Trump picks J.D. Vance as VP

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The Spectator is on the ground in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at the 2024 Republican National Convention, where the big story of the day is Donald Trump’s pick for vice president: Ohio senator J.D. Vance. 

Trump told Fox News’s Bret Baier this morning that he would be making the announcement at the convention Monday. Later reports indicated that it would take place around 4:35 p.m. Eastern Time. Trump then blasted out the news on his site Truth Social minutes ago.

Of no surprise to anyone is that Trump treated the spectacle like an episode of The Apprentice. A couple of days ago he listed out four finalists for the VP nod: GOP senators Marco Rubio, J.D. Vance and Tim Scott and North Dakota governor Doug Burgum. Sources of mine also identified Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin as a sleeper pick. Others are keen on former HUD secretary Ben Carson.

Fox News’s Martha McCallum reported, “Burgham/Vance/Rubio/Youngkin are ALL in Milwaukee, and we are hearing that all are still awaiting President Trump’s tap on the shoulder. Apprentice vibes anyone?” Rubio and Burgum were told earlier today that they were not getting the nod.

The buzz around Vance seemed confirmed when a rather large and secure motorcade picked him up from his house today. Now that is being explained away as a precaution ordered by Ohio governor Mike DeWine in the aftermath of Saturday night’s assassination attempt.

It is impressive though, that he managed to keep the pick so close to his chest and that his team did not leak.

Convention security is predictably tight, with multiple checkpoints managed by the Secret Service, a huge local police presence and a quite large security perimeter. National guardsmen were spotted watching over critical infrastructure. One RNC staffer described the convention as a “total shitshow,” but isn’t that any political conference?

-Amber Duke

On our radar

TRUMP TAKES EMPIRE STATE? There is a steady erosion of Joe Biden’s support in New York, a state Biden won by twenty-three points four years ago, according to Politico. Two private polls in September and March found former President Donald Trump leading Biden in New York by one point, a “virtual tie.”

CEASEFIRE ON THIN ICE Hamas accused Israel of trying to undermine ceasefire talks, as attacks on Gaza intensified in the middle of mediators seeking agreement to a hostage deal. Officials differed over whether Hamas had officially withdrawn from the negotiations. The Israel Defense Forces was creating “all the pressure” needed for an agreement apparently in response to charges from Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the military’s effort “was not strong enough.”

A CALL TO ACTION In a phone call on Sunday, representative Mark Green pressed Secret Service director Cimpberly Cheatle for answers about the assassination attempt against Donald Trump. Not much is known about the phone call, other than that Green asked Cheatle a series of questions “about what led to yesterday’s historic failures.”

MUST ELON MUSK? Billionaire Elon Musk endorsed former President Trump’s campaign after the assassination attempt on Saturday. “I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery,” Musk wrote in a post on X.

Trump’s classified documents case is dismissed

Florida district Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, dismissed the criminal case accusing Donald Trump of mishandling classified documents in his Mar-a-Lago residence Monday morning. This marks a momentous legal victory for the former president, who is set to take the stage for the first time since his attempted assassination at the Milwaukee GOP convention this week.

Judge Cannon ruled that Special Counsel Jack Smith, the leading prosecutor, was unlawfully appointed to his role. In effect, the ruling suggests that due to Smith’s lack of authority, proceeding with the case would be unconstitutional. Smith’s office was not created by Congress, nor was he confirmed by the Senate.

The legal triumph follows a July 1 Supreme Court ruling on executive immunity, which has also been widely regarded as a win for the Republican presidential candidate.

While the ruling comes at a politically convenient time, it is likely not completely over. Prosecutors are expected to appeal the ruling, alluding to the fact that other courts have upheld the Department of Justice’s use of special counsels. Still, Cannon’s ruling is definitely a hard pill to swallow for Team Biden, putting another nail in the “Jail Trump” coffin.

–Juan P. Villasmil

Reporters shy away from covering the assassination attempt of Donald Trump

MSNBC did not air Morning Joe today — a roundtable show hosted by progressives Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski — and instead opted for coverage of breaking news. A person “familiar with the matter” told CNN the decision was made to “avoid a scenario in which one of the show’s stable of two dozen-plus guests might make an inappropriate comment on live television that could be used to assail the program and network as a whole,” implying that the inappropriate comment would have something to do with the assassination attempt. A spokesperson for MSNBC denied CNN’s reporting.

“Given the gravity and complexity of this unfolding story, NBC News, NBC News NOW and MSNBC have remained in rolling breaking news coverage since Saturday evening,” the network said in a statement.

The Daily Show has also suspiciously canceled coverage. Jon Stewart and The Daily Show team planned to cover the RNC on the ground but canceled their plans on Sunday. Monday’s broadcast of the show, typically hosted by Stewart, did not air. According to Variety, the assassination attempt on Donald Trump seems to be the issue. The Daily Show tweeted that the inconvenience was due to “logistical issues and the evolving situation in Milwaukee.”

Some have critiqued the media’s coverage of the assassination attempt. The Washington Post, ABC News, NBC News and CNN reported “loud noises” or “popping noises” going off in the crowd in Pennsylvania at the Trump rally Saturday night, and “MAGA responds with outrage after Donald Trump injured at Pennsylvania Rally” is one headline from Newsweek.

-Ella Johnson