The Weeks That Changed The Political Landscape
It was 6:11 p.m. on Saturday, July 13, 2024 when Donald Trump appeared on a stage in the Pittsburgh suburb of Butler, PA., to a cheering crowd of supporters. Unbeknownst to most, in the crowd was a 20-year-old man crawling around a nearby rooftop with an AR-style rifle approximately 400 feet or 150 yards away from the platform Trump was standing on.
At the exact moment the shot was fired Trump turned his head sideways to refer to a chart displaying a graphic about the immigration crisis. Had Trump not turned his head, the shot would have most likely been embedded in his skull. Instead, the bullet grazed his right ear and blood streamed down his face and onto the platform floor.
The sniper’s bullets also killed one man and injured two others, who recovered from their injuries. The deceased man was Corey Comperatore, a firefighter from Sarver, PA., who had two daughters.
The two injured men were David Dutch, 57, of New Kensington, PA., and James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township, PA. They are both in stable condition.
Trump’s would-be assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, PA., died of a gunshot wound to the head.
The reaction from New York Republicans was what you would have expected. Outrage, sadness, joyful emotions that he is alive and a feeling of helplessness. There was no mention of stiffening gun control laws.
Trump’s appearance and participation at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, WI., was nothing more than miraculous for the 78-year-old former president.
The convention was a well-orchestrated show, similar to what you might see at Radio City Music Hall, with performances by a cadre of top Republican leaders and average Americans. There was a series of Jewish speakers bunched together to give praise to Trump and explain how the Democratic Party left them, they didn’t leave the Democrats.
Shabbos Kestenbaum, a recent Harvard graduate, told his story on the Ivy League campus to the roaring crowd.
“It is this ideological poison. It is this corruption that is infecting far too many young, American students. Let’s be clear. The far-left antisemitic extremism has no virtue and the radicalism on our campuses and on our streets has no moral legitimacy,” Kestenbaum, a Bronx native, said. “I am a proud first-generation American, I am a proud Orthodox Jew, and as of five months ago, I am the proud plaintiff suing Harvard University for its failure to combat antisemitism. I came to Harvard to study religion, the foundation of western civilization. What I found was not theology but a contempt for it. My problem with Harvard is not it’s liberalism but its illiberalism. Too often students at Harvard are taught not how to think but what to think. I am proud to support President Trump’s policies to expel foreign students who violate our laws, harass our Jewish classmates and desecrate our freedom. Let’s elect a president who will instill patriotism in our schools once again. Let’s elect a president who will confront terrorism and its supporters once again. Let’s elect a president who recognizes that although Harvard and the Ivy Leagues have long-abandoned the United States of America, the Jewish people never will because Jewish values are American values and American values are Jewish values.”
Up next were Long Islanders Orna and Ronen Neutra of Plainview, Nassau County. Their son, Omer, 22, has been held hostage in Gaza since October 7.
“He cares deeply about others and helping them grow. He turned 22 on October 14, 2023,” Orna Neutra, Omer’s mother, said. “Instead of celebrating with us and with his friends, he spent his birthday as a hostage of Hamas terrorists. Imagine, over nine months, not knowing whether your son is alive. Waking up every morning praying that he too is still waking up every morning. That he is strong and he is surviving.”
Omer’s father, Ronen, spoke next.
“During the brutal October 7 attack on Israel, more than 1,200 people were slaughtered. Of them, 45 were American citizens. Where is the outrage? This was not merely an attack on Israel. This was and remains an attack on Americans. Omer is one of eight to 12 Americans and one of 120 hostages still left in Gaza. Citizens of 24 countries and five different religions are still held by Hamas and denied basic human needs. Their lives are threatened every day,” Ronen Neutra said. “We know [Trump] stands with the American hostages. We need our beautiful son back. We need your support to end this crisis and bring all the hostages back home. Omer, we love you. We won’t stop fighting for you.”
Chants of “Bring Them Home” started to rise to a crescendo from the convention-goers.
Former congressman and gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin, from Shirley, Suffolk County, is a former lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army. He is now an officer in the United States Army Reserve.
He told the roaring crowd how marvelous Trump is and how awful Biden is.
“As one of two Jewish Republicans in Congress, it was amazing to witness history-making progress, strengthening the U.S.–Israel relationship under President Trump. Moving our embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. Recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights and launching the Abraham Accords, which no one said was possible,” Zeldin said. “The Isis caliphate was eliminated. President Trump withdrew from the Iran deal. Stopped those insane ransom payments. Crippled Iran with maximum pressure.
“Then, everything went downhill under Biden. He’s the guy who advised Obama not to take out Osama. Joe Biden advised against the mission that killed Osama bin Laden. As an American and as a New Yorker, that’s unforgivable. Even in his prime he had bad judgement. It’s only gotten worse with age. We cannot tell Biden to make this kind of crucial three a.m. decision. Heck, we can’t rely on him at three in the afternoon. He has refilled Iran’s coffers. Since October 7, Biden has paid antisemites who cheered Hamas’ attack all the while Americans are still being held hostage in Gaza. Biden turned 13 Blue Star families into Gold Star families with his fatal withdrawal from Afghanistan and then he lied about it. During last month’s debate,” Zeldin concluded.
Earlier this month, Trump nominated J.D. Vance, of Middletown, Ohio, as his running mate at the Republican National Convention. He is the first Marine veteran to be nominated for vice president. Vance is 39-years-old, half the age of Trump, who is 78.
On Friday, July 19, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D – Albany) compared the match up between Trump and Biden.
“It’s his [Biden’s] leadership style that allows people to come together to do commonsense things. He’s a great president. He’s a great presidential candidate. He will defeat Trump. He will kick his butt and we are all in,” Gillibrand said just days before Biden dropped out of the race. “It’s a clear choice about what we stand for and what the Republican party stands for. I feel very confident that President Biden will be the one to make the investment in child care part of his economic and infrastructure plan.”
On Sunday, July, 21, at 5:27 p.m., after Biden had dropped out of the race, Gillibrand thanked Biden for his service.
“President Biden has served our country with courage, compassion, integrity and decency. I am so proud of everything we’ve accomplished together—from fighting for health care for veterans exposed to burn pits, to passing historic legislation making gun trafficking a federal crime, to making investments in jobs and infrastructure across New York and the country. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve in the Senate during his administration. On behalf of myself and every New Yorker: Thank you, Joe,” Gillibrand wrote.
Four and a half hours later, Gillibrand had another message, which included a fundraising pitch:
“I am beyond proud to endorse my friend, Vice President Kamala Harris, for president. Vice President Harris is the leader we need at this moment. She has the grit, strength and determination to defeat Donald Trump and MAGA extremism in November. And her experience as a prosecutor, lawmaker and leader on the world stage will make her an outstanding president,” Gillibrand wrote. “She can’t do this alone. It’s on all of us to come together to ensure Democrats elect Kamala Harris, save our Senate majority and flip the House. Please: Rush a donation to power our campaigns today. If you’ve saved payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation to Kamala Harris and Kirsten Gillibrand will go through immediately: DONATE $5; DONATE $25; DONATE $50; DONATE ANOTHER AMOUNT. With hope and gratitude, Kirsten”
Everything Gillibrand had been saying about Biden was also said about Harris. The word “Biden” was simply swapped out for “Harris.”
The top Democrat in the House also had kind words to say about Biden.
“The D in Democrat stands for deliver. America is a better place today because President Joe Biden has led us with intellect, grace and dignity,” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D – Crown Heights, Brooklyn) said. “We are forever grateful for President Biden’s legacy, and now, we MUST defend it from extreme MAGA Republicans.”
By Monday, July 22, the Harris campaign raised more than $100 million and secured a lock on winning the nomination for president at the convention. She has surpassed the support needed from 1,968 delegates to secure the nomination at the Democratic National Convention on the first ballot, which begins Monday, August 19 in Chicago. On Wednesday, August 7, delegates are expected to vote virtually to confirm Harris as the nominee. Harris has the support of all 307 New York delegates.
One outspoken Senator offered his thoughts about the sudden changing of the guard in the race.
“The President’s decision may have been the most selfless act in modern political history, something none of us could ever imagine Donald Trump doing,” Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal said. “As a delegate for the Democratic National Convention, an LGBTQ+ state senator and a dad of two girls, I am proud to join President Biden in fully and enthusiastically endorsing VP Harris to be the Democratic party nominee for President of the United States. I’m with Kamala Harris. There’s nobody in a better position to unite Democrats, energize the base, win in November and save our democracy from the peril of Trump/Vance.”
The head of the state Democratic party and New York’s governor both added their two-cents about the Harris candidacy.
“As the state with the second most Democratic delegates in the country, I am so proud of New York’s delegation for joining me to support Vice President Harris,” said Governor Kathy Hochul. “Vice President Harris is a proven leader with the experience, skills, and moral clarity necessary to lead. There is no one better prepared to prosecute the case against Donald Trump. I’ve made it clear that Trump is the greatest threat to America’s future and I will continue doing everything in my power to defeat him in November.”
“The New York State Democratic delegation stands behind Vice President Harris and is excited to cast our votes for her at the Democratic Nominating Convention,” said Chairman Jay Jacobs, a resident of Nassau County. “The Vice President is a true leader, a partner to one of our most successful Presidents, and someone who represents the ideals and values of the Democratic Party – I’m thrilled New York has her back.”
The liberal-leaning Jewish Democratic Council of America threw their support behind Harris because the leadership maintains she has a strong record of standing with Jewish Americans.
“I had the privilege of serving as national security advisor to then-Senator Kamala Harris. I’ve experienced firsthand her deep commitment to principled public service. In 2017, I traveled with her and Second Gentleman [Doug] Emhoff, [who identifies as Jewish] to Israel and witnessed their deep commitment to Israel’s security and strong ties to the Jewish community. As Vice President, she has worked to advance the policy priorities of all Americans, including Jewish Americans,” said Halie Soifer, CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America. “Since they began serving in the White House, we have been grateful for the Vice President and Second Gentleman’s staunch leadership on issues of importance to Jewish Americans, including launching the first-ever National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism and standing with Israel. JDCA is mobilizing Jewish voters across the country – especially in the battleground states where it matters most – to support Vice President Harris’s path to victory, and we will ensure she wins with the strong support of Jewish Americans.”
Senior United States Senator and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer along with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries have not endorsed Harris at press time. Both leaders praised Biden’s time in office but have left Harris out of any statements they issued. Jeffries’ statement included a fundraising pitch to split donations between the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and Gillibrand.
What a wild month this has been. Political pundits can’t wait for next month when the Democrats take center stage. Stay tuned.
