**Donald Trump’s bonkers behavior is alienating even mainstream Republican voters. **But he might not be thinking about those voters anyway.
Political experts have spent countless agonizing hours trying to rationalize President Donald Trump’s erratic decisions ever since he entered the political realm more than a decade ago. Sure, he may be driven by his super-sized ego (erecting
monumentsdedicated to himself) or pure arrogance (launching war with Iran). Don’t forget renaming everything after America andrankinghimself the greatest president ever.
His latest move is yet another headscratcher. Why is he hosting a two-day “Trumpapalooza” GOP midterm convention in Dallas starting tonight, in a bid to make November’s contest all about
him… at a time when his approval is at anall-time low?
Some folks suspect there might just be a method to this madness (or, perhaps, more like a
▶concept of a plan). Onetheory floatingaround: Trump is acting increasingly radical in an effort to convince hardcore MAGA supporters — who usually only vote in presidential elections — to head to the polls.
In Trump’s first term, when foreign conflicts and trade disputes were far more limited, he could boast about no more forever wars and a relatively strong economy. That strategy doesn’t work anymore, so he’s throwing spaghetti at the wall… and hoping his most loyal supporters eat it, according to this theory. We may get a better idea of Trump’s plan during his keynote speech in Dallas this evening.
“What Trump is going to try to do with this convention is to turn out MAGA voters who are not reliable at the midterms,” said Galen Druke, co-host of
Still Counting, Crooked’snew nonpartisan politics podcastfrom the former FiveThirtyEight team. “That might work to some degree … but in so doing, he’s also going to turn out a lot of Democrats and Independents who are pretty fucking pissed off about what the past year, almost two years, has looked like.”
Voters disapprove of his handling of
every major issue. They hate the higher prices, and they hate his war. Regardless, Trump insists on hogging the spotlight — because, perhaps, that’s what his most hardcore followers want.
“Pretend, please, that I’m on the ballot,” Trump recently
told supportersin South Carolina. As one GOP strategistsaid of MAGA voters: “They will crawl over glass to vote for the president.”
**This unlikely gambit may be the only play he has left. **Even if Trump wanted to win over swing voters, it’s probably too late.
Voters will likely associate Trump’s second term with his early actions, said Nate Silver, co-host of the podcast. The “Liberation Day” tariffs were chaotically rolled out, and later struck down in court. He tried to prosecute his political enemies. He decimated the federal workforce. He refused to release the Epstein files for months. And, of course, he launched a war in Iran without thinking about the consequences.
“Decisions that presidents make early in their terms are often baked in,” Silver told me. “It’s a sign of weakness, I think, more than anything that [Republicans] can’t win the argument over the economy and the war.”
There has been lots of discussion about how Democrats’ brand is in the toilet with voters, ever since Kamala Harris lost the 2024 presidential election. The midterms, however, could prove how far the Republicans’ image has fallen among their own voters — and even foreshadow changes to come in the party.
“I think it’s been a fascinatingly turbulent year for the GOP,” said Clare Malone, the podcast’s third co-host. “JD Vance, for right now, is seen as the frontrunner. But a few years ago, Ron DeSantis was the hottest act in town.”
The first episode of Still Counting drops later today. Subscribe to the pod wherever you get your podcasts or on YouTube!
** The price of oil hit $100 per barrel **for the first time since July, as the U.S. and Iran trade strikes near the Strait of Hormuz.
** Three Anthropic insiders are warning **that AI could wipe out humanity. “The people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade. This is not a marketing stunt,” Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon tweeted after resigning. One of his colleagues chimed in: “Jacob is correct here — we really do earnestly believe AI could kill all humans! I personally think it is >10% within the next decade.” I don’t like those odds!
** Trump gifted Natalie Harp, his bizarre** and intensely devoted aide, $45,000 as a “cash gift for the holidays,” according to financial disclosures. He also gifted the same amount to two other aides, Margo Martin and Chamberlain Harris. Trump has a “longstanding practice of giving Christmas gifts to people in his orbit,” a White House official told the Associated Press.
** European authorities are trying to chase leads** about deceased child sex predator Jeffrey Epstein’s ties across the continent — but the Department of Justice hasn’t responded to their requests for assistance. I wonder why they don’t want to share more info with serious investigators. Any guesses?
** TSA will allow some people without tickets** to go through security for the first time since the September 11, 2001 attacks, the agency announced. Only people with PreCheck or Known Traveler Numbers will be granted the privilege, which would let them say hello or goodbye to loved ones at their gate, like in those classic romcoms. Is this just another
** Cartoon comedy show “South Park” changed **its name to “South America” to poke fun at companies that abided by Donald Trump’s renaming of Lake Ontario to “Lake America.” The show’s creators said they were “inspired by the bravery and patriotism of Apple and Google.”
** Walking an extra 1,000 steps a day can significantly lower **risks for heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure, according to a new study that tracked thousands of older folks for nearly a decade.
** Italian officials unveiled what’s believed to be **the largest fresco from ancient Roman times, which depicts an unknown city around the 1st century.
** Do you love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?** It has been 125 years since the original recipe was written down (must’ve been pretty short!) and the Associated Press is out with a feature on its history. Being a Massachusetts native, I’m very glad they give the Fluffernutter some love.
** Some zoos are starting to allow their animals **to play with new technology, which can coax them into acting more like their wild selves, according to zookeepers. My favorite example: “At the Maryland Zoo, caretakers have debuted a hunting simulation for polar bears, in which a robot arm extends and retracts a romaine leaf smeared with peanut butter — mimicking a prey animal poking its head out of an ice hole,” the
** Astronomers discovered that there’s a perfectly** shaped decagon (10 sides) on Saturn. This comes four decades after astronomers also noticed a hexagon shape on the planet. The only explanation?
** Researchers released the largest three-dimensional model **of the universe in history — and you can poke around on your phone.
