How two topsy-turvy weeks upended Trump’s 2024 campaign | CNN Politics

A 17-day stretch with few parallels in American history has upended what looked to Donald Trump’s campaign like a clear path to victory.

Trump went off-script and into attack mode in his Thursday night speech to close the GOP convention, delivering sharply partisan remarks that undercut the calls for unity that had preceded him.

Three days later , Biden exited the race and Democrats coalesced around Vice President Kamala Harris .

Now, the 2024 race is in flux.

Trump advisers have insisted that his campaign was ready for a potential change at the top of the ticket long before Biden officially dropped out.

But despite the preparations, the campaign has yet to find its footing on a consistent message about the vice president.

Trump ’s advisers have privately acknowledged that they are still determining the best way to define his new opponent.

Vice President Harris was boarding Air Force Two for a flight to Houston for a meeting with Biden .

She agreed with advisers who argued against “taking Trump ’s bait yet again,” a source close to Trump said.

The messaging made several Republicans uncomfortable and many said they hoped it would not become a lasting part of the campaign's talking points.