What Went Down During President Trump’s Closing Speech At The RNC

When Trump says his administration is trying to punish criminals to the fullest extent possible, he’s not joking. Under Trump, the federal government has resumed the federal death penalty after a long hiatus. Four people on federal death row have been executed so far this year, including a man who was executed last night. Definitely a contrast with all of the talk earlier about Trump’s commitment to criminal justice reform — and an example of the way he’s trying to thread the needle between being seen as a compassionate leader who gives second chances, and the president of law and order.

Galen, I was really convinced by this piece from The Atlantic’s Adam Serwer. Trump’s culture-war playbook is disarmed by a Biden nomination, and I’m not sure yet whether Harris is someone who his campaign can use as a stand-in for the things they’ve been attacking the past four days. They are trying to tie him to Sanders and “the Squad,” but I’m not sure it’ll work.

Trump says that civil strife and protests in “Democrat-run” cities could have their problems solved if they would just accept federal help that Trump is offering.