Ryan Says Trump Is a Different Kind of Conservative
Speaker Paul Ryan said that he believes that Donald Trump is a conservative — just “not my kind of conservative,” The Hill reports.
Said Ryan: “He’s not my kind of conservative, but I come from a different part and wing of the party… I think he is a conservative. There are different kinds of conservatives, that’s for darn sure.”
GOP Civil War Breaks Out at Convention
“As Day One of the GOP’s national convention was gaveled into session Monday afternoon, discord within the fractured Republican Party was already on full display,” Politico reports.
“Republicans who have yet to fall in line behind Donald Trump found themselves in the cross hairs of his campaign, with surrogates for the Manhattan billionaire fanning out to trash the holdouts.”
The Hill: Anti-Trump delegates will force a roll call vote on rules
Chia Politicians
Just in time for the election season:
Trump Closes In On Clinton
A new Monmouth poll shows Hillary Clinton holds a two-point lead over Donald Trump among likely voters, 45% to 43%.
Said pollster Patrick Murray: “Clinton still leads, but Trump is closing the margin. The next two weeks will be crucial to determining which direction this trend goes.”
Roger Ailes Will Be Ousted from Fox News
Gabriel Sherman: “Roger Ailes’s tenure as the head of Fox News may be coming to an end. Rupert Murdoch and sons Lachlan and James — co-chairmen and CEO, respectively, of parent company 21st Century Fox — have settled on removing the 76-year-old executive, say two sources briefed on a sexual harassment investigation of Ailes.”
“After reviewing the initial findings of the probe, James Murdoch is said to be arguing that Ailes should be presented with a choice this week to resign or face being fired. Lachlan is more aligned with their father, who thinks that no action should be taken until after the GOP convention this week. Another source confirms that all three are in agreement that Ailes needs to go.”
Trump Guts Anti-Russia Stance of Republican Party
“The Trump campaign worked behind the scenes last week to make sure the new Republican platform won’t call for giving weapons to Ukraine to fight Russian and rebel forces, contradicting the view of almost all Republican foreign policy leaders in Washington,” the Washington Post reports.
“Throughout the campaign, Trump has been dismissive of calls for supporting the Ukraine government as it fights an ongoing Russian-led intervention. Trump’s campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, worked as a lobbyist for the Russian-backed former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych for more than a decade.”
Republican National Convention Bingo
Not interested in the speakers at the GOP convention? “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” has you covered:
Extra Bonus Quote of the Day
“We don’t need another big mouth from Congress…What Donald needed was a partner who governed.”
— Gov. Chris Christie (R), quoted by the Washington Post, apparently still very bitter about not being picked as Donald Trump’s running mate.
100 Naked Women Greet Trump at Convention
Elle magazine: “Women of all different ages, shapes and races came from as far away as Belgium and as close as down the street. Some are here to send a message to Donald Trump and others just wanted to take the opportunity to proudly show their bodies publicly.”
Manafort Says Lawlessness at Convention Will Help Trump
Donald Trump campaign adviser Paul Manafort told Bloomberg that “lawlessness” surrounding the Republican National Convention could benefit Trump.
Said Manafort: “Frankly, that impact will probably help the campaign.”
Early Sign that Democrats Could Win the House?
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McCain Says Obama ‘Allowed’ French Terrorist Attack
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) told KTAR-FM that President Obama “allowed” the Bastille Day attack in France that left at least 84 people dead to happen.
Said McCain: “As far as the tragedy in France is concerned, obviously this is an act of mayhem and despicable. I also have to tell you — our prayers are with the families, obviously, and the French people — but I also have to tell you, that as long as we have a leadership in this country — the president of the United States — who allowed this to happen, his policies are directly responsible for ISIS and ISIS is responsible for these attacks.”
Nearly Half of Republicans Say Party Is Astray
A new Morning Consult poll finds that 46% of Republicans said they think their party has “pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track.”
It Took an Intervention to Stop Don King from Speaking
New York Times: “Trump was told, no, it was not sensible to have … the flamboyant boxing promoter, address the Republican convention. But Mr. Trump, who has repeatedly boasted of having Mr. King’s support, kept pressing the matter. Finally, officials [including Priebus], firmly explained to Mr. Trump why Mr. King should not be invited: He once stomped a man to death and was convicted of manslaughter.”
“The party could not associate itself with someone convicted of a felony. Mr. Trump eventually relented. Mr. King, a Cleveland native, will not take the stage. But the exchange, relayed by three Republican strategists familiar with the conversations, highlights the difficulties that planners have had building a program for a presidential candidate who is as much an entertainer as a politician.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“Hillary Clinton, you should be tried for treason, murder, and crimes against the US Constitution… then hung on the Mall in Washington, DC.”
— West Virginia House of Delegates member Michael Folks (R), quoted by WOWK-TV.
Trump Suggests Obama Supports Police Killings
Donald Trump implied that President Obama has sided with those attacking police officers, Politico reports.
Said Trump: “I mean, you know, I watched the president and sometimes the words are okay. But you just look at the body language. There’s something going on. Look, there’s something going on and the words are not often okay, by the way.”
He elaborated: “There’s just a bad feeling, a lot of bad feeling about him. I see it too. There’s a lot of bad feeling about him. We have a country that has not been like this since I can remember it.”
Confessions of a Republican
Hillary Clinton is out with a new ad as the Republican National Convention kicks off:
