A Month of Upheaval
Presidential Historian Rick Shenkman on the Tumultuous 2024 Campaign
It’s hard to keep track of the momentous and dizzying historic political developments in the past few weeks. Here’s some of the significant dates:
- June 27: President Joe Biden falters in televised debate with former president Donald Trump.
- July 1. On the last day of its term, the rightwing US Supreme Court majority grants immunity from prosecution to presidents for most criminal conduct when performing official acts.
- July 13. An assassination attempt at a campaign rally leaves Trump wounded.
- July 15. Federal Judge Aileen Cannon dismisses the theft of classified documents case against Trump based on finding the special counsel appointment unconstitutional.
- July 15-18. Republicans celebrate Trump and “Unity” at Milwaukee RNC convention.
- July 21. Biden drops out of presidential race and endorses Vice President Kamala Harris for president.
- July 24. In an address from the Oval Office, Biden explains his decision to end his campaign for the presidency.
To better understand these momentous events, Robin Lindley asked renowned Seattle presidential historian and HistoryNews Network founder Rick Shenkman for his insights. He’s also an author and an award-winning political journalist, His books on history and politics include Presidential Ambition: How the Presidents Gained Power, Kept Power and Got Things Done; Just How Stupid Are We? Facing the Truth About the American Voter; and Political Animals: How Our Stone-Age Brain Gets in the Way of Smart Politics.
To read Robin Lindley's interview with Rick Shenkman, please go to https://www.laprogressive.com/election-and-campaigns/a-month-of-upheaval