Why Trump’s “Law and Order” Gambit Isn’t Working

The violent aftermath of the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, continues to hover over the presidential race. When Joe Biden spoke in Pittsburgh on Monday, he denounced the chaos that followed protests last week—and then swiveled to assess the president’s role in the turmoil. Donald Trump then addressed the events in Kenosha on Tuesday. When a reporter brought up the protests pressing for an end to systemic racism, Trump insisted that the topic of the day was not racism but violence, blaming the unrest on Democrats and their presidential nominee. But there’s a fundamental paradox in Trump pointing to strife during his presidency and saying that this is the America you’ll get with the other guy. To figure out what Trump’s strategy is here, I spoke with William Saletan, Slate’s national correspondent, on Wednesday’s episode of What Next. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.