On Thursday, Donald Trump entered a room of journalists at his Mar-a-Lago estate for a news conference, looking less than pleased. His appearance followed a week where Kamala Harris and her new running mate, Tim Walz, dominated the media, raised millions of dollars, and enjoyed a boost in the polls. Trump’s event appeared more like an attempt to reclaim the spotlight rather than to deliver any new announcements.

The event did include a few newsworthy moments. Trump confirmed that he would participate in a televised debate with Vice-President Harris on 10 September, with ABC News, the debate host, later confirming Harris’s agreement to the matchup. Trump also expressed his desire for two additional debates, though the Harris team has yet to respond to those requests.

Throughout the hour-long event, Trump fielded numerous questions and criticized Harris for not taking questions from reporters since becoming the Democratic nominee. However, much of his speech revisited familiar topics, including poll numbers, media bias, the nation’s dire state, and crowd sizes, even comparing his audiences to those of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

In typical Trump fashion, he made several controversial remarks, suggesting that the country is on the brink of a world war and questioning the judgment of Jewish Americans who support Vice-President Harris. This struggle for attention is unusual for Trump, who is not accustomed to competing for the spotlight, especially in this election cycle.

Previously, the Biden campaign allowed Trump to dominate the news, believing that focusing on the former president would benefit the current one. But the recent shake-up on the Democratic side has shifted the media’s focus, much to Trump’s frustration. The coverage of Harris’s unexpected rise as the Democratic candidate has been largely positive, putting Trump on the defensive.

Trump’s news conference ultimately lacked significant news, with the former president seemingly struggling to reclaim the media’s attention. Republican strategist Marc Lotter, who managed communications for Trump’s 2020 campaign, advised Trump to stay focused on policy to win back the spotlight. While Trump did attempt to paint Harris as “extreme” and “liberal,” his message was overshadowed by his grievances about crowd sizes and the media’s reporting.

The event ended, and within minutes of Trump leaving the stage, the media’s attention shifted to Michigan, where Harris and Walz were meeting with union workers. Once again, the Democrats seized the moment, leaving Trump in the background.