Veteran political reporter reveals what the media missed about Trump's appeal to Americans in 2024
The Pennsylvania-based told Fox News Digital that when she first interviewed Trump during his 2016 run, she noticed how he interacted with "the people behind the scenes – the janitors, the people that were pushing the water bottles, the caterers, the plumbers, the electricians, the people that made the event happen that are never seen."
Zito said she saw Trump communicating with American voters with an authenticity and curiosity that she hadn't seen in a lot of politicians.
"I understood in that moment that he wasn't a billionaire running for president, he was a guy that saw people that don't usually get seen by elected officials, in a way that was very unique. Between that and driving across the country and interviewing people, I understood that he was going to win that cycle," Zito said of the 2016 election.
Trump Attributed Survival At Butler Rally To 'Hand Of God': Author And Witness Reveals Firsthand Account
Flash forward to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign.
Read On The Fox News App
"What I noticed covering 2024 was the amount of young people that were out there, that were engaged, that were excited, that were voting for the first time, and really excited to be part of 'bigger than self'… and they really glommed on and became excited about the way that President Trump talks about Americanism and love of country and getting to a better place together," Zito said.
Journalist Who Refused To Duck During Trump Assassination Attempt Reflects On Butler Rally In New Book
Zito's book takes readers back to July 13, 2024, when 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks fired multiple gunshots into the Butler crowd, grazing Trump's ear, injuring two people and killing one rally attendee, firefighter Corey Comperatore. She had planned to interview Trump at the Butler rally and was mere steps away from him when the shots were fired.
But when Zito heard the shots, she told Fox News Digital, "I didn't get down. There was this inner voice that told me, 'You have a job to do, continue doing it.'" As a journalist, Zito quickly began to commit the historic moment to memory as it was unfolding, gathering details that eventually led to her book.
Throughout the campaign, Zito said she could feel that sense of community building at Trump rallies. While his supporters have various degrees of support for the president, at Trump rallies, she said they are happy, patriotic and excited.
"Trump pulled them together by place and rootedness and connective tissue, and it was really, really missed by my profession, but it was so right in front of me everywhere I went in Pennsylvania."Original article source: Veteran political reporter reveals what the media missed about Trump's appeal to Americans in 2024
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
26 minutes ago
- Fox News
FNC Correspondent Matt Finn reports on Latest Trump Approved ICE raids
Matt Finn, Fox News National Correspondent, joined Guy Benson to discuss the latest on what happened during Trump administration-approved ICE raids of marijuana farms in California. Matt also shares his experience in Westwood, CA and how disgusting it looks today despite high rental and housing prices.
Bloomberg
29 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
US Threatens to Abandon IEA Over Green-Leaning Energy Forecasts
The US may depart the International Energy Agency without changes to forecasting that Republicans have criticized as unrealistically green, President Donald Trump's energy chief said. 'We will do one of two things: we will reform the way the IEA operates or we will withdraw,' Energy Secretary Chris Wright said during an interview Tuesday. 'My strong preference is to reform it.'
Forbes
32 minutes ago
- Forbes
Republicans Block Epstein Files Release As Backlash From Some Top MAGA Figures Dwindles
Some Republicans on Monday blocked a measure to release documents detailing the federal government's investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, while others in his base suggested they'd move on from the controversy surrounding the Justice Department's decision to withhold the files. President Donald Trump waves as he walks from Marine One to board Air Force One at Joint Base ... More Andrews, Maryland on July 15, 2025. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images) AFP via Getty Images Seven Republicans on the House Rules Committee opposed an amendment sponsored by Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., that would have required Congress to vote whether to release the documents, while one Republican, Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., voted with the five Democrats on the committee in favor of the measure. Democrats have seized on the anger among some in Trump's base over the Justice Department's announcement last week that it would not release any new details on the Epstein probe, despite suggestions from some top Trump officials that more information was forthcoming. Some of the right-wing backlash—which included calls for Attorney General Pam Bondi to resign—has died down since Trump urged his supporters over the weekend to move on from the controversy and defended Bondi. Right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, who previously called for the purported Epstein list to be released, said Monday he is 'done talking about Epstein for the time being' and would trust Trump's administration to 'solve it,' watering down his criticism last week of the Trump administration's handing of the memo. Conservative commentator Dinesh D'Souza also told his viewers it was 'time to move on' from the Epstein probe and unify behind Trump by 'recognizing you can't win 'em all.' Republican leaders in Congress have also echoed Trump, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., who told reporters Monday 'I think the president's expressed his views on it, and so I'll just leave it at that,' while House Majority Leader Mike Johnson, R-La., also said 'the White House has a lot more information about that than I'm privy to . . . so I'll have to trust that they'll make the right decision.' 'We have a PERFECT Administration, THE TALK OF THE WORLD, and 'selfish people' are trying to hurt it, all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein. For years, it's Epstein, over and over again,' Trump wrote on Truth Social Saturday, calling the Epstein files 'Radical Left inspired Documents' written by Democrats. Contra Not all Republicans in Congress have fallen in line with Trump's messaging strategy. Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., told Axios 'I don't understand why they're hiding what they're hiding,' while Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas, told the outlet 'there's just some things that don't pass the sniff test.' Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., also continued to express disappointment over the Justice Department decision, telling The New York Times 'it's definitely a full reversal on what was said beforehand, and people are just not willing to accept it,' referring to previous statements from administration officials suggesting the documents would be released. The Justice Department in a memo last week said it would not release any more files on its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. It also repeated its determinations that Epstein died by suicide in jail and that no so-called 'Epstein list' of clients exists. Trump's base has largely targeted Bondi over the agency's refusal to release the documents, with some calling for her termination, after she said in a Fox News interview earlier this year the purported list was on her desk. The White House walked back the statement last week and said Bondi was referring to the documents in their entirety. Further Reading Tucker Carlson Blasts Pam Bondi For 'A Bunch Of Ludicrous Claims' About Epstein Files—As Backlash Mounts (Forbes) Trump Sounded Hesitant About Releasing Epstein Files In Newly Resurfaced Interview (Forbes) Pam Bondi Under Fire From MAGA —Megyn Kelly, Laura Loomer And More—Over Epstein Probe (Forbes)
