don’t know who wins this race. But I know Trump seems to know he’s losing. That’s why he’s again spouting lies about voter fraud. He also wants to see violence against journalists. He always needs someone to blame, because Trump could never conceive of accepting responsibility for his own fate.

Trump ends the campaign doing what he does: lying and sowing violence

Trump threw out his typical rally script on Sunday during a stop in Lititza small burg in Pennsylvania about 63 miles west of Philadelphia. He thought of the ballistic glass raised now to protect him during outdoor rallies after a failed assassination attempt in another small Pennsylvania town in July.

“I have this piece of glass here,” Trump told the crowd before turning to violence. “But all we have here is fake news. And catch me someone should get through the fake news. And I don’t mind that much.”

One of Trump’s supporters was killed during that July attempt on his life, while two others were wounded. And here was Trump openly wanting gunfire to go through the crowd. This is his closing message.

Trump’s campaign staff reacted the only way they know how – by wrapping a lie in a blanket of outrage. Trump spokesman Steven Cheung said the president was speaking “brilliantly” about the July shootings and that what he said had “nothing to do with press damage.” Trump, Cheung argued, was really talking about protecting the media.

In short, Cheung argued that what we all heard was not what we all heard. Imagine a job where you have to ask for detachment from reality every day.

Trump uses mistrials and misdirections to avoid being asked tough questions

This kind of absurd deflection and media attack is the trademark of Trump and his campaign in the final days of the race.

Trump told a rally crowd in Wisconsin last week that if re-elected president, he would serve as a protector of women.whether women like it or not.” That’s how a guy is found guilty of sexual assault in a civil trial do we talk about women?

Harris, who made restoring access to abortion a centerpiece of his campaign to counter Trump’s nomination three justices of the US Supreme Court who helped overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022, he pounced on the creep of Trump’s statement, calling it “offensive to everyone.”

This is not a helpful narrative for Trump. His campaign needed to change the subject. So Trump sued CBS News because the network news show “60 Minutes” aired an edited version of an interview with Harris last month.

It’s as frivolous as it gets, but Trump, who was outraged to appear on the show, had complained about it regularly, and now he could use an ill-fated lawsuit to say, “Hey, look here!”

Trump threatens Liz Cheney, then distracts by attacking the news media

Need another example? You may have heard how Trump openly wished for a violent end on Thursday former US representative Liz Cheneya Republican who urged voters in her party to support Harris.

“He is a radical war hawk. Let’s set her up with a shotgun, nine barrels shooting at her, okay? Trump told former Fox News host Tucker Carlson about Cheney. “Let’s see how she feels about it, you know, with guns pointed in her face.”

Again, Trump opened the door and Harris hurried in, condemning what he saidwhile saying “this must be disqualifying” for the presidency. It isn’t, of course. It’s standard fare now from Trump. His campaign later insisted that his words were taken out of context.

So, that thing we’ve all heard? The Trump camp must insist that you detach yourself from that reality and not hear it. And maybe they’ll wave something shiny to distract you.

And just like that, on Friday, Trump opened a new front for his war on the news media, filing a complaint with the Federal Election Commissionaccusing The Washington Post of making “in-kind contributions” to Harris’ campaign because of the way the paper markets its journalism.

Another bunch of bullshit. Trump will not win this fight. But it gives him something to talk about, which can change the subject of how dead Cheney would like to be.

We all know what Trump said. Trust it when you vote.

If you haven’t already voted, I hope you go to the polls on Election Day and cast your vote. When you do, think about the rhetoric you’ve heard in the last week of the campaign.

Sure, Harris’s allegiance to prepared remarks can sound dated, especially when he hits the same notes over and over. But try to imagine him loudly calling for violence against Trump or his campaign. I just can’t hear it.

But Trump? It’s easy to hear because we’ve heard it all before and we’ll hear it again. If Trump really feels the race is slipping away, his rhetoric will increasingly call for violence, even as his campaign struggles to release legal distractions while insisting he wasn’t just saying what we’ve all heard saying

Trust your hearing. Use it to inform your vote.

Follow USA TODAY election columnist Chris Brennan on X, formerly known as Twitter: @ByChrisBrennan