Trump’s First Rally Since Assassination Attempt
Former President Donald J. Trump, fresh off his nominating convention and all the exposure that came with it, held a boisterous rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Saturday. This marked his first rally with his new running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, and his first since an assassination attempt just over a week ago.
Biden’s Day in Seclusion
President Biden spent the day sequestered at his beach house in Delaware, sidelined by Covid at perhaps the most crucial moment of his embattled re-election campaign. Despite calls for him to step aside, Biden remains resolute, contemplating the best path forward.
Trump’s Rally Highlights
At his rally in Michigan, Mr. Trump appeared to abandon his call for national unity that followed the assassination attempt. He hurled insults at Mr. Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He also mocked the Democratic Party’s infighting over Mr. Biden’s candidacy.
In recent days, Mr. Trump has projected himself as a president-in-waiting. He spoke by phone with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine on Friday and used an image of the White House as a backdrop for his convention speech on Thursday. Another rally is scheduled for Wednesday in North Carolina.
Biden’s Response to Democratic Infighting
Meanwhile, Mr. Biden continues to grapple with a slow drip of calls from Democrats to leave the race. His team has rebuffed these entreaties, stating that his skeptics constitute a small group and that Mr. Biden is eyeing his return to the campaign once he gets the “green light” from his doctors. The White House released an update on his condition on Saturday, saying he had a “cough and hoarseness” but that “his symptoms continue to improve steadily.”