The FBI is investigating whether maggots were intentionally slipped into a breakfast prepared for delegates attending the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, WGN reports.
Trump Says He’ll Be ‘Mean’ to Kamala Harris
“Donald Trump has no plans to heed the advice of his aides and limit himself to policy contrasts when he debates Kamala Harris. He wants to make it personal,” The Bulwark reports.
Said Trump to a confidant: “This is just the way I am. I hate my opponent. I hate my opponents.”
He added: “Hillary, Joe, Kamala. It doesn’t matter. I just hate them.”
To another adviser, Trump was blunt about taking on Harris: “I’m going to be mean.”
Trump Clemency Recipient Accused of Assaulting Wife
“Jonathan Braun, whose drug sentence was commuted by Donald Trump shortly before he left office, was charged on Long Island, the latest incident to raise questions of how clemency applications were vetted,” the New York Times reports.
“Police on Long Island arrested Mr. Braun after he allegedly punched his 75-year-old father-in-law in the head. Mr. Braun struck his father-in-law twice as he tried to protect his daughter from Mr. Braun, who was chasing after her while the couple had an argument in their home.”
“Mr. Braun’s wife, according to court documents, told police that Mr. Braun had assaulted her twice in the past five weeks.”
Harris Had More Donors in 11 Days Than Biden Did
“Vice President Kamala Harris drew more than 2.4 million donors in her first 11 days at the top of the Democratic ticket — nearly 200,000 more contributors than during the entirety of President Joe Biden’s year-plus long campaign,” Bloomberg reports.
Harris Improves Among Low Engagement Voters
A new Cook Political Report poll finds Kamala Harris leads among high-engagement voters by the same four point margin Biden led in May, 50% to 46%.
But the secret to her surge is that she’s arrowed Trump’s lead among low/mid-engagement voters from 51%-41% to 48%-45%.
Trump Alleges Scheme Around U.S. Economic Data
“Donald Trump introduced a new premise for doubting the election results in advance on Wednesday, turning routine professional revisions of government economic statistics into a baseless allegation of political manipulation,” the Washington Post reports.
“Trump portrayed revised job creation numbers the Bureau of Labor Statistics released publicly on Wednesday as an accidental disclosure. Without presenting any evidence, he accused the Biden-Harris administration of ‘manipulating job statistics’ and trying to prevent the disclosure of the updated figures until after the election.”
Night Three of the Democratic Convention
The featured speakers tonight are Rep. Nancy Pelosi, former President Bill Clinton and Gov. Tim Walz.
For a detailed list of events, see the DNC’s schedule.
Leave your reactions in the comments.
Democratic Convention Retains Audience On Night 2
“The second night of the Democratic National Convention saw just a slight lift in viewership as 20.6M people tuned in across 12 networks,” Deadline reports.
“That’s about half a million more than the first night, once again besting the audience for the Republican National Convention, which suffered from a steep decline to just 14.8M viewers in its second night.”
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Threatening Revenge Against Nancy Pelosi Is a Bad Idea
A group of Democrats, including within President Biden’s orbit and the DNC, remain bitterly upset with Nancy Pelosi “over her public pressure campaign to push Biden out. Some have privately pledged to find ways to diminish Pelosi’s influence in the party after the November election,” the The Washington Post reports.
Jonathan Chait: “There are several odd and deeply inadvisable aspects to this revenge plot. The first is that we now have enough evidence to conclude that replacing Biden with Kamala Harris was absolutely correct…”
“Second, Pelosi is powerful, famously so. She was more powerful than Biden’s loyalists before he quit the race. (That’s one reason why he quit). With Biden out, the gap in power is vastly larger… If she can singlehandedly take out the president of the United States, she can probably handle you.”
Trump Mocks Allies Who Say He Should Stick to Policy
Donald Trump mocked allies who suggested he should not engage in personal attacks, The Hill reports.
Said Trump: “Did you see Barack Hussein Obama last night? He was taking shots at your president. And so was Michelle.”
He added: “You know, they always say, ‘Sir, please stick to policy, don’t get personal.’ And yet they’re getting personal all night long, these people. Do I still have to stick to policy?”
Harris Expands Her Lead In Maine
A new University of New Hampshire poll in Maine finds Kamala Harris has increased her lead over Donald Trump to 55% to 38%.
Perhaps more important, Harris leads in Maine’s second congressional district — which awards an electoral vote — by 49% to 44%.
Ex-Adviser Says Putin Played on Trump’s Ego
Former Trump National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster writes in his new book, At War With Ourselves: My Tour of Duty in the Trump White House that Russian President Vladimir Putin tantalized Trump by preying on his “ego and insecurities,” The Guardian reports.
RFK Jr. Gets Closer to Trump Endorsement
“Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced he will address the nation about the path forward for his campaign Friday in Arizona, amid advanced discussions with Donald Trump and his campaign team about dropping out of the race and endorsing the Republican nominee,” the Washington Post reports.
“Kennedy has continued to talk privately with former president Donald Trump since the Republican convention… Kennedy has expressed that he has talked to his immediate family about the prospect of an endorsement.”
ABC News: RFK Jr. plans to drop out of presidential race by end of week.
Nancy Pelosi Makes No Apologies
“Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has lamented her strained relationship with President Joe Biden after publicly questioning whether he should seek reelection,” the Washington Post reports.
“But she said she does not have any regrets over her part in nudging the president to step aside.”
“The Democratic gathering this week in Chicago is meant to celebrate Vice President Kamala Harris’s elevation to the national ticket. But it is also serving as something of a no-apologies tour for the former House speaker, who has been meme-d, lionized, vilified and all things in between for her role in getting Biden to decide not to seek reelection. Since arriving here on Sunday, Pelosi has attended over 20 events where she is often greeted like a hero.”
Harris Maintains Narrow National Lead
A new Economist/YouGov poll finds Kamala Harris leading Donald Trump nationally in a multi-candidate field, 46% to 43%.
Trump Says It’s ‘Sad’ Democrats Are Talking About Him
Donald Trump told Hugh Hewitt it’s “pretty sad” for Democrats to focus on him at their convention this week.
Said Trump: “You know, I was mentioned at the Democrats’ little party that they have going on in Chicago, and it’s pretty sad.”
He added: “And they mentioned the economy about five times. They mentioned the border maybe none. They mentioned crime almost none. So I mean, they’re out of control. These people are out of control. And they’re ruining our nation. Our nation is going to hell.”
Trump Has Far Less Campaign Money and Infrastructure
“Donald Trump’s campaign spending more than doubled last month as he dropped big money on ads attacking his new opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris,” Politico reports.
“But he continues to significantly trail Harris in terms of campaign infrastructure that could help him turn his war chest into votes, according to new filings with the Federal Election Commission. Those reports underscore just how much Harris’ ascendance upended the race, including putting Trump behind once again in terms of campaign cash.”
“With the race reset for the final months, money could take on an ever greater importance as both sides scramble to turn out their respective bases and reach persuadable voters in battleground states.”
