How Trump Could Pull Off the Ultimate Upstage of the Republican Debate

He has 10 days to surrender and one of those days would crush the first debate.

Trump at one of his other arraignments. Not pictured: The big, burly police officers with tears in their eyes saying, “Mr. Trump, what they’re doing to you is so unfair.” (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

1. Prime Time

From the time of his (latest) indictment, Donald Trump has 10 days to surrender himself to the authorities in Fulton County. The clock started running on August 14.

Ten days takes us to August 24.

You know what’s happening on August 23?

It would not surprise me—at all—if Trump chooses to surrender himself on August 23. He’d then take over the entire news cycle that day with its wall-to-wall coverage of the fingerprinting and mugshot.

And then Trump goes straight from the jail to a giant Trump rally that runs—and here I’m just spitballing—from 8-11 p.m. EDT.

Fox will carry the debate and all of the other networks will carry his rally and you tell me which would get the bigger ratings numbers?

The entire Republican debate would be swamped. The candidates on the stage would have extra pressure to light themselves on fire in order to break through. And the second-day stories would be about how Trump schlonged Fox and the rest of the field.

Trump isn’t smart, but he is cunning and he understands both power and weakness. And he sees the same things we’re all seeing.

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2. Make America Florida

Remember the halcyon days of the DeSantis campaign, back before he declared his candidacy? When no one outside of Florida had heard him speak and everything seemed possible?

Good times.

Let’s check in on how things are going in the Free State of Florida!