A new report says President Trump has engaged in “more than 3,400 conflicts of interest since taking office.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“As a Republican, I am ready to accept any decision of the court as to the outcome of the election and there is no alternative than a peaceful transition of power.”
— Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), quoted by Fox News, suggesting the 2020 presidential election will be decided by the Supreme Court and not voters.
Why Democrats Must Keep Focus on Health Care
Ron Brownstein: “The struggle over Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s replacement on the Supreme Court could help propel Democrats to the brink of a Senate majority in November’s election. But whether it lifts them over that threshold could turn on the terms of the confirmation fight. Given the nature of the states that will decide Senate control, the Democrats’ path to a majority may be much easier if they can keep the debate centered on economic issues—particularly the survival of the Affordable Care Act—rather than social issues, especially abortion.”
“The reason: The confirmation fight is likely to further weaken the position of endangered Republican senators in Colorado, Maine, and Arizona—states where polls show that a solid majority of voters support legal abortion. But even if Democrats flip all three, they will still likely need to win one more seat to take the majority. And in the next tier of states where they could possibly flip a seat, the politics of abortion will make that more difficult.”
Biden Makes Gains In Rural America
The Economist: “Democrats can take heart from polling that shows rural voters everywhere have cooled a bit on Mr Trump. He still has a 14-point lead in rural places, but that is well short of his 22-point advantage four years ago. Commentators seem not to have noticed that Mr Biden has so far gained a bigger swing in rural places than he has in the suburbs.”
Frontrunner for New York City Mayor Drops Out of Race
“Corey Johnson, the New York City Council speaker and a presumed front-runner in the 2021 contest to replace Mayor Bill de Blasio, withdrew from the race on Thursday,” the New York Times reports.
James Baker Will Still Vote for Trump
“Former secretary of state James Baker considered voting for Joe Biden in November but will instead keep backing Donald Trump, a new biography reveals, in the process outlining a key reason for continued Republican support for the scandal-plagued US president,” The Guardian reports.
Though the “myriad ethical scandals surrounding Trump were head-spinning,” Baker told the authors “it was worth it to get conservative judges, tax cuts and deregulation.”
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Baker, Peter (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 1028 Pages - 09/29/2020 (Publication Date) - Anchor (Publisher)
FBI Has Not Seen Any Evidence of National Voter Fraud
FBI Director Christopher Wray said that the agency has “not seen, historically, any kind of coordinated national voter fraud effort in a major election, whether it’s by mail or otherwise,” Axios reports.
Trump Sued By His Niece for Fraud
“In her best-selling memoir, Mary Trump, President Trump’s niece, told a family story that detailed the ways in which she claims her relatives — the president among them — tricked, bullied and ultimately cheated her out of an inheritance worth tens of millions of dollars,” the New York Times reports.
“On Thursday, more than two months after the book was published and a little more than one month before the election, Ms. Trump told her story again — this time in a lawsuit.”
The first sentence of the lawsuit says that, for the Trumps “fraud was not just the family business — it was a way of life.”
Pelosi Won’t Pursue Formal Rebuke of Trump
Speaker Nancy Pelosi was asked by CBS News if she’s considering a formal rebuke of President Trump’s remarks this week refusing to commit to a peaceful transfer of power.
Her response: “I don’t think he’s worth the trouble at this point. We have 40 days until the election.”
She added: “The antidote to almost every ailment I have named is the vote.”
Quote of the Day
“I would encourage people to be critical thinkers, and to get their news from a variety of sources and make up their own mind and be a skeptical, discerning electorate — which is what I think is the best defense against malign foreign influence.”
— FBI Director Christopher Wray, quoted by CBS News.
Trump Mocks Biden for Beginning Debate Prep
President Trump mocked Joe Biden for calling an early lid today:
Sleepy Joe Biden just closed down his campaign for the day (Again). Wants to rest! He is a very LOW ENERGY INDIVIDUAL, and our Country cannot make it in these exciting, but complex and competitive times, with a Low Energy President !!!
Of course, Biden is making no more public appearances today because he is preparing for next week’s debate.
No Shift In the Polls After RBG’s Death
Nate Cohn: “The most recent New York Times/Siena College polls of Texas, Iowa and Georgia found no serious evidence that the Supreme Court vacancy has affected the race for the White House. Nor did the polls find much reason to think this would shift the race in the weeks ahead.”
“The surveys were already underway before the death on Friday of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and neither Joe Biden nor President Trump fared meaningfully better in interviews conducted after her death.”
More Battleground Polls
A new Franklin and Marshall poll:
- PENNSYLVANIA: Biden 49%, Trump 40%
A new Christopher Newport University poll:
- VIRGINIA: Biden 48%, Trump 43%
A new Monmouth poll:
- IOWA: Trump 495, Biden 46%
‘Attilla the Hun’ Comparison May Backfire on Loeffler
After Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) compared herself to “Attilla the Hun” in a new ad, her leading Republican opponent, Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA), put out a fact sheet and launched a new website.
‘Vote Him Out’
As President Trump arrived at the Supreme Court to pay his respects to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg the crowd chanted “vote him out,” which as CNN reporter Kevin Liptak notes, is a rare chance for this president to see his opposition this up-close and in-person.
Trump Says Chris Wallace ‘Controlled by the Radical Left’
President Trump said he doubted that Fox News anchor Chris Wallace would ask Joe Biden difficult questions during next week’s presidential debate, The Hill reports.
Said Trump: “Chris is good, but I would be willing to bet that he won’t ask Biden tough questions. He will ask tough questions of me and it will be unfair, I have no doubt about it. He will be controlled by the radical left.”
40 Days Until Election Day
Here are the national polling averages with 40 days left in previous races:
- 2020: Biden +7.4
- 2016: Clinton +2.8
- 2012: Obama+3.8
- 2008: Obama +1.1
- 2004: Bush +5.0
- 2000: Bush +0.6
- 1996: Clinton +13.9
- 1992: Clinton +11.4
- 1988: Bush +5.1
- 1984: Reagan +16.9
- 1980: Reagan +4.6
- 1976: Carter+4.9
Pompeo Shatters Norms with Political Appearances
“Undaunted by criticism, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is forging ahead with a series of events that have overtly political overtones ahead of the November presidential election,” the AP reports.
“Casting aside a long tradition of the nation’s top diplomat shunning partisan politics, Pompeo gave a speech on Wednesday in the swing state of Wisconsin, marking his participation in the fourth event this month alone that goes well beyond what previous secretaries of state have done in support of the presidents they have served.”