“The lie materialized on Friday afternoon and went viral on far-right social media accounts, just as a federal jury ruled that former President Donald Trump’s attorney Rudy Giuliani must pay $148 million to former Fulton County election staffers he falsely accused of voter fraud,” the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.

“The post wrongly claimed that Gov. Brian Kemp’s legal staff notified Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger that more than 17,000 “invalid” votes were tallied in Fulton County in 2020, echoing debunked conspiracy theories that Trump’s allies have pushed for years.”

“The accusation was quickly repudiated by state officials, but that didn’t stop Trump’s loyalists from spreading it.”

Dan Pfeiffer: “Chris Christie says he entered this race because he believes Donald Trump is unfit for office and that his return to the White House would present an existential danger to the country. If Chris Christie sincerely believes that Trump must be defeated — and I am willing to take him at his word — then he should drop out of the race right now.”

The Hill: Christie doesn’t rule out working with Haley to defeat Trump in GOP primary.

Axios: “Trump, if he wins, will enjoy vigorous backing from the vast majority of GOP leaders and rank-and-file Republicans. His biggest critics will be long gone.”

“Nikki Haley called Sen. Tim Scott on Friday seeking his endorsement, according to a source familiar with the situation — and she’s not the only candidate courting him,” Semafor reports.

“Donald Trump has also privately pushed Scott for his endorsement, the source told Semafor. The two have kept in touch since the senator ended his campaign –– Scott was one of the only opponents who seemed able to remain on Trump’s good side as he ran against him for office.”

“Chris Christie previously reached out about an endorsement, as well. Ron DeSantis, meanwhile, has been in touch with Scott too, though the exact nature of their conversation remains unclear.”

New York Magazine: “With less than a year until the 2024 vote, there is a glaring cognitive split at the top of the Democratic Party. While commentators and many strategists are aghast at Biden’s polling slide and desperate to see a course correction, the president’s aides at the White House and at reelection headquarters give every indication that they consider the election very much under control.”

“Third-party candidates are emerging as a potentially crucial obstacle to reassembling Joe Biden’s winning 2020 election coalition, particularly younger voters, in the battleground states likely to decide the US presidency,” Bloomberg reports.

“Interest in independent candidates such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the offspring of a celebrated Democratic political dynasty, and possibly moderate West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, who is considering a run, is the highest in at least 20 years, according to a Gallup Poll.”

“Overall, Biden 2020 voters are more drawn to third-party alternatives while more of Donald Trump’s 2020 supporters stand by their man: 16% say they would vote for Kennedy or another independent candidate compared to 11% of Trump 2020 supporters, according to the swing-state poll.”

Jim Messina: A third-party candidate can’t win in 2024.

“A day after Ron DeSantis’s political operation suffered another major setback — the departure of a chief strategist — the Florida governor ignored the internal turmoil at an event in Iowa and did not take questions from reporters,” the New York Times reports.

“Perhaps there just wasn’t much left to say.”