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    Why MAGA Nation Embraces Donald Trump

    More from our inbox:Exit Menendez?Joe, Keep Your DignitySpirituality in America Scott McIntyre for The New York TimesTo the Editor:Re “The Deep Source of Trump’s Appeal,” by David Brooks (column, July 12):I’ve always believed that the mass of Donald Trump supporters were fundamentally just working-class Americans who, as the country’s wealth increasingly skewed to the 1 percent ever since President Ronald Reagan, found themselves running faster and faster to stay in the same place, and finally (and justifiably) started to fume about it.While Mr. Brooks doesn’t flat out say it, I take away from his article that, rather than viewing their plight as old-fashioned liberals used to — as plain and simple economic class exploitation — the white working class has been conned by demagogues like Mr. Trump into seeing it as existential, zero-sum identity politics.If Mr. Brooks’s suggestion is that religious leaders guide Americans back to some form of enlightened democratic civility, they’re going to have to drop a bit more wealth redistribution into their message to the congregation.Steven DoloffNew YorkTo the Editor:Having been dismissed as “deplorables,” sniffed at as people who “cling to guns or religion,” and generally considered less worthy, it was only a matter of time before the voters who have become MAGA nation would decide to stand up for themselves and say, We matter, too, and as much as you do.For all his many shortcomings, Donald Trump does have a keen eye for a marketing opportunity, and he was happy to swoop in and exploit the concerns of this group.Democrats may prefer to fault President Biden’s frailty, but they have no one but themselves to blame or the burgeoning strength of the adversary they face.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    Brother of Rachel Morin, Mother Killed While Jogging, Speaks at R.N.C.

    As Republicans focus on crime and immigration during the second night of their convention, Michael Morin, the brother of Rachel Morin, a 37-year-old mother of five who was killed while exercising on a scenic trail in Maryland last August, took the stage. The death of Ms. Morin, who the authorities said was raped, has become one in a series of deaths that Republicans have seized on in criticizing the Biden administration’s immigration policies. An unauthorized 23-year-old immigrant from El Salvador was arrested in the killing, according to the police. “Open borders are often portrayed as compassionate and virtuous, but there is nothing compassionate about allowing violent criminals into our country and robbing children of their mother,” Mr. Morin said to the crowd in Milwaukee.Erin Layman, Ms. Morin’s 49-year-old half sister, said Tuesday ahead of the convention appearance that the “Biden administration does not do anything to protect us Americans,” and that the federal government’s immigration policy is “not fair to immigrants who came to our country legally.” Ms. Layman, of Abingdon, Md., said the family was attending the convention “to show the American people that we do have a crisis.” Facing record levels of border crossings and under pressure from some in his own party on the matter, President Biden toughened America’s immigration policies in the last year. A spokesman for the Democratic National Committee, Alex Floyd, argued in a statement that “Donald Trump represents nothing more than empty words and broken promises when it comes to creating safer communities and securing our border.’ More

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    Babydog, a Plump Bulldog Who Is Apparently a Republican, Charms the R.N.C.

    The crowd gathered on the second night of the Republican National Convention was promised a 60-pound bulldog. And when Gov. Jim Justice of West Virginia walked on to the stage without one on Tuesday night, they began shouting the dog’s name in annoyance.“Babydog!” They chanted en masse, with an energy generally reserved only for former President Donald J. Trump or his brand-new running mate, Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio.They needn’t have worried. After a brief few sentences, Mr. Justice — who is running for Senate in his state — relented. “I know that a lot of you want to meet my little buddy,” he said.And on cue, out came Babydog, a plump bulldog, belly swaying as she trotted across the stage before being quickly plopped by a human helper into a cushy armchair.Though they may not admit it, the goal of politicians given a speaking slot at a nomination convention is usually to make their mark and have the breakthrough moment of the night. But Babydog set the bar higher and may have upstaged her owner.Mr. Justice in many ways exemplifies the goal Mr. Trump has set this election of winning over voters who once backed Democrats but are eager for a change. He was a registered Republican until he ran as a Democrat for governor in 2016, then swapped parties again less than a year into his term and embraced Mr. Trump and his movement.That message might have been lost given the crowd’s intent focus on Babydog, an English bulldog that Mr. Justice frequently refers to as a “60-pound brown watermelon.” While the governor spoke, CNN put up a graphic declaring that Babydog’s chief interests were her owner, chicken nuggets and napping. Other networks split their shots between Mr. Justice and the dog, whose tongue was wagging along as her owner spoke.Most of Mr. Justice’s speech was standard Republican fare. He praised Mr. Trump, citing his children as evidence of the former president’s moral character, and suggested that America would be “totally unhinged” if Mr. Biden won in November.Still, at the end of his speech, Mr. Justice gave the crowd what they wanted, and what only he was in a position to provide: dog content. “Babydog’s got a prediction for everybody here,” he said, as the bulldog looked on. The prediction was the same one made by most of the speakers in Milwaukee: that Republicans would win in November in a landslide. But Babydog, Mr. Justice said, was confident in this prediction. Why? “Because we’re worth it,” he said.It was a bold assertion from an animal with no mastery of the English language, but admittedly one that revved up the crowd.And it was a hard act to follow, as Representative Jim Banks of Indiana, who had the misfortune to step on the stage next, acknowledged.“I don’t know about you,” he said. “But thank god Babydog is a Republican.” More

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    El cambio climático no es prioritario en la Convención Nacional Republicana

    La plataforma del partido no hace ninguna mención del cambio climático, en cambio, fomenta una mayor producción de petróleo, gas y carbón, que aumentan las temperaturas globales.[Estamos en WhatsApp. Empieza a seguirnos ahora]Este verano, Estados Unidos está experimentando niveles históricos de un calor intenso a causa del cambio climático. Las altas temperaturas han provocado decenas de muertes en el oeste del país, mientras millones de personas sudan debido a los avisos de calor extremo y casi tres cuartas partes de los estadounidenses dicen que el gobierno debe priorizar el calentamiento global.Sin embargo, aunque en el horario estelar del lunes por la noche la energía fue el tema con el que el Partido Republicano inauguró su convención nacional en Milwaukee, el partido no tiene ningún plan para abordar el cambio climático.A pesar de que algunos republicanos ya no niegan el abrumador consenso científico según el cual el planeta se está calentando a causa de la actividad humana, los líderes del partido no lo consideran como un problema que se deba enfrentar.“No sé si hay una estrategia republicana para enfrentar el cambio climático a nivel de organización”, comentó Thomas J. Pyle, presidente de la American Energy Alliance, un grupo de investigación conservador enfocado en la energía. “No creo que el presidente Trump considere imperativo reducir los gases de efecto invernadero por medio del gobierno”.Cuando el expresidente Donald Trump menciona el cambio climático, lo hace en tono de burla.“¿Se imaginan? Este tipo dice que el calentamiento global es la mayor amenaza para nuestro país”, dijo Trump, para referirse al presidente Joe Biden en un mitin en Chesapeake, Virginia, el mes pasado que fue el junio más caluroso que se haya registrado en todo el mundo. “El calentamiento global está bien. De hecho, he oído que hoy va a hacer mucho calor. Está bien”.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    ¿Quién es J. D. Vance, el candidato republicano a la vicepresidencia?

    En los últimos ocho años, Vance pasó de ser un autor exitoso y un crítico declarado de Trump a convertirse en uno de los defensores más fervientes del exmandatario.[Estamos en WhatsApp. Empieza a seguirnos ahora]J. D. Vance, el senador republicano por Ohio que recientemente fue escogido como el compañero de fórmula del expresidente Donald Trump, ha tenido una trayectoria rápida en los últimos ocho años pasando de ser un autor exitoso y un crítico declarado de Trump a convertirse en uno de los defensores más fervientes del exmandatario y, ahora, su segundo al mando.Antes de dedicarse a la política, Vance, de 39 años, era conocido como el autor del libro Hillbilly Elegy (Hillbilly, una elegía rural: Memorias de una familia y una cultura en crisis), un éxito de ventas que relataba su crianza en el seno de una familia pobre y que, a su vez, servía como una especie de análisis sociológico de la clase trabajadora blanca en Estados Unidos. Publicado en el verano previo a la elección de Trump en 2016, y tras su victoria, muchos lectores vieron el libro como un tipo de guía para comprender el apoyo que las comunidades blancas de clase trabajadora le dieron al expresidente.Vance denunció al exmandatario sin piedad durante su campaña de 2016. Pero, para 2022, ya lo había aceptado y gracias a su apoyo ganó unas elecciones primarias republicanas muy concurridas y se convirtió en una voz a favor de Trump en el Congreso.A continuación, presentamos más detalles sobre los antecedentes y las posturas de Vance.Antecedentes personales: Nació en Middletown, Ohio, y pasó parte de su infancia en Jackson, Kentucky, donde fue criado por sus abuelos maternos porque su madre luchaba contra la drogadicción. Luego regresó a Middletown y, cuando terminó el bachillerato, se unió a la infantería de marina. Fue destinado a Irak, donde se dedicó a labores de asuntos públicos. Más tarde, estudió en la Universidad Estatal de Ohio y en la Escuela de Derecho de la Universidad de Yale.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    Un tiroteo conmociona una campaña en EE. UU., ya de por sí accidentada

    El atentado contra Donald J. Trump fue la última escalada de violencia política y un recordatorio de la creciente fragilidad de la democracia pacífica en Estados Unidos.[Estamos en WhatsApp. Empieza a seguirnos ahora]El intento de asesinato contra Donald Trump del sábado en su mitin en Pensilvania sumió la contienda presidencial de 2024 en un estado de conmoción e incertidumbre.La campaña del presidente Joe Biden se apresuró a retirar sus anuncios de televisión de los medios de todo el país e interrumpió todas las comunicaciones oficiales externas. No habría ningún llamado a recaudar fondos ni comunicados de prensa. Una orden interna de la campaña de Biden pedía a todos los miembros de su personal que “se abstuvieran de hacer comentarios en las redes sociales o en público”, lo mismo dictó un lineamiento interno de la campaña de Trump.Biden, quien estaba la iglesia en el momento del atentado, condenó la violencia como “enfermiza” en un breve discurso a la nación desde un departamento de policía local en Delaware, luego cambió de planes y regresó a la Casa Blanca después de la medianoche. Él y Trump hablaron el sábado a última hora, una llamada que un funcionario de la Casa Blanca describió como “buena, respetuosa y breve”.Trump emitió su propio relato gráfico del momento difícil en una publicación en sus cuentas de redes sociales mientras regresaba a Nueva Jersey antes de la Convención Nacional Republicana que, según las autoridades, continuará como estaba previsto el lunes en Milwaukee: “Oí un zumbido, disparos e inmediatamente sentí la bala desgarrándome la piel”.“¡Nunca me Rendiré!”, escribió Trump en un mensaje de texto a sus seguidores.Sus dos principales asesores, Susie Wiles y Chris LaCivita, escribieron en un mensaje público la noche del sábado que Trump no dejaría de asistir a la convención para reunirse con sus partidarios. Y en un mensaje interno al personal de la campaña de Trump, escribieron que estaban “reforzando la presencia de seguridad armada con oficiales en todo momento en el lugar” tanto en Washington como en West Palm Beach, Florida, en las oficinas de campaña.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    Biden Had a Clear Message: Trump Was a Threat. Then the Shooting Happened.

    Former President Donald J. Trump has gone from being an instigator of political violence to a victim of it. The assassination attempt raised questions about how far language should go in a heated campaign.For months, the message from the White House and Wilmington was as stark as it was simple: This year’s election amounts to an existential choice between a defender of democracy and a destroyer of democracy. Nothing less than the future of America is at stake.And then the bullets started flying.The assassination attempt over the weekend has complicated President Biden’s argument now that former President Donald J. Trump has gone from being a longtime instigator of political violence to a victim of it. Republicans, including Mr. Trump’s newly anointed running mate, Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio, instantly blamed Mr. Biden, citing his sharp rhetoric.No one in Mr. Biden’s camp thinks that is a good-faith argument, especially from allies of a former president who sent the mob that marauded the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and did nothing to stop its assault, and has now vowed to pardon rioters convicted of violent crimes. But the images of Mr. Trump with blood streaked across his face after being grazed by a would-be assassin’s bullet raise the question of how far language should go in a heated campaign.Mr. Biden, who has long preached unity and civility, conceded on Monday that it was “a mistake” to tell supporters a week ago that he wanted to “put Trump in a bull’s-eye,” an expression that was certainly metaphorical but opened the president to criticism after his opponent found himself in literal cross hairs. At the same time, Mr. Biden and his team have made clear that they will not back off efforts to demonstrate that Mr. Trump is a budding dictator who is dangerous to the country.“How do you talk about the threat to democracy, which is real, when a president says things like he says?” Mr. Biden asked Lester Holt of NBC News on Monday during his first interview since the assassination attempt. “Do you just not say anything because it may incite somebody? Look, I’m not engaged in that rhetoric. Now, my opponent is engaged in that rhetoric.”Mr. Biden responded to the shooting in Butler, Pa., on Saturday by calling Mr. Trump to express relief that he was not more seriously wounded and urging Americans to “lower the temperature” this campaign season. His campaign suspended television ads and its regular barrage of attack emails.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    Republicans Place Shooting in Trump’s Narrative of Persecution

    For Donald J. Trump’s most ardent supporters, the assassination attempt on Saturday was the climax and confirmation of a story that Mr. Trump has been telling for years.It is the story of a fearless leader surrounded by shadowy forces and intrigue, of grand conspiracies to thwart the will of the people who elected him. A narrative in which Mr. Trump, even before a gunman tried to take his life, was already a martyr.“They’re not coming after me,” he declared at the first rally of his 2024 campaign, last year in Waco, Texas. “They’re coming after you — and I’m just standing in their way.”In the hours after the shooting — before the gunman’s name, much less a motive, was known — many Republican politicians and Trump supporters blamed Democrats and the news media. They pointed to portrayals of Mr. Trump as an authoritarian and anti-democratic force in politics, which they argued created a climate that made an attempt on his life inevitable.“Dems and their friends in the media knew exactly what they were doing” in comparing Mr. Trump to Hitler, Donald Trump Jr. wrote on Sunday in one of several accusatory posts on X about his father’s shooting.Others pointed to President Biden’s remarks on a call with donors last week in which he said, “It’s time to put Trump in a bull’s-eye.” Citing the speech, Mike Collins, a Republican congressman from Georgia, wrote on X: “Joe Biden sent the orders.”We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More