Democrats taking the stage of their national convention this week have labeled former President Donald Trump “dangerous,” a “clear and present danger” and a “direct threat to democracy.”
On a giant screen, they have flashed images of Mr. Trump with convicted sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein.
Former first lady Michelle Obama said Mr. Trump spewed “racist lies.” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul called him “a fraud, a philanderer and a felon.” Sen. Raphael G. Warnock of Georgia called him “a plague on the American conscience.”
It’s a far cry from the prevailing sentiment a month ago after a would-be assassin came within an inch of killing Mr. Trump, sending the country into a reexamination of increasingly harsh political rhetoric.
“It seemed to last for all of about 15 minutes,” said David Dulio, a political scientist at Oakland University in Michigan.
He said Democrats are fixating on Mr. Trump for an obvious reason: It works.
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“It has been that way for eight years,” he said. “Nobody fires up the Democratic base like Donald Trump, and they are going to continue to go back to him as to what they see as a threat and a scary prospect.”
Many Democrats take a “he started it” view. Mr. Trump has been delivering his unfiltered and often outlandish views of his opponents for years.
“He viciously attacks Democrats and Republicans,” said Sen. Cory A. Booker of New Jersey, the master of ceremonies for Wednesday’s proceedings. “Women, people with disabilities, our veterans. He is indiscriminate in his put-downs. His is the politics of smear and fear.”
Some of the convention’s jabs have landed with witty insight. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries compared Mr. Trump to an ex-boyfriend who won’t let go of the relationship.
“Bro, we broke up with you for a reason,” the New York Democrat said.
Other times, the attacks have been subliminal. Flashing images show Epstein or an adult film actress with whom Mr. Trump denies having an affair.
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For a moment last month, it seemed the conversation could change. After a gunman’s bullets narrowly missed killing Mr. Trump, killed a rallygoer and critically wounded two others, President Biden used an Oval Office address to urge Americans to “cool it down.”
The Trump campaign talked about a more unifying message from their candidate.
Democrats, though, said they saw little change in Mr. Trump at the GOP convention. They further heated up the rhetoric once they switched Mr. Biden with Vice President Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket.
Mr. Dulio said Democrats trying to sell themselves as the party of “joy” at the convention have a tricky balance.
“This is supposed to be about the people-powered campaign, and it’s full of joy. At the same time, in the next breath, it’s just vitriol. That’s the line that they’re trying to walk,” he said, and it’s a tough sell for undecided or persuadable voters, who usually say they don’t like the rancor of politics.
He said those critical voters probably aren’t watching the convention anyway.
“Conventions are for the base, mostly,” he said.
Democrats said the fourth night of the convention, featuring Ms. Harris’ capstone speech, was designed to showcase “joy, love and happiness.”
Mr. Trump’s campaign has been tracking the convention’s focus. On the second day of the four-day affair, speakers mentioned “Trump” 55 times, staffers said. They mentioned the “border” just five times and “inflation” two times.
That’s not unusual for a convention, though.
A search of the transcript for Day Two of the Republican National Convention last month found speakers used “Biden” more than 140 times. The transcript showed just one mention of “COVID” and no mentions of “abortion.”
Still, Mr. Trump seethed over his treatment.
“Did you see Barack Hussein Obama last night take little shots? He was taking shots at your president, and so was Michelle,” Mr. Trump told supporters on Wednesday.
He said his advisers told him to “stick to policy, don’t get personal.”
“And yet they’re getting personal all night long, these people. Do I still have to stick to policy?” he asked his supporters, whose cheers suggested they wanted the no-holds-barred Trump.
After Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro chided Mr. Trump as “a man with no guardrails,” the former president labeled him “a highly overrated Jewish governor.”
Mr. Trump threatened political retribution against Ms. Hochul, who, in her convention appearances, fired jab after jab at him.
“Trust me, America,” she said. “If you think you’re tired of Donald Trump, talk to a New Yorker.”
The former president said New York might suffer for her “total hatred.”
“In the very distinct possibility I will win the Presidency, wouldn’t it be better for the people of New York State to have a Governor who got along with the President? Adversarial relationships are not good in politics!” Mr. Trump wrote on social media.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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