WEBVTT - Is this Donald Trump 2.0?

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<v Speaker 1>You can listen to the Front on your smart speaker

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<v Speaker 1>the news from The Australian. From the Australian, here's what's

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<v Speaker 1>on the Front. I'm Christinamiot. It's Wednesday, July seventeenth. The

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<v Speaker 1>International Monetary Fund isn't optimistic about Australia's growth prospects. It's

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<v Speaker 1>downgraded the nation's economic outlook and its warned stubborn inflation

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<v Speaker 1>could see households hit with further interest rate hikes in

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<v Speaker 1>the coming months. America will drag Australia into a new

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<v Speaker 1>World war. That's the warning from Senator David hue Bridge.

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<v Speaker 1>The Greens defense spokesperson, says his party will push to

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<v Speaker 1>cut defense spending and shred the government's nuclear submarine scheme

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<v Speaker 1>in hopes of keeping the country out of a new

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<v Speaker 1>global conflict. That story from our exclusive series on the

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<v Speaker 1>Greens is live right now at the Australian dot com

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<v Speaker 1>dot au.

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<v Speaker 2>Donald J. Trump is officially the Republican Party's nominee for president,

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<v Speaker 2>and he's named a risky running mate as his second

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<v Speaker 2>in charge. Just days after an attempt was made on

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<v Speaker 2>the former president's life at a rally in Pennsylvania. Trump

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<v Speaker 2>has changed his tune, But how long will it last?

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<v Speaker 2>That's today's episode.

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<v Speaker 3>Today, people look at me, at my job and my

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<v Speaker 3>Ivy League credentials and assume that I'm some sort of

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<v Speaker 3>genius that only a truly extraordinary person could have made

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<v Speaker 3>it to where I am today.

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<v Speaker 2>That's the Ohio Senator jd Vance, reading an excerpt from

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<v Speaker 2>his New York Times best selling book, He'll Billy Elegy.

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<v Speaker 3>With all due respect to those people, I think that

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<v Speaker 3>theory is a load of bullshit.

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<v Speaker 2>Released in twenty sixteen, Hill Billy Elegy is a memoir

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<v Speaker 2>about growing up poor in America's Appalachian Mountains.

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<v Speaker 3>I am not a senator, a governor, or a former

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<v Speaker 3>Cabinet secretary.

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<v Speaker 2>That changed in early twenty twenty three when Jada Vance

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<v Speaker 2>was sworn in as a senator in the one hundred

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<v Speaker 2>and eighteenth United States Congress.

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<v Speaker 3>So I didn't write this book because I've accomplished something extraordinary.

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<v Speaker 3>I wrote this book because I've achieved something quite ordinary,

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<v Speaker 3>which doesn't happen to most kids who grew up like me.

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<v Speaker 2>On Tuesday, this happened. That announcement just made former President

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<v Speaker 2>Donald Trump announcing he has chosen Ohio US Senator JD.

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<v Speaker 2>Vance as is running me on his Truth social media

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<v Speaker 2>platform just within the last hour.

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<v Speaker 1>Here.

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<v Speaker 2>Cameron Stewart is The Australian's chief international correspondent. He's in

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<v Speaker 2>Wisconsin for the Republican National Convention where Jdvan was announced

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<v Speaker 2>as Donald Trump's running mate. Cam Many Australians will know JD.

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<v Speaker 2>Evans the author, But tell me what do we know

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<v Speaker 2>about Jedvance the politician.

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<v Speaker 4>Well, we don't know an enormous amount in the sense

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<v Speaker 4>that he was only elected to the Senate in twenty

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<v Speaker 4>twenty three, so it's only been a senator for eighteen months,

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<v Speaker 4>so really not very long at all. But he has

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<v Speaker 4>been very outspoken on issues. He's been very much a Trump.

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<v Speaker 5>Ally, a Maga warrior if you like.

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<v Speaker 4>He's taken quite hardline positions on abortion, choice, on border security,

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<v Speaker 4>especially on Ukraine. He very much opposes US assistance for Ukraine.

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<v Speaker 4>He's quite an isolationist. He's very conservative on family of

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<v Speaker 4>values and issues like that. He's very much a Trump

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<v Speaker 4>acolyte if you like. He's not a different type of Republican,

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<v Speaker 4>which is unusual because when you choose a running mate,

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<v Speaker 4>you usually go for someone who's a bit different to

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<v Speaker 4>make your whole ticket a bit of a broad church.

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<v Speaker 4>Donald Trump hasn't done that in this case, and I

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<v Speaker 4>think that's probably a fairly high risk decision that he's made.

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<v Speaker 2>Jade Vans and Donald Trump haven't always been on the

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<v Speaker 2>same page.

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<v Speaker 4>Yes, you're right, certainly. In twenty sixteen, JD. Vance was

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<v Speaker 4>very critical of Donald Trump. He said he would be

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<v Speaker 4>America's hitler. He said he was no piod on society.

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<v Speaker 5>He was very very critical.

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<v Speaker 4>He said he was never Trumper, and it certainly didn't

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<v Speaker 4>look like he was ever going to be a fan

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<v Speaker 4>of Donald Trump. But about twenty eighteen, Vance started to

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<v Speaker 4>soften his view, and then in twenty twenty he said,

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<v Speaker 4>I'm wrong Trump, You've been a great president. And then

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<v Speaker 4>of course he wanted to get elected to the Senate

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<v Speaker 4>and he apologized for his previous criticisms of Trump, and

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<v Speaker 4>Trump came to the party, Trump backed him, and so

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<v Speaker 4>it's been a journey for both men, I think. But

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<v Speaker 4>I think that Vance has been so outspoken in the

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<v Speaker 4>last couple of years in support of Trump. He really

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<v Speaker 4>is one of his biggest and loudest allies and so whatever,

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<v Speaker 4>thanks there was betweenty two.

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<v Speaker 5>I think he's long gone.

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<v Speaker 2>Last weekend, the presidential race was fundamentally altered when twenty

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<v Speaker 2>year old Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire on Donald Trump

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<v Speaker 2>at a pre convention rally in Pennsylvania. In the day since,

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<v Speaker 2>Donald Trump has restyled himself as America's great unifier. So

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<v Speaker 2>what does that mean for Trump two point zero?

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<v Speaker 4>Well, all of America is looking at this question. I mean,

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<v Speaker 4>it's a fascinating concept. Donald Trump has a genuine near

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<v Speaker 4>death experience and within forty eight hours, so the Republicans,

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<v Speaker 4>he says, calm down, we're going to be unifiers here.

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<v Speaker 4>But Donald Trump's whole modus operandi as a politician has

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<v Speaker 4>been an US and them idea. That's what he does.

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<v Speaker 4>He's very good at the politics of green events. And

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<v Speaker 4>I just fight it hard to imagine that for the

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<v Speaker 4>next three and a half months before the next election

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<v Speaker 4>that Donald Trump is not going to be Donald Trump

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<v Speaker 4>that is going to be a kind of gentler, unifying soul.

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<v Speaker 4>I just don't think that that is him, and I

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<v Speaker 4>don't think he'll be able to keep doing that for

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<v Speaker 4>very long. So my guess would be this is a

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<v Speaker 4>very temporary thing. I think we.

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<v Speaker 5>Will see Trump back to his loudest, roaring best soon.

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<v Speaker 2>And what does the addition of JD. Vance to this

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<v Speaker 2>equation mean for the November election.

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<v Speaker 4>Vance is such a mega type of politician that he

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<v Speaker 4>will appeal to Trump supporters, but he probably won't appeal

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<v Speaker 4>hugely with those people who.

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<v Speaker 5>Aren't Trump supporters.

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<v Speaker 4>And what Trump chose not to do was choose, say

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<v Speaker 4>Marco Rubio, one of the other contenders that would have

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<v Speaker 4>appealed to the Hispanic vote, and as you say, Senator

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<v Speaker 4>Tim Scott of South Carolina, which would have appealed to

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<v Speaker 4>the African American vote, or even Nicki Hardey, which of

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<v Speaker 4>course would have appealed to women. So Trump is enormous confidence,

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<v Speaker 4>if not hubris, in his decision.

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<v Speaker 5>Here.

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<v Speaker 4>He's basically saying, my party is the party of MAGA,

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<v Speaker 4>this is my running mate.

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<v Speaker 5>We will win regardless.

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<v Speaker 4>But if Trump does not win in November, now he

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<v Speaker 4>is certainly of a clear front run of the moment.

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<v Speaker 4>But if he does not win in November, I think

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<v Speaker 4>this decision will be looked at by many commentators as

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<v Speaker 4>the reason why.

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<v Speaker 2>The Republican National Convention runs until Thursday with the focus

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<v Speaker 2>on the economy on day one, and there will be

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<v Speaker 2>a different theme every day for the convention.

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<v Speaker 6>Today's theme will be make America weleview once again.

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<v Speaker 2>Cam, there's still, as you said, a few days of

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<v Speaker 2>the Republican National Convention to go. You were there, what

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<v Speaker 2>was the vibe like and what are you expecting to

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<v Speaker 2>see for the rest of the week.

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<v Speaker 4>The first night was such a piece of political theater.

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<v Speaker 4>Trump was not on the schedule. He turned up on

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<v Speaker 4>the screen with his WRIGHTI a bandage, and the rule

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<v Speaker 4>was absolutely Deafinitely it was like BMCG on Grand final Day,

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<v Speaker 4>Please welcome the next President of the United States, Donald J.

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<v Speaker 3>Trump.

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<v Speaker 4>I mean, it's really interesting how truly the Republican faithful

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<v Speaker 4>adore him. It was just one of those things. He

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<v Speaker 4>really didn't do anything. He said, walk in, smile, wave,

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<v Speaker 4>and then walk out. But it was just really powerful

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<v Speaker 4>political theater. And this is the sort of stuff that

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<v Speaker 4>makes him really popular amongst his fans. And now what

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<v Speaker 4>we're going to see for the rest of the convention

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<v Speaker 4>is a series of really interesting speeches. Nikki Haley is

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<v Speaker 4>due to speak tomorrow night. Of course, she was the

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<v Speaker 4>person that Trump vanquished for the primary. It's interesting she's

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<v Speaker 4>coming in to speak. I think that's a fascinating decision.

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<v Speaker 4>It shows that the Republicans are trying to unify themselves.

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<v Speaker 4>It's going to be an incredible week. And the interesting

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<v Speaker 4>thing is that this has actually reduced to focus briefly

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<v Speaker 4>on Joe Biden. However, I think once this Republican convention

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<v Speaker 4>finishes this week, we will switch straight back to the

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<v Speaker 4>problems that Joe Biden has.

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<v Speaker 2>Coming up. What Donald Trump's big day means for the Democrats.

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<v Speaker 2>Subscribers to The Australian are first to hear reporting and

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<v Speaker 2>analysis from our correspondents in the United States. Join us

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<v Speaker 2>at the Australian dot com dot au. It's a lot

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<v Speaker 2>cheaper than running a presidential campaign. We'll be back after

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<v Speaker 2>this break. A little over a month from now. On

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<v Speaker 2>August nineteen, the Democrats will descend on Chicago for their

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<v Speaker 2>party's national convention. But where Donald Trump was basically a

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<v Speaker 2>sure thing, who the Democrats will name as their nominee

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<v Speaker 2>is less clear. Calls for the incumbent Joe Biden to

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<v Speaker 2>step aside have mounted in recent weeks after a string

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<v Speaker 2>of gaffes caused many to question in his fitness for

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<v Speaker 2>the top job.

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<v Speaker 6>I've said before, Russia will not prevail this war, and

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<v Speaker 6>now I want to hand it over to the President

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<v Speaker 6>of Ukraine, who has as much courage as he has determination.

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<v Speaker 5>Ladies and gentlemen, President putin, President Prudent.

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<v Speaker 6>You've got big President Prus, President Lenskin. I'm so focused

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<v Speaker 6>on being putin. We gotta worry about it anyway. It's President.

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<v Speaker 5>I'm better. You are a hell better.

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<v Speaker 2>But there are also concerns about the ability of the

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<v Speaker 2>current Vice president, Kamala Harris, to defeat Donald Trump in

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<v Speaker 2>the November election. Here is Cameron.

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<v Speaker 4>Stewart, Well, the great mystak of the Democratic You mention

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<v Speaker 4>is who will be the nominee. Biden, of course, in theory,

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<v Speaker 4>should be the nominee. But really, if the Democrats are

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<v Speaker 4>going to make a change, and I think there is

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<v Speaker 4>still a lot of pressure within the Democratic Party for

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<v Speaker 4>Biden to step down, We're just not seeing it right

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<v Speaker 4>now because of the Republican Convention this week, but I

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<v Speaker 4>think that they will have to put that pressure on

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<v Speaker 4>before the Democratic invention. Whoever gets nominated at that convention,

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<v Speaker 4>I think we'll tackle Donald Trump in November. So these

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<v Speaker 4>are the crucial couple of weeks for the Democrats to

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<v Speaker 4>make up their mind to sort it out. But I

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<v Speaker 4>think the next few weeks could thribe any sort of situation.

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<v Speaker 4>We really don't know. It's a fascinating time in American politics.

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<v Speaker 2>Cameron Stewart is the Australian's chief international correspondent. Come back

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<v Speaker 2>to the front tomorrow to hear all the action from

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<v Speaker 2>The Australian's Global Food Forum, happening today in Brisbane. And

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<v Speaker 2>you can keep up to date with all the nation's

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<v Speaker 2>best journalism anytime at the Australian dot com dot au