“Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein will remain on the ballot in the crucial swing state of Wisconsin after the state Supreme Court decided on Monday not to hear a Democratic challenge seeking to oust her,” the AP reports.
Trump Shifts Abortion Messaging Yet Again
“Donald Trump has said abortion is an issue best left to the states, complained about Republican messaging and avoided mentioning it in a speech accepting his party’s nomination,” Bloomberg reports.
“The GOP presidential nominee is now taking a new tack: Positioning himself as a leader on women’s reproductive rights, much to the outrage of Democrats — who say the pivot is an insincere ploy to win over voters — and some of his allies who think he’s abandoned them.”
“Trump’s comments come as the Republican ticket struggles with how to talk about the reproductive rights restrictions they’ve championed for years, without turning off the key swing state voters they’ll need in November. Earlier this month, Trump said he was open to restricting access to mifepristone, a pill used in medical abortions.”
Trump Undercuts His Campaign on Debate Rules
“Donald Trump appeared to undercut his campaign’s efforts to keep the same rules in place for his debate against Vice President Kamala Harris next month,” CNN reports.
“Trump’s team would like for the microphones to be muted throughout the debate except for the candidate whose turn it is to speak, as was the case during the first debate with President Joe Biden.”
“But while Trump took aim at what he called the ‘biased’ network Sunday evening – complaining about reporter Jonathan Karl and a panel of ‘Trump Haters’ on his Truth Social platform – he said Monday that he would prefer the mics to stay on.”
Robert Reich: How will team Trump tell him he should be muted during his debate with Harris?
Trump Clemency Recipient Could Be Sent Back to Prison
“A New York federal judge ordered U.S. probation officials to investigate the recent arrest of a convicted drug dealer who was released from prison in early 2021 after his 10-year sentence was commuted by former President Donald Trump,” CNBC reports.
“The order raises the possibility that the drug dealer, Jonathan Braun, could be sent back to prison.”
Harris Stands by Decision to Leave Afghanistan
“Vice President Kamala Harris said that she stands behind President Joe Biden’s decision to leave Afghanistan, as the Democratic nominee came under attack from Donald Trump on the third anniversary of the botched U.S. withdrawal,” USA Today reports.
Said Harris: “Over the past three years, our Administration has demonstrated we can still eliminate terrorists, including the leaders of al-Qaeda and ISIS, without troops deployed into combat zones. I will never hesitate to take whatever action necessary to counter terrorist threats and protect the American people and the homeland.”
Democrats Have Finally Found Trump’s Achilles’ Heel
Michael Tomasky: “Harris’s campaign so far has been a work of genius on several levels, but maybe the most ingenious stroke of all has been the decision to mock Trump—to present him not only as someone to fear but also to ridicule. Harris perfectly encapsulated this two-pronged attack in these memorable lines from her acceptance speech: ‘In many ways, Donald Trump is an unserious man. But the consequences—but the consequences of putting Donald Trump back in the White House are extremely serious.… Just imagine Donald Trump with no guardrails.’”
“But the emphasis has been on ridicule (Tim Walz’s “weird” comment, Maryland Governor Wes Moore’s jab at Trump’s bone spurs, Barack Obama’s hilarious hand gesture when he was talking about Trump’s obsession with crowd size). It’s great on three levels. The first is that it must drive Trump nuts, and when he goes nuts, he says especially nutty things. Second, it’s arguably more persuasive to swing voters than calling Trump a fascist. Trump is a fascist, make no mistake. But he’s also ridiculous. Mocking him over his Hannibal Lecter obsession will stick in apolitical people’s minds far more strongly than warning about his plans to wreck the Justice Department, and in its way, it’s just as disqualifying.”
Cornel West Courts Anti-Vax Voters
“Cornel West seems to see an opening in the field after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dropped his bid for the office this past week,” the Daily Beast reports.
“In what appeared to be a blatant play for RFK Jr.’s supporters—who Donald Trump is hoping will go to him after getting that candidate’s endorsement—West posted a video on social media Sunday that co-opted the anti-vaccine message that had been central to Kennedy’s campaign.”
Said West: “I want to speak to my brothers and sisters of all colors who are concerned, not just about the vaccine but the role of the pharmaceutical companies in shaping public policy.”
Colorado Republicans Oust Their Leader
Colorado Republicans voted to oust state party chairman Dave Williams from his leadership position, Colorado Public Radio reports.
“Williams dismissed the meeting as ‘illegal’, possibly setting up a legal showdown over the leadership of the party.”
“It’s the most tumultuous chapter yet in the endlessly controversial tenure of Williams, who took the helm of the state GOP in 2023, and has angered many in the party for his hard right stances and willingness to attack other Republicans.”
RFK Jr. Says Trump Will Announce Democratic Defections
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed that Donald Trump will make a “series of announcements about other Democrats who are joining his 2024 campaign,” Newsweek reports.
Giuliani Claims Steve Bannon Is Being ‘Tortured’ In Prison
Rudy Giuliani said that Steve Bannon is being “tortured” by not having access to television in prison, the HuffPost reports.
Said Giuliani: “Steve Bannon is not being treated the way other prisoners are being treated. His case has been moved from the Bureau of Prisons to crooked attorney general Garland’s office, and they’re calling the shots because contacts that I have in the Bureau of Prisons have told me they’ve been taken outta the case.”
He added: “Boy, this election is about a fascist regime. And Steve Bannon is prime number one victim.”
Trump Marks Anniversary of Afghanistan Withdrawal
Donald Trump visited Arlington National Cemetery on Monday to mark the three-year anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan as he sought to turn the chaotic pullout into a resonant line of attack against Vice President Kamala Harris, The Hill reports.
Foo Fighters Object to Donald Trump’s Use of Song
Donald Trump’s campaign is disputing the Foo Fighters’ claim that the use of their song “My Hero” during a campaign rally was unauthorized, The Hill reports.
However, a spokesperson for the band said: “Foo Fighters were not asked permission, and again, even if they had been they would not have granted it.”
Poor J.D. Vance
Donald Trump shared a post describing Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr as a “ticket.”
Why Kamala Harris Can Run as an Insurgent
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No Evidence That Maduro Won
“One of Venezuela’s top election officials, in a declaration sure to jolt the crisis-weary nation, said in an interview that he had no proof that Venezuela’s authoritarian president won last month’s election,” the New York Times reports.
“Since the July 28 vote, governments around the world have expressed skepticism, and even outright disbelief, over President Nicolás Maduro’s claim to victory. But the statement by Juan Carlos Delpino — a member of the government body that announced Mr. Maduro’s win — represents the first major criticism from inside the electoral system.”
Democratic Polling Firm Sees Small Shift Towards Harris
Public Policy Polling reports that across 30 private polls done for clients over the last 10 days, Kamala Harris “is doing an average of one percentage point better than Joe Biden did in the same places” four years ago.
“If that held across the board she would win by a commanding 5 point margin in the popular vote and win the Electoral College 303 to 235 while just falling the slightest bit short in North Carolina.”
‘Undecided’ Panelist Says CNN Knew He Backed Trump
A longtime Donald Trump supporter who was billed by CNN as an “undecided” voter said he told network before his appearance that he backed Trump.
Quote of the Day
“Our understanding is that Trump’s handlers prefer the muted microphone because they don’t think their candidate can act presidential for 90 minutes on his own.”
— Harris campaign adviser Brian Fallon, quoted by Politico, on Donald Trump threatening to back out of the September 10 debate.
