After Donald Trump’s recent press conference at Mar-a-Lago, Mary Trump expressed her concerns about the upcoming 2024 election, likening the atmosphere to “2016 all over again.”
During the presser, Trump announced debate dates for his matchup with Kamala Harris: September 4 on Fox News, September 10 on ABC, and September 25 on NBC. He emphasized that while he’s good to go, the Harris campaign still needs to agree on the terms.
Harris’ camp had already committed to the September 10 debate, which ABC News confirmed just days ago.
Trump shared his thoughts on various topics, including abortion, immigration, and the economy. He criticized Harris, calling her incompetent and taking aim at the Biden administration’s border policies.
Trump also touted the size of his crowds as proof of support. Reporters indicated that Harris has seen a surge in popularity since President Biden’s withdrawal from the race. Trump went as far as to claim that the crowd he had during the January 6, 2021, rally surpassed that of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
While addressing the Capitol riot, Trump stated that “nobody was killed,” ignoring the tragic fact that several lives, including that of supporter Ashli Babbitt, were lost that day.
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Mary Trump, a critic of her uncle, took to X (formerly Twitter) and her Substack to share her reactions to the coverage of his press conference.
Citing MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell, she echoed the sentiment that the event felt reminiscent of 2016, which she saw as alarming. She wrote on X, “Lawrence O’Donnell is right—yesterday felt like 2016 all over again. And that is not a good thing.”
O’Donnell pointed out how Trump’s speech was aired live across numerous networks, similar to what happened in 2016. He criticized the networks for their attempts at fact-checking after the fact, describing it as “way too late and utterly useless.”
In her Substack, Mary Trump elaborated that the rapid-fire nature of her uncle’s claims makes real-time fact-checking nearly impossible. She lamented the massive platform he was given during the 2016 election, noting that while Hillary Clinton focused on policy, the media often showed Trump’s empty podiums instead.
Simultaneously, while Trump spoke, Harris and her vice presidential pick, Governor Tim Walz, were addressing the United Auto Workers in Detroit. Mary Trump noted she missed this event because of media attention—in her words, “another media fail.” She questioned why such significant events were not making headlines.