Examining President Trump’s praise of a rallygoer who punched a protester last week, David E. Sanger, a White House and national security correspondent for The New York Times, studied the atmosphere at Mr. Trump’s recent events. What he found was a faint echo of the moments that made Mr. Trump’s 2016 rallies so shocking.

The president contended that Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, a Muslim, would “invite hordes of jihadis to our shores” as he sought to bolster the G.O.P. candidate in a tight Senate race.

© Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times

With new intelligence and the possibility of all sides seeking pretexts for action, the war in Iran is entering a dangerous phase ahead of elections in the United States and Israel.

© Arash Khamooshi/Polaris for The New York Times

After Russia released an American prisoner, President Trump’s special envoy praised President Vladimir V. Putin as “a humanitarian.” Our White House and national security correspondent, David E. Sanger, describes how the release comes amid Mr. Trump’s broader shift toward Russia and away from Ukraine.