“Leaked chat logs show Portland-area pro-Trump activists planning and training for violence, sourcing arms and ammunition and even suggesting political assassinations ahead of a series of contentious rallies in the Oregon city, including one scheduled for this weekend,” The Guardian reports.
Even More Battleground Polls
New Baldwin Wallace University polls:
- MICHIGAN: Biden 50%, Trump 42%
- OHIO: Biden 45%, Trump 44%
- PENNSYLVANIA: Biden 47%, Trump 45%
- WISCONSIN: Biden 50%, Trump 41%
New Harper Polling poll:
- NORTH CAROLINA: Trump 45%, Biden 44%
Texas Republicans Sue Governor Over Early Voting
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) “is facing a lawsuit over his extension of early voting for the November election from prominent members of his own party — including state party Chairman Allen West, Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and members of the Texas Legislature,” the Texas Tribune reports.
Trump Says Supreme Court Will Decide the Election
President Trump predicted that the U.S. Supreme Court will decide the outcome of the November election and argued the Senate should confirm his nominee to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to break any tie, Bloomberg reports.
Said Trump: “I think this will end up in the Supreme Court and I think it’s very important that we have nine justices, and I think the system’s going to go very quickly.”
He added: “I think this scam that the Democrats are pulling, it’s a scam, this scam will be before the United States Supreme Court and I think having a 4-4 situation is not a good situation. Just in case it would be more political than it should be, I think it’s very important to have a ninth judge.”
Most Republicans Trust Trump Over CDC
A new Quinnipiac poll finds 51% of Republicans said they trust President Trump over CDC scientists when it comes to the coronavirus pandemic.
Eric Trump Ordered to Be Deposed
“A state judge on ordered Eric Trump to be deposed no later than October 7 in the New York attorney general’s examination of the Trump Organization’s financial practices, rejecting a protest by President Trump’s son who has said he is too busy to meet with investigators until after November’s election,” the Washington Post reports.
Justice Department Tried to Block Tell-All by Ex-Friend
“The Department of Justice and lawyers acting on behalf of Melania Trump attempted to block an explosive tell-all book from the First Lady’s former close friend and adviser,” the Daily Beast reports.
Trump’s Attack on the Vote Count Is a 5-Alarm Fire
Rick Hasen: “With less than six weeks to go before Election Day, and with over 250 COVID-related election lawsuits filed across 45 states, the litigation strategy of the Trump campaign and their allies has become clear: try to block the expansion of mail-in balloting whenever possible and, in a few key states, create enough chaos in the system and legal and political uncertainty in the results that the Supreme Court, Congress, or Republican legislatures can throw the election to Trump if the outcome is at all close or in doubt.”
“It’s a Hail Mary, but in a close enough election we cannot count the possibility out. I’ve never been more worried about American democracy than I am right now…”
“We should not think of the litigation and the wild claims of voter fraud as separate from one another. Instead, they are part of a play to grab power if the election is close enough. There are good legal arguments against a power grab, but if another body tries to overturn the will of the people in voting for president, there will be protests in the streets, with the potential for violence.”
“This is a five-alarm fire folks. It’s time to wake up.”
California Will Stop Selling Gas Cars In 15 Years
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced that California, the world’s fifth-largest economy and the state that created U.S. car culture, will stop selling gasoline-powered automobiles within 15 years, the Washington Post reports.
Biden Maintains 10-Point Lead Nationally
A new Quinnipiac poll finds Joe Biden leading Donald Trump nationally among likely voters, 52% to 42%.
These numbers are unchanged from a poll three weeks ago.
Said pollster Tim Malloy: “Voters think Biden is smarter, more honest, more level headed, and cares more about Americans than the president. And that, in part, translates into a ten-point lead.”
A new Marquette Law poll finds Biden ahead nationally, 50% to 40%.
Trump Aides Feared Crowd Would Cheer RBG’s Death
President Trump’s top aides decided not to alert him of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death while he was onstage at a Minnesota rally because they feared that his crowd would cheer about her passing, New York Times reports.
A ‘Distressed’ Birx Mulls Whether She Can Stay On
“Once a fixture at the administration’s coronavirus briefings, Dr. Deborah Birx has confided to aides and friends that she has become so unhappy with what she sees as her diminished role as coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force that she is not certain how much longer she can serve in her position,” CNN reports.
“Birx has told people around her that she is ‘distressed’ with the direction of the task force, describing the situation inside the nation’s response to the coronavirus as nightmarish.”
Democrats Worry Feinstein Can’t Handle Court Battle
“As the Senate prepares for yet another brutal Supreme Court nomination fight, one particularly sensitive issue is creating apprehension among Democrats: what to do with 87-year-old Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee,” Politico reports.
“Feinstein, the oldest member of the Senate, is widely respected by senators in both parties, but she has noticeably slowed in recent years. Interviews with more than a dozen Democratic senators and aides show widespread concern over whether the California Democrat is capable of leading the aggressive effort Democrats need against whoever President Trump picks to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.”
Said one Democratic senator: “She’s not sure what she’s doing. If you take a look at Kavanaugh, we may be short two senators because of that. And if this gets messed up, it may be the same result.”
Pro-Trump Network Selling QAnon Emojis
“Pro-Trump cable network One America News is selling QAnon emojis on its YouTube channel, cashing in on the conspiracy movement that the FBI considers a potential source of domestic terrorrism,” the Daily Beast reports.
Bonus Quote of the Day
“Cans of tuna fish. They go out and buy tuna fish and soup. You know that, right? Because they throw it. It’s the perfect weight, tuna fish, they can really rip it, right? And that hits you. No, it’s true. Bumble Bee brand tuna.”
— President Trump, quoted by CNN, speaking at a rally about what he claims are protesters’ methods.
New York Attorney General Opposes Eric Trump’s Delay
“A lawyer for the New York attorney general’s office argued Wednesday that President Trump’s middle son, Eric Trump, has no right to delay a subpoena for his testimony as part of an ongoing investigation until after the presidential election in November,” CNBC reports.
Supreme Court Fight Could Split the Trump Coalition
David Wasserman: “In the hours since Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing, several analysts have speculated the new, colossal Supreme Court fight will help President Trump by rallying traditional GOP voters behind him and shifting the focus of 2020 from the mismanagement of COVID-19 to a more straightforward partisan cage match.”
“That’s possible, but given the likelihood of the court to take a sharp right turn, a pre-election Supreme Court fight carries much bigger risks for Trump than the Brett Kavanaugh brawl in 2018.”
“Namely, there’s potential for the Roe v. Wade/abortion issue and the Affordable Care Act to drive a wedge in Trump’s coalition. In 2016, much of his support came from voters who disliked Hillary Clinton, liked Trump’s rhetoric on trade and immigration, but consider themselves pro-choice — especially non-evangelical, blue-collar women. And, these voters remain up for grabs in 2020.”