MSNBC DAILY

Understand today's news with Jen Psaki

Saturday, July 20, 2024

I have watched a lot of speeches in my life. Donald Trump's meandering, nearly 90-minute exhibition, which included a mix of self-involved bluster, a gruesome recounting of the assassination attempt on his life and a series of bizarre stories about everything from UFC President Dana White's vacation to the "late and great Hannibal Lecter," was not a good speech.

The entire point of a prime-time address is to speak to an audience broader than your core supporters. These opportunities don't come along very often for presidential candidates. And yet, I doubt even Trump's biggest fans were still listening after 45 minutes of garbled drivel. It certainly wasn't the unifying speech we were promised. Not that I ever really believed Trump could pull off that sort of dramatic pivot.

Indeed, Thursday night was just another reminder that every promised reinvention of Trump is bound to be thwarted by Donald Trump himself.

So maybe it's time we stop buying into it.

And while we're at it, let's also stop treating him and the MAGA movement as if it is some insurmountable genius collective. A prime-time convention speech is only as helpful to a campaign as the person delivering it. And Thursday's speech may go down as one of the worst acceptance speeches delivered by a nominee from either party.

Read more exclusive insights from Jen Psaki here. And tune into "Inside with Jen Psaki" Mondays at 8 p.m. ET, and Sundays at 12 p.m. ET on MSNBC.

TOP STORIES

DAVID A. ANDELMAN

JD Vance's foreign policy ideas are Putin and Orban's dream come true

This strain of American isolationism is associated with some of the most destructive periods in America's past. Read more.

JA'HAN JONES

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez warns anti-Biden Democrats about what comes next if they succeed

The progressive New Yorker spoke on Instagram about the potential risks of pressuring President Joe Biden to end his campaign. Read more.

JORDAN RUBIN

New Hunter Biden motion takes a page from Trump's playbook

President Joe Biden's son cited the GOP-appointed judges' opinions against Jack Smith to argue that the special counsel in his case was unlawfully appointed. Read more.

RYAN HAMILTON

My wife's near-death experience proves the horrifying reality of Trump's abortion stance

The disgraceful lack of care she endured was a direct result of Texas' deadly new abortion law. Read more.

TOP VIDEOS

THE REIDOUT

'Cognitively diminished, old vaudeville performer': Joy on Trump's rambling RNC speech

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KATY TUR

'Tough conversations' taking place in Biden's inner circle over candidacy viability

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ALL IN

Rep. Raskin pens letter to Biden with apt baseball metaphor: 'Star pitcher'

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DEADLINE WHITE HOUSE

Trump campaign trying to have it both ways with Project 2025's toxic platform

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This weekend on MSNBC

SATURDAY

MSNBC's "The Weekend" at 8am ET: Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)… Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.)
MSNBC's "The Saturday Show" at 6pm ET: Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.)… Susan Glasser… Michael Harriot

SUNDAY

MSNBC's "Velshi" at 11am ET: Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.)… Former Florida State Attorney Monique Worrell
MSNBC's "Inside with Jen Psaki" at 12pm ET: Gov. Jared Polis (D-Colo.)… Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.)… Hadley Duvall

*Subject to change