Last Updated on 05/09/2024 by Arun jain
On Sunday, Dustin Grage, a columnist for the conservative website Townhall and a Republican strategist who describes himself as the “Minnesota GOP hype man,” posted a clip of a 2012 speech to the American Legion by Tim Walz on X. In the clip, Walz says: “When I was in Afghanistan, you know what our soldiers were worried about? They were worried about their family’s health care, and they were worried about their pensions.”
Grage’s post said Walz’s claim that he is in Afghanistan is “another example of stealthy bravery.”
But Walz did, in fact, visit Afghanistan and speak to troops as part of a congressional delegation in 2008. Grege admitted in a “note” that was later attached to the post, complaining that Walz had not “clarified” that he was referring to “a trip four years ago.”
But Gray did not remove the “Stolen Valor” post, which has been viewed more than 340,000 times. On the other hand, this note has been viewed only 4,000 times. The difference is how misinformation spreads.
Some legitimate questions have been raised about Walz’s statements about his service, but four veterans who specialize in investigating cases of service fraud told the New York Times last month that “they do not believe that Mr. Walz engaged in stolen valor, but that he has at times misrepresented his records or, at least, not always been accurate.”
The “stolen valor” claim isn’t true, and it doesn’t stick, but that hasn’t stopped conservatives from using it. They will try anything they think can change the narrative.
We have entered the stage for presidential race scandals. War is asymmetric. Donald Trump is surrounded by so many scandals that he’s starting to blend in and people are numb to him, while videos keep coming out of his running mate, JD Vance, repeatedly belittling people, especially women, for not having children. .
Scams in campaigns can work in two ways. It can reinforce negative impressions. The “stolen bravado” attacks are meant to reinforce the idea that Walz — and Kamala Harris, to an extent — aren’t what they seem, that they’ve outgrown their actual accomplishments.
Events like the Vance revelations and Trump’s devastating visit to Arlington National Cemetery, and his Play-Doh-like message of shaping and reshaping reproductive rights, do so, underscoring the idea that the Trump-Vance ticket lacks compassion and respect for certain people. , such as women and veterans.
Another way a scandal can work is on a larger, more gender-changing level, where it carries so much weight and is so close to an election that the subject hasn’t had enough time to adjust to it. These are seismic events, and they are rare.
There have already been two seismic events in this race: the assassination attempt on Trump, which has diminished in importance, and Harris replacing President Biden, which has completely changed the race.
October’s surprise came in July. The race reached its peak very early. Now it seems to be settling into a new normal, on a November glide path. That does not mean that the next two months will be extraordinary or that we can confidently predict the outcome. Surprise is not only still possible; They are potential. For instance, the first — and possibly only — presidential debate between Harris and Trump is set for next week.
But does any of that surprise “but her emails!” Will grow up! level? Will any of them fundamentally change race? All we can say for sure is that the clock is ticking and the mood has changed.
This has sent shockwaves through Trump’s world. And Trump panicked aggressively. Depression increases the tendency to play dirty. Days after the “Access Hollywood” tapes were leaked in 2016, Trump held a news conference with several women who had accused former President Bill Clinton of sexual misconduct. Trump then planned to seat him closer to the stage at that night’s debate with Hillary Clinton.
Harris has accepted his candidacy and owns it. I’m sure he really wants to win. But Trump’s motivation is different and deeper. For him, winning is existential. He is running to prevent or delay some serious prosecution that could end with jail time. He is driven by a fierce instinct for self-preservation and revenge.
Trump needs a scandal that creates a moment, and he won’t stop trying until it works.
Post We have reached the stage for campaign scams appeared first New York Times.