Back during the shock-jock radio era, Howard Stern was highly effective at channeling listener resentment toward his own benefit. The way to send a message to the FCC, the rest of the media, and all the other people you hated, was to listen to his show, buy his books, and see his movie. Donald Trump successfully employed the same strategy to boost his political career, as there was no better way to stick it to the elites than to make him president.
The FBI’s action in Mar-a-Lago has once again created a rally-around-Trump effect. As I wrote yesterday, the news reestablished Trump as the alpha dog among Republicans by putting him at the center of the controversy that has been animating the base. Republican voters who take the cynical view toward the FBI’s search of his residence may be tempted to believe that the ultimate way to give the middle finger to the deep state is to get behind Trump.
But even if one believes that he is wrongly being targeted as part of a politically motivated witch hunt, it does not necessarily follow that he would be the best nominee for Republicans in 2024.
The question of his suitability for a second term relative to the other options open to Republican primary voters should be treated as a distinct one from whatever you believe about the FBI raid.