Harris Agrees to Interview with Fox News
“Vice President Kamala Harris has agreed to an interview with Fox News,” the New York Times reports.
“The interview, with Fox News’s chief political anchor, Bret Baier, will take place near Philadelphia on Wednesday, shortly before it airs at 6 p.m. Eastern on Mr. Baier’s program, ‘Special Report.’ Ms. Harris is expected to sit for 25 to 30 minutes of questions, the network said.”
Biden Warned Iran Over Killing Trump
“President Biden reportedly instructed his National Security Council to make clear to Iran that any attempt on former President Trump’s life would be viewed as an act of war,” Fox News reports.
Trump Challenges Harris to Take Cognitive Test
Donald Trump challenged Kamala Harris to take a “cognitive, stamina and agility” test — even as he refuses to release his own medical records.
Said Trump: “She is slow and lethargic in answering even the easiest of questions. We just went through almost four years of that, we shouldn’t have to do it again!”
Trump’s Ground Game App Crashes
“Donald Trump’s campaign has limited ability to know whether their ground game operation is reaching target voters in battleground states, as the software being used needs fast internet service to properly track canvassers,” The Guardian reports.
“The Trump campaign this cycle is targeting so-called low propensity Trump voters, who are often in rural areas, as part of their bet that hitting those people who don’t typically vote but would cast a ballot for Trump if they did, could make a difference in a close election.”
“But the Trump campaign and the Elon Musk-backed America Pac, which is now doing an outsized portion of the Trump ground game, use a management app called Campaign Sidekick that struggles in areas with slow internet and means canvassers have to use an offline version.”
Georgia Election Board Chair Slams GOP Colleagues
“The chair of the State Election Board says his Republican colleagues have gone too far, taking the law into their hands by passing new Georgia election rules since Donald Trump praised them at a campaign rally,” the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.
Said John Fervier, who was appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp (R): “Our job is to clarify law, not create new law. This doesn’t need to be an activist board. This board needs to stay within its boundaries.”
Trump Still Hasn’t Released His Tax Returns
“Donald Trump was once harshly criticized for failing to release his tax returns, but no one seems to care much anymore,” Politico reports.
“Neither he nor his running mate JD Vance have disclosed their filings, and there’s no sign they intend to, though they could shed light on potential conflicts of interest and personal stakes they have in legislation before Congress.”
“In past years, that would have been a big deal — it was a major issue in Trump’s 2016 and 2020 campaigns. But it’s barely come up in this year’s contest or in the news media, though the race is a toss-up and lawmakers will take up next year a sweeping debate over the fate of trillions of dollars in tax cuts.”
How Nancy Pelosi Forced Joe Biden Out
In his forthcoming book, American Reckoning, Jonathan Alter reports that Nancy Pelosi resented the passivity of party royals, like Barack Obama and Chuck Schumer, after the president’s debate performance, Vanity Fair reports.
Said one insider: “The men were MIA. She wasn’t happy that the only bloody fingerprints on the knife were hers.”
- Hardcover Book
- Alter, Jonathan (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 256 Pages - 10/22/2024 (Publication Date) - BenBella Books (Publisher)
Harris Targets Republicans in Arizona
Politico: “The new spot is part of the Harris campaign’s $370 million advertising buy between Labor Day and Election Day and will begin airing on Monday on local Arizona broadcasts and networks including Fox News Channel.”
“The ad featuring the Republican mayor of Mesa is part of the Harris campaign’s broader outreach to GOP voters in the state.”
Harris Rolls Out New Policy Proposals for Black Men
“Kamala Harris, looking at daunting polling that shows she could draw some of the softest support for a Democratic nominee among Black men, is rolling out new efforts to shore up support with this key voting bloc,” Politico reports.
“In the coming days, Harris plans several campaign events and policy proposals designed to appeal to Black men. She plans to announce three new policy prescriptions: providing 1 million small business loans that are forgivable up to $20,000, training and mentorship programs that would help give Black men a leg up in jumping into ‘high-demand’ industries and launching an initiative focused on health issues that disproportionately impact Black men.”
Betsy DeVos Is Back In the Trump Fold
Former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos attended a dinner with Donald Trump for big donors, the New York Times reports.
“Ms. DeVos’s attendance was notable in part because she had resigned from Mr. Trump’s cabinet the day after the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the Capitol, criticizing his rhetoric in the lead-up to the violence.”
Two Months of Hate
William Kristol: “The Two Minutes Hate was a famous feature of Orwell’s portrayal of Oceania in 1984. The Two Months of Hate is now a notable feature of the 2024 U.S. presidential contest. Donald Trump and his allies are closing this campaign with two months of hate in a way we’ve never seen before. And it could work.”
“The September 10 presidential debate taught Trump and his campaign that they could not win if the campaign were… a debate. So Trump is refusing to participate in a second debate, or for that matter in any interview that might be a simulacrum of a debate. More fundamentally, Trump has abandoned any pretense of having to debate real issues or having to put forth any serious programs. Of course, Trump’s heart has always been in authoritarian demagoguery, not in democratic and civic debate. But in the closing weeks of this campaign, any mask of democratic normalcy and civic decency has been tossed aside.”
Karine Jean-Pierre Blocks John Kirby at Briefings
“Biden press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has been blocking national security spokesperson John Kirby from joining her at the podium at White House press briefings,” Axios reports.
“It’s the latest twist in the years-long tense relationship between the White House’s two senior spokespeople.”
Economists Say Inflation Will Be Higher Under Trump
“Most economists think inflation, interest rates and deficits would be higher under the policies former President Donald Trump would pursue in a second administration than under those proposed by Vice President Kamala Harris,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
Trump Is Running a Disinformation Campaign
David Corn: “The rough and tumble of American politics often includes false statements and lies—what once was called spin. Unfortunately, there has always been a degree of tolerance for campaign dissembling. Trump is no stranger to this mundane practice. He freely tosses falsehoods at the electorate. The economy when he was president was the best ever. He did a great job on Covid. The current rate of inflation is the worst in US history. The US has provided more aid to Ukraine than Europe. Every Democrat and legal scholar wanted Roe v. Wade overturned. He was the smartest and most accomplished president the country has ever seen. And so on. It’s absurd braggadocio and a firehose of supposed but untrue facts—spewed to a degree far beyond what previous presidential candidates attempted to get away with.”
“Yet Trump’s dishonesty goes further than the usual campaign lying. He concocts and promotes utterly false narratives to shape voters’ perceptions of fundamental realities. His campaign is a full-fledged project to pervert how Americans view the nation and the world, an extensive propaganda campaign designed to fire up fears and intensify anxieties that Trump can then exploit to collect votes. And the political media world has yet to come to terms with the fact that Trump is heading a disinformation crusade more likely to be found in an authoritarian state than a vibrant democracy.”
“This is unlike other presidential campaigns in modern American history—other than his own previous efforts.”
Wargaming a Trump Sweep
Axios: “A Washington fully controlled by Trump and his allies would institutionalize the MAGA movement, with massive consequences for governance, civil rights and international relations.”
“This period, lasting at least two years, until the next congressional races, would allow Republicans to move ambitiously — with few brakes beyond the Senate filibuster.”
“The vast majority of congressional leaders are now Trump loyalists. The days of empowered never-Trumpers are basically over, at least in Congress.”
“Trump would pursue a dramatic expansion of presidential power — gutting the federal bureaucracy and installing thousands of executive branch loyalists to rip off the guardrails that restrained his first term.”
‘When Did That Become Okay?’
Barack Obama spoke in Pittsburgh after a hurricane devastated parts of North Carolina:
“You’re going to have leaders who try to help, and then you have a guy who will just lie about it to score political points. This has consequences, because people are afraid, and they’ve lost everything, and now they’re trying to figure out, how do I apply for help? Some of them may be discouraged from getting the help they need. the idea of intentionally trying to deceive people in their most desperate and vulnerable moments.”
“My question is: When did that become okay? I’m not looking for applause right now. I want to ask Republicans out there, people who are conservative, who didn’t vote for me, who didn’t agree with me. I had friends who disagreed with me on every issue. When did that become okay? Why would we go along with that?”
GOP Candidate’s Ad Gets Election Day Wrong
“Black state lawmakers in Michigan are calling on the state’s attorney general and a local county prosecutor to investigate the congressional campaign of Tom Barrett, a Republican, for an ad in a Black-owned newspaper that incorrectly listed Election Day as Nov. 6,” the New York Times reports.