Famed Democratic strategist James Carville recently told CNN that “there’s another plot twist coming” before America heads to the polls in November. It’s an intuition shared by many.
To be sure, this election jumped the shark months ago. The TV script for this season would have been scrapped when the former president gets shot in the head but survives. Still, another major twist feels inevitable. It’s hard to imagine things getting calmer from here. But what might actually make a meaningful dent in the American psyche from now until November?
Here are five possible plot twists that could still shake up the race:
Biden resigns, and Harris is sworn in
2024 could produce the first female president in U.S. history regardless of the vote. President Joe Biden has looked increasingly frail as of late. Last week, he appeared lifeless during the first Cabinet meeting in months. His wife led the meeting, which struck many as odd. Then, Biden seemed to lose track of events during a press conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, shouting, “Who’s next?” into the microphone.
Trump is targeted for assassination a third time
The first assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump was taken largely as a freak occurrence. The second attempt raised the country’s collective ears. If the next gunman’s aim is slightly better, we might not have an election at all.
A vice presidential pick invites more scandal
It’s safe to say that neither campaign is entirely satisfied with its vice presidential picks — though after Tuesday’s vice presidential debate, Democrats are feeling a bit worse about theirs. Both Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) and Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) have violated the fundamental rule of running mates: do no harm. Both men have been dogged by scandals that have exacerbated the political flaws of their respective bosses. Walz has been caught in numerous falsehoods about his military record and foreign travels, exacerbating Harris’s perception problem of being a political chameleon, and Vance’s derogatory comments about women have worsened Trump’s historically poor position with female voters.
It isn’t crazy to think that another shoe is about to drop on one (or both) of them.
Another major foreign crisis
In Europe, Ukraine is hoping for a green light from Western allies to use long-range missiles to strike the Russian mainland to secure a more favorable ceasefire agreement. Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed to respond forcefully to such an escalation.
In the Middle East, Israel, fresh off one of the greatest military operations in its history, is itching for a fight with Iran. Following its missile attack on Israel, it seems Iran may be happy to oblige.
In the Indo-Pacific, China’s military buildup, made with the explicit intent to “unify” with Taiwan, looms over the region. Perceived weakness and distraction in the United States could speed up Chinese President Xi Jinping’s calculus.
Diddy saga infects one of the campaigns
Based on available information, including the poorly kept secret of Diddy’s lavish “freak-offs” that may or may not have been recorded by surveillance for the purpose of blackmailing participants, as well as the powerful company Diddy kept, it’s safe to say that anything could emerge from this horrible episode — and that both campaigns are keeping a close eye on the latest developments.
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Peter Laffin is a staff writer for the National Catholic Register and a contributor at the Washington Examiner. His work has appeared in the Catholic Herald, the Catholic Thing, and RealClearPolitics.