Tuesday Briefing: Trump’s pick for vice president

The former president selected J.D. Vance as his running mate.

View in browser|nytimes.com July 16, 2024 By Natasha Frost Good morning. We're covering Donald Trump's running mate and Democrats' bleak mood. Plus: Japan's ubiquitous book bags. J.D. Vance, once a critic of Donald Trump, is now his running mate. Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times J.D. Vance is Trump's pick for vice president On the first day of the Republican National Convention, Donald Trump announced his running mate: J.D. Vance, a 39-year-old senator and ex-Marine who, over the last few years, has transformed from a sharp critic of the former president into one of his most loyal allies. Vance is an ambitious ideologue who relishes the spotlight and has shown he can energize donors. He has been a vocal opponent of U.S. aid for Ukraine, leading an unsuccessful campaign in the Senate to block a $60 billion package. If Trump wins a second term, Vance's selection will position him as a potential successor. Here's what to know about him. Trump: The former president, his right ear bandaged, made his first public appearance since a gunman tried to kill him on Saturday night. People at the convention pumped their fists and shouted "fight," echoing the gesture Trump made as the Secret Service rushed him to safety. That moment has become a rallying point for his supporters. Assassination attempt: Former high school classmates described the gunman, Thomas Crooks, as intelligent but solitary, someone who tried to avoid being teased. The F.B.I. said it had gained access to his phone, but it was not immediately clear whether it had yielded clues. Classified documents case: In a bombshell decision, a federal judge, Aileen Cannon, threw out all the charges against Trump involving his handling of classified documents, ruling that the special counsel who filed the indictment had been unconstitutionally appointed to his job. The ruling upended 25 years of Justice Department procedure. President Biden addressed the American public from the Oval Office on Sunday, a day after the attempt on Donald Trump's life. Pool photo by Erin Schaff 'The vibe is grim' for Democrats As the Republican convention opened yesterday, many Democrats were gravely concerned about President Biden's chances in the November election. They are divided over how to proceed with a weakened leader in a scrambled political environment, insiders said. The attempted assassination of Trump complicated what Biden's campaign considered one of its most potent messages: that the former president poses a significant threat to American democracy. Trump's in-the-moment response to the shooting — the raised fist and bloodied face that instantly became a defining image — sent Democrats into yet another tailspin. Polling since Biden's disastrous debate performance last month has been mixed. The latest New York Times/Siena College polls found Biden trailing Trump in Pennsylvania and just slightly ahead in Virginia, two must-win states. So far, there is little indication of how the attack on Trump might have shifted the race. Analysis: "The vibe is grim," said Matt Bennett, the co-founder of Third Way, a Democratic think tank. "I haven't talked to a single Democrat who is like, 'Things are fine.' It's universal." Biden: In a televised interview, the president said it had been "a mistake" for him to say last week that he wanted to put Trump in "a bull's-eye." The assassination attempt has raised questions about how far language should go in a heated campaign, our chief White House correspondent writes. A view from Egypt of its border with the Gaza Strip. Giuseppe Cacace/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Talks over an Israeli pullback from the Gaza-Egypt border Israel and Egypt have privately discussed a possible withdrawal of Israeli soldiers from Gaza's border with Egypt, officials said. That could remove one of the main obstacles to a cease-fire deal with Hamas after more than nine months of war in the Gaza Strip. Negotiations for a truce appear to have gained momentum in recent days, but points of contention remain. One involves the length of a cease-fire: Hamas is demanding that it be permanent, while Israel wants a temporary one. Hamas has also called for an Israeli withdrawal from areas that include the Egypt-Gaza border. Context: The Israeli military took control of Gaza's southern border over May and June, forcing Hamas away from a strategically important axis through which it had smuggled arms and supplies into Gaza. The seizure has also strained Israel's ties with Egypt. Related: China will host senior Palestinian officials from Hamas and Fatah for a meeting next week to discuss the future of the Gaza Strip. MORE TOP NEWS Tyler Hicks/The New York Times Ukraine: Russian forces pushed into the southern village of Urozhaine, the latest of several slow but steady advances. Russia: A Moscow court sentenced in absentia Masha Gessen, a Russian-born American journalist, author and Times staff member, to eight years in prison over comments about the Russian military. Jay Slater: The Spanish authorities said they had found the remains of a young man on the island of Tenerife, in the area where a British teenager disappeared last month. Pakistan: The government said that it would ban the party of Imran Khan, the jailed former prime minister. Nepal: K.P. Sharma Oli, who leads the nation's largest communist party, took office as prime minister. Britain: After a two-day manhunt, a 34-year-old man was arrested and charged with murder after human remains were found in suitcases in Bristol. South Korea: Why did the country ban Trader Joe's savory Everything but The Bagel seasoning mix? From Africa Gambia: In a reversal, the West African country voted to keep a ban on female genital mutilation. Kenya: The police arrested a man who they said had confessed to killing 42 women. Rwanda: President Paul Kagame was expected to emerge as the winner of elections held yesterday. Opposition members say they have been harassed, detained and beaten. SPORTS NEWS Copa América: Argentina's championship victory against Colombia was marred by Lionel Messi's foot injury. It could be the last major tournament for Messi, 37. Tennis: The sport's smooth Big Three transition. And at Wimbledon, Carlos Alcaraz's championship rout of Novak Djokovic was a generational moment in tennis. Baseball: Analysis from Day 1 of the major league draft. MORNING READ James Hill for The New York Times Call it dinner theater: As it prepares to host the Olympics, France is creating a from-scratch collection of pop-up dining experiences on a scale far beyond the offerings at any past Games. Think lobster ravioli and equestrian events at Versailles, or moules frites and beach volleyball at the Eiffel Tower. Some 80 temporary restaurants are being set up where competitions will be staged, to serve an average of 30,000 diners a day. (For more, read our guide to Paris's best bakeries.) Lives lived: Jacqueline de Jong, a Dutch artist who was at the forefront of a 1960s avant-garde movement, has died. She was 85. CONVERSATION STARTERS Gods and Minotaurs: A passion for ancient Greek mythology guided a family trip to Athens and Crete. Healthy sleep habits: Too much sleep, or too little sleep, can lead to a higher risk of dementia. Here's what the experts say. Miu Miu: Why are so many men sporting this high-fashion women's wear brand? Your brain on dance: A study incorporates sophisticated imaging technology to show how dance engages the mind as intensively as the body. ARTS AND IDEAS Noriko Hayashi for The New York Times In Japan, a bag for books, pencils and tradition As a child at an international school in Tokyo, my colleague Motoko Rich, now The Times's Tokyo bureau chief, envied Japanese kids' "supercool leather backpacks," called randoseru — so much that, years later in Brooklyn, she bought one on eBay for her daughter. When Motoko moved back to Japan as an adult, "randoseru were just part of the normal visual landscape" on streets and train platforms, she told me. "Rarely did I see an elementary child with any other kind of school bag," she added. The backpacks are not required, but strong social norms lead most families to purchase them for their children. It was only when a Korean journalist compared carrying the bag to hauling days' worth of rations in a backpack during his army service that she thought of writing about the randoseru "as a microcosm of Japanese culture," Motoko said. "This large burden carried by children, but also a representation of remarkable consistency and entrenched traditions." Read more about randoseru. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. RECOMMENDATIONS Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times Cook: This is a recipe for roast chicken at its simplest and best. Read: "Alexander at the End of the World" shows what happened when dreams of conquest met reality. Listen: The "godmother of rock 'n' roll" could shred. Hear for yourself. Watch: My colleague recommended four compelling true-crime stories. Play the Spelling Bee. And here are today's Mini Crossword and Wordle. You can find all our puzzles here. That's it for today's briefing. See you tomorrow. — Natasha P.S. Alissa Rubin was named senior Middle East correspondent. Reach Natasha and the team at briefing@nytimes.com. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Morning Briefing: Europe Edition from The New York Times. To stop receiving Morning Briefing: Europe Edition, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018