Presidential campaigns are as much about policy as they are about marketing. What a candidate says and how they say it—especially when understood in context—can define their personality.
On Saturday, President Trump’s team put on a master class in presidential campaigning by combining his raw talent for holding rallies with explosive confidence and an injection of creative genius in choreography.
Trump was in Butler, PA, a small, sleepy town that is now recognizable around the world and will make an appearance in history textbooks for being the place where a gunman attempted to assassinate the 45th president in July.
The Trump campaign was taking on the mainstream media, the Left, the Harris campaign, and the RINO Republicans head-on for attempting to play down the awful and historic incident. Most media outlets don’t even mention it anymore, just as they have conveniently forgotten the second attempt on Trump’s life by the tree line of his golf resort.
The goal was to remind America what Trump went through when a bullet grazed his ear, splashing his face in blood. No candidate in modern history has been the target of an attack so dangerous that had Trump not turned to a giant screen displaying how he had clamped down on illegal immigration; the bullet would have hit him in the head.
Trump’s caricature – as the brave person who will endure all obstacles to survive and hit back – was cemented that day when he raised his fist above the heap of Secret Service agents to indicate to his loving supporters that he was still alive. He then asked them to “Fight, fight, fight!” in the most iconic moment in presidential campaigning in modern history.
It was an image that terrified the mainstream media, an intensely moving picture of a man unafraid in the face of extreme adversity. It was an image that could win elections. So, the media chose to hide the image or suppress it.
Trump’s plan on Saturday was to hold a rally on the same grounds to refresh the media’s collective loss of memory. Knowing well that no assassin would attempt a repeat shot – more so now that he is traveling with presidential-level security from the Secret Service, including a bullet-proof shield protecting him – Trump looked at a sea of people in front of him, one of the largest campaign audiences this season. He had Eric and Lara Trump with him.
But the star of the evening was Elon Musk, making his first appearance on the campaign trail. Musk is revered for his resurrection of Twitter and allowing people around the world to express themselves freely. In a way, Musk was a savior of fundamental human ideals, standing next to a savior who was going to Make America Great Again.
Every minute of Trump’s time was choreographed to perfection. As soon as he got off his campaign plane, he made his way to the waiting embrace of family members of the volunteer fireman, Corey Comperatore, who was killed that July day. Trump, who had set up a GoFundMe campaign for the family moments after he was shot and raised millions of dollars for other victims who were wounded, was meeting the family for the first time after the assassination attempt. It was only fitting that he would shake hands with them first.
At 6:11 PM, the rally stopped as Trump called on everyone to stand in honor of those fallen or wounded. The great British author Alistair MacLean once wrote that silence can be loud. And so it was as everyone in attendance took their memories back to that fateful day, spilling the sea of humanity into a world of grateful quiet. It was a surreal moment, one that earned the grudging respect of Hollywood directors 2,000 miles away.
But Hollywood had no idea that a drumbeat moment was yet to come.
Trump picked up the microphone to speak and began, “As I was saying…” and looked to the right at that giant billboard displaying the illegal immigration slide.
It was a brilliant moment of artistic expression with as much meaning embedded as a million words. The direct meaning was that Trump was resuming his speech from the exact point where he left off the last time when he was rudely interrupted by a vicious gunman willing to break the law. The indirect metaphor was that Trump was resuming his campaign for becoming president after being rudely interrupted by the media and Leftist cabal that plotted to take the 2020 election away from him.
President John F. Kennedy said, “Ich bin ein Berliner,” during his speech in West Berlin on June 26, 1963, to criticize the Soviet Union and express solidarity with West Germans just as the Cold War started.
Former President Reagan had his “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” moment that signified the end of the Cold War.
President George W. Bush visited Ground Zero just days after the 9/11 terror attacks, stood on the rubble of the World Trade Center rubble, grabbed a bullhorn from a nearby NYFD fireman, and said, “We can hear you!”
Trump’s “As I was saying…” falls into the same category of presidential greatness. The media knows it – so expect them to ignore this poignant moment in American history.
TIPP Picks
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We Lose, They Lose: A Reagan-Trump Fusion – Carus Michaelangelo, Mises Institute
The Imaginary “Boom” in the Small-Business Economy – Ryan McMaken, Mises Institute
This Is a Slow-Motion Nationalization of the Economy – Daniel Lacalle, Mises Institute
Harris-Walz Waltz Down ‘Green New Deal’ Brick Road – Craig Rucker via CFACT
TIPP Takes
Geopolitics, Geoeconomics, And More
1. Israel Issues First Gaza Evacuation Warning In Weeks – AFP
The Israeli army warned residents to evacuate part of central Gaza on Saturday, saying the military was preparing to use “great force” against Hamas fighters in the area.
The evacuation call is the first in weeks for Gaza as the Israeli military has largely shifted its focus to fighting Hezbollah in Lebanon. Palestinians living in areas near the Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza have been warned to evacuate under the latest order posted on X.
2. Hezbollah Successor Hashem Safieddine Missing After Israel Strike – UPI
Hezbollah’s presumed new leader, Hashem Safieddine, has been missing since the IDF strike Wednesday night on an area in southern Beirut known for housing Hezbollah and its command structure, Lebanese and Israeli sources told CNN, NBC News, and Axios.
Saffieddine was located in a bunker deep underground when the IDF attacked the compound from the air. The IDF has not commented on the potential death of Saffieddine but, in a news release on Friday, said it “conducted a precise, intelligence-based strike” in Beirut that killed Hezbollah communication networks leader Mohammad Rashid Sakafi.
3. Israel Military Official Says ‘Preparing Response’ To Iran Attack – AFP
“The IDF (Israeli military) is preparing a response to the unprecedented and unlawful Iranian attack on Israeli civilians and Israel,” the military official said on condition of anonymity.
He did not elaborate on the nature or timing of the response. Israel’s left-leaning newspaper Haaretz, quoting the military, reported that the military’s response will be “significant.”
4. U.S. Advises Israel Against Hitting Iranian Oil Fields – RFE/RL
“If I were in their shoes, I’d be thinking about other alternatives than striking oil fields,” President Joe Biden said in a rare appearance in the White House briefing room a day after saying such strikes were being discussed.
Biden also told reporters that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should remember U.S. support for Israel when deciding on the next steps. He added that he had been trying to rally the world to avoid all-out war in the Middle East.
5. Global Rise In Oil Prices Expected If Israel Targets Iranian Fields – UPI
About a 20% rise in the global price of a barrel of oil is predicted if Israel launches missile attacks against Iranian oil fields.
Brent, the global oil benchmark, settled at $78.05 a barrel on Friday, an 8% rise from the previous week. It marked the biggest weekly gain since January 2023. Israel might strike Iran’s oil reserves in retaliation for Iran earlier in the week, launching ballistic missiles against targets inside Israel.
6. Zelenskyy To Attend Defense Talks In Germany With Biden – AFP
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would attend an international meeting in Germany next week on Saturday to discuss military support for Ukraine.
The military meeting at the U.S. air base in Ramstein near Frankfurt is expected to bring together more than 50 of Ukraine’s allies, including President Joe Biden. Zelenskyy said he would present “clear, concrete steps towards a just end of the war”, adding that Russia could be stopped by “the determination of our partners and the strengthening of Ukraine.”
7. Moscow’s Ambassador To U.S. Concludes Term, Returning Home – RFE/RL
Russian state-run news agencies reported that Anatoly Antonov “is concluding” his stint as Russia’s ambassador to the United States and returning to his home country, citing the Foreign Ministry in Moscow.
No mention was made of a successor, with the move coming at a time of high tensions between the two nations.
8. ‘Non-Army Tactics Could Work Vs Taiwan’ – The Manila Times
Beijing could wage an economic and cyber war to force Taiwan to surrender without directly using military power, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), a Washington, D.C.-based research institute, said in a new report.
The report said such a likely but overlooked scenario poses a challenge for the U.S., the island’s biggest ally, and suggested that Washington prepare for how best to respond. “Modern globalization has created more economic connections that China can exploit to achieve coercive aims,” the report said.
9. Maldives President Visits India Amid Trouble In Tourist Paradise – BBC
Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu is expected to seek a bailout during his visit to India this week. The archipelago nation is facing an economic crisis and fears of debt default.
It’s Muizzu’s first official bilateral visit after he was voted to power late last year following a campaign centered on an ‘India out’ policy, with a promise to reduce Delhi’s influence. Since then, ties have been strained between the countries but experts say the visit indicates that the Maldives can’t afford to ignore its giant neighbor.
10. Over 10% Of Japan Elderly To Have No Close Kin In 2050: Research – Kyodo News
The new data sparks concerns over who will act as their guarantors for hospitals and care homes and who will claim their bodies.
As fewer marry in the aging country, the number of people aged 65 and over with no relatives within the third degree, including great grandchildren and great nieces or nephews, is expected to increase from 2.86 million in 2024 to 4.48 million in 2050 according to the estimates based on data from the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research.
11. Upcoming Nobel Prizes Offer Glimmer Of Hope As Global Crises Mount – AFP
Next week’s Nobel Prize announcements will crown achievements that made the world a better place, a glimmer of optimism amid a spiraling Middle East conflict, war in Ukraine, famine in Sudan, and a collapsing climate.
The prize winners will be announced between October 7 and 14. For the Peace Prize, the most prestigious of the six Nobels, experts say it is harder than ever to predict the Norwegian Nobel Committee’s pick, to be revealed on October 11.
12. Survey: Most Americans Struggle With Poor Sleep, Daytime Drowsiness – HealthDay News
Nearly 8 in 10 Americans go through the day in a fog that interferes with their jobs, moods, and relationships. Chalk it up to sleepiness: A new survey shows that 54% of Americans think they just don’t get enough sleep.
The academy says adults need seven or more hours of sleep a night. It recommends maintaining a consistent bedtime, creating a restful environment for sleep, and discussing sleep problems with a doctor.
13. Stem Cell Therapy Shows Promise At Treating Holes In Retina – HealthDay News
Japanese researchers have successfully transplanted human stem cells into a monkey’s retina to close a hole in a key part of the retina.
They say the achievement could lead to better treatment of small gaps in the macula, the central part of the eye’s retina. However, experts stress that animal research results don’t always translate to people.
Republished with permission from TIPP Insights
