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Trump Lied About Post-9/11 Funds

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“Donald Trump’s tale about why he took $150,000 in 9/11 money is as tall as the Downtown skyscraper he says he used in recovery efforts,” the New York Daily News reports.

“Though the billionaire presidential candidate has repeatedly suggested he got that money for helping others out after the attacks, documents obtained by the Daily News show that Trump’s account was just a huge lie.”

“Records from the Empire State Development Corp., which administered the recovery program, show that Trump’s company asked for those funds for ‘rent loss,’ ‘cleanup’ and ‘repair’ — not to recuperate money lost in helping people. That government program was designed to help local businesses get back on their feet — not reimburse people for their charitable work.”

Quote of the Day

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“We saw this curtain of black smoke that was stretched across the island. Occasionally it would be broken by a firefighter coming out. I remember one image so indelibly, dragging his ax, and it was as close to depiction of hell that I’ve ever personally seen.”

— Hillary Clinton, in an interview on CNN, on what she saw as she approached Ground Zero on September 12, 2001.

Clinton Keeps Raising Money

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Hillary Clinton “is not letting up on gas when it comes to fundraising,” the AP reports.

“Clinton planned to return to California on Monday for still more finance events after a lucrative August swing through dot-com mansions in Silicon Valley and celebrity-packed dinners in Los Angeles.”

“Her allies say the continued fundraising helps other Democrats because the party can keep building up voter turnout operations. It also serves as protection in a rollicking race against a man who claims to be worth $10 billion and once said he was willing to spend up to $1 billion to get elected. So far, he’s put about $60 million of his own money in his campaign.”


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Clinton Leads But Enthusiasm Gap Could Hurt Her

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A new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows Hillary Clinton maintains a lead over Donald Trump, 46% to 41%, with Gary Johnson at 9% and Jill Stein at 2%, “but lagging interest among some of her supporters poses a potential turnout challenge for Democrats with less than nine weeks before Election Day.”

“Trump’s supporters report greater interest in the campaign and voting, which could factor into turnout. More than 6 in 10 registered voters who support Trump say they are following the campaign very closely, and 93% say they are absolutely certain to vote. By contrast, 45% of Clinton backers are paying close attention to the race, and 80% are certain to vote, while one-fifth say they will probably or are less likely to cast a ballot.”

Clinton Backs Off ‘Basket of Deplorables’ Comment

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Hillary Clinton partially walked back comments she made on Friday night, describing half of Donald Trump’s supporters as “deplorables” who were driven “racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamaphobic” sentiments, Politico reports.

Said Clinton: “Last night I was ‘grossly generalistic,’ and that’s never a good idea. I regret saying ‘half’ — that was wrong.”

Trump Campaign Tweets Fake Photo of Rally

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Deadspin: “The Trump campaign is responding to Hillary Clinton’s characterizing a large segment of his supporters as white supremacists by sending out a photo from a 2015 Trump rally in Dallas and claiming it was his appearance last night in Pensacola, Fla.”

“The photo, taken at a September 14, 2015 rally in Dallas, has been carefully cropped to cut out the ‘American Airlines Center’ logo and the retired Dallas Stars jerseys hanging in the rafters.”

Real Time Projections May Upend Election Coverage

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New York Times: “For decades, news organizations have refrained from releasing early results in presidential battleground states on Election Day, adhering to a strict, time-honored embargo until a majority of polls there have closed.”

“Now, a group of data scientists, journalists and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs is seeking to upend that reporting tradition, providing detailed projections of who is winning at any given time on Election Day in key swing states, and updating the information in real time from dawn to dusk.”

Bonus Quote of the Day

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“I don’t see the path. I just don’t see the path. … I’ve been in these races where you’re nine points down, then you’re five down — you’re still losing.”

— GOP strategist Stuart Stevens, quoted by the Washington Post, noting that Donald Trump is doing no better than Mitt Romeny in the presidential race.

What Politicians Can Learn from Apple

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At the iPhone 7 unveiling this week, Apple was roundly criticized for saying it was “courage” that led them to remove the headphone jack from the newest model of their popular phone.

Here’s what Phil Schiller said on stage:

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Economic Outlook Best In 9 Years

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A new CNN/ORC poll finds “53% of Americans say economic conditions in the US are good, up from the 45% who felt that way in June. It’s the highest number since September 2007, before the 2008 economic collapse.”

“The poll also showed that President Barack Obama continues to have majority approval ratings, at 51%. His approval rating has been at or above 50% since February, the longest stretch of his presidency since his first year in office.”

Quote of the Day

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“You know, to just be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trump’s supporters into what I call the ‘basket of deplorables’. Right? The racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamaphobic — you name it.”

— Hillary Clinton, quoted by the Washington Post.

Why Isn’t Clinton Further Ahead?

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“With Election Day less than two months away, Democrats are increasingly worried that Hillary Clinton has not built a formidable lead against Donald Trump despite his historic weaknesses as a national party candidate,” the Washington Post reports.

“Even the Democratic nominee’s advisers acknowledge that she must make changes, and quickly. Clinton leads Trump by three percentage points, having fallen from her high of nine points in August, according to the latest RealClearPolitics average. That tightening has frustrated many Clinton allies and operatives, who are astonished that she isn’t running away with this race, given Trump’s deep unpopularity and his continuing stream of controversial comments.”

Trump Says Clinton Is Protected from Prosecution

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Donald Trump suggested that Hillary Clinton “was so immune to prosecution that she could shoot someone in front of thousands of witnesses and not be prosecuted,” the New York Times reports.

Said Trump: “She is being so protected. She could walk into this arena right now and shoot somebody with 20,000 people watching, right smack in the middle of the heart, and she wouldn’t be prosecuted. O.K.? That’s what’s happening.”

About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

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