This has been a wild week in U.S. politics.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump was the target of an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania on July 13; the shooter only narrowly missed. On July 15, a Florida district court judge dismissed charges against Trump of obstructing justice, a ruling that was widely anticipated even though it is on questionable grounds. The remainder of the week, the Republican Party formally nominated Trump at its convention, at which he also named his vice-presidential running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance.
Following the Supreme Court’s surprising decision earlier this month on the immunity of presidents, these events have reinforced the idea of the “Teflon Don,” an extraordinarily lucky man for whom the laws of politics do not apply. When coupled with the dismal performance of U.S. President Joe Biden at their debate last month, they have also fed a narrative that Trump’s victory in November is inevitable.