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Raw Story
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[l] at 10/22/24 3:38am
WASHINGTON — A new poll released Monday by a civic engagement group found that Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris continues to grow her support with Latinos in critical battleground states. In a tight presidential race, both campaigns have tried to court the Latino vote — one of the fastest-growing voting blocs. The poll for Voto Latino by the firm GQR surveyed 2,000 Latinos registered to vote in the battleground states of Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — although not Georgia — from Sept. 25 to Oct. 2. Vice President Harris even outperformed President Joe Biden in several swing states compared to his 2020 presidential results, according to the poll. In August, Harris had the support of about 60% of Latino voters compared to GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump’s 29%, according to the poll. Both candidates increased their support of that voting bloc in October, with Harris at 64% and Trump at 31%. The poll found that Harris’ growth has come from young Latino voters, ages 18 to 29. In the swing states of Arizona, Pennsylvania and North Carolina, the poll found that Harris outperforms with Latino voters compared to Biden’s estimated wins among Latinos in 2020. In Arizona, Biden had 61% of the Latino vote four years ago, and Harris now polls at about 66%, the survey said. In Pennsylvania, Biden had 69% of the Latino vote compared to Harris now polling at 77%, and in North Carolina, Biden had 57% of the Latino vote compared to Harris’ support of 67%, the poll said. In 2020, Biden won Arizona and Pennsylvania by slim margins but lost North Carolina to Trump. Trump visits Asheville, Harris teams up with Liz Cheney After Hurricane Helene’s destruction in late September, campaigning in western North Carolina resumed Monday. Trump visited Asheville, North Carolina, Monday afternoon to survey the destruction left by the aftermath of the Category 4 hurricane. While there, he stressed the importance of early voting, which is already underway in the state. “It’s vital that we not let this hurricane that has taken so much also take your voice,” Trump said. “You must get out and vote.” Harris on Monday blitzed around the suburban areas of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin with former GOP Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming for “moderated conversations.” Arnold Palmer, McDonald’s and Usher With almost two weeks until Election Day on Nov. 5, both candidates have rolled out celebrities and political stunts in an effort to court every vote in an election that is essentially a dead heat. That was apparent over the weekend. In Pennsylvania, Trump ended his Saturday evening with a rally in Latrobe where for roughly 10 minutes he described the male anatomy of the late golfer Arnold Palmer. “This is a guy that was all man,” Trump said of Palmer, “when he took showers with the other pros, they came out of there they said, ‘oh my God, that’s unbelievable.’” On Sunday Trump visited a closed McDonald’s, where for 20 minutes he donned an apron, worked the fryers and helped put together orders. He served a few pre-screened people who won the opportunity to partake in the campaign event via a lottery. The visit to the Golden Arches came after Harris touted her work experience at a McDonald’s in Alameda, California, while she was a college student. Trump has cast doubt, without evidence, on whether that actually happened. On Monday afternoon, after Harris’ jet landed in Michigan, a reporter shouted a question at her as to whether she ever worked at McDonald’s. “Did I? I did!” Harris said, smiling and putting her thumb up, according to the pool report. Harris returned to Georgia on Saturday, where she energized her base to take advantage of early voting. More than 1.3 million people have voted in Georgia, according to the Secretary of State’s turnout datahub. She held a campaign rally alongside R&B singer Usher and visited Sunday church services in the Atlanta area as part of a “souls to the polls” effort. Another intense week on the way This week, Trump will attend a roundtable with Latino leaders on Tuesday in Miami, Florida. An earlier planned event with the National Rifle Association in Savannah, Georgia, was canceled. In the evening, Trump will then travel to Greensboro, North Carolina, for a rally. His running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance will be campaigning in Arizona. On Tuesday, Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, will stump in Madison, Wisconsin, with former President Barack Obama to encourage early voting. On Wednesday night, Harris will participate in a CNN town hall in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Trump on Wednesday will hold a faith-related town hall in Zebulon, Georgia, in the late afternoon. In the evening, he’ll head to Duluth, Georgia, to appear as a special guest at the conservative Turning Point PAC and Turning Point Action Rally. On Thursday, Vance will partake in a town hall in Detroit, Michigan, with NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo. Back in Georgia, Harris and Obama will headline a get-out-the-vote rally. North Dakota Monitor is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. North Dakota Monitor maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Amy Dalrymple for questions: info@northdakotamonitor.com. Follow North Dakota Monitor on Facebook and X.
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[l] at 10/22/24 3:24am
KINGSTON, NY — Former President Donald Trump’s upcoming Madison Square Garden rally is a joke, if a “depressing” one, to many New York business owners. Tuesday, as the sun was still rising on a brisk, windless fall morning at the Wiltwyck Golf Club, down-ballot congressional candidates made their clunky pitches to local business owners, who sometimes found themselves more fixated on the buffet of eggs, bacon and quasi-fresh fruit laid out for them than on the politicians at the lectern. The otherwise unremarkable event is memorable for showcasing the contortions of Democratic and Republican candidates alike this election cycle as they try to distance themselves from their party’s presidential candidate in this highly nationalized election cycle. However, maintaining distance from the top of the ticket is increasingly impossible in the Empire State, partly because Trump keeps inserting himself into his (former) home state politics. “We just rented Madison Square Garden,” Trump said to cheers at his Scranton, Pa. rally last Wednesday. “We’re going to make a play for New York.”ALSO READ: Signs of what will happen on Election Day are everywhereWhile thousands are now signing up to attend—though it’s unclear if anyone’s bought the $924,600 "Ultra MAGA Experience" package yet —Trump’s last-minute announcement of an Oct. 27 rally at the iconic home of the New York Knicks and Rangers has been met with many eye rolls across this blue state.“He’s mentally ill” Once the candidates stopped talking and just as the golfers started swinging, Raw Story caught up with local business leaders on the man who paints himself as the ultimate businessman. “Do you think Trump thinks he can win New York?” Raw Story asked. “No, there’s no chance,” Chelsea, a small business owner in Ulster, NY, who asked Raw Story not to use her full name. “But he thinks he does?” Raw Story pressed. “Or why’s he doing a rally at Madison Square Garden?” “Because he’s mentally ill,” Chelsea said through a nervous laugh. Others in this bipartisan, hyper-pro-business crowd aren’t laughing. To many here in the state Trump called home until 2019 when he declared Mar-a-Lago his primary residence, this is just par for the course. “Do you think Trump has a chance in New York?” Raw Story asked the chairman of New York’s Ulster County Regional Chamber of Commerce. “No,” Al Roberts matter-of-factly replied. “Then what’s his fascination with it?” Raw Story pressed. “Why’s he keep coming back here?” “It’s his home,” Roberts told Raw Story. “It’s where he came from.” “What do you make of him doing a rally at Madison Square Garden?” Raw Story asked. “It’s who he is. He's an entertainer. A celebrity. Where else are you gonna get that kind of attention?” Roberts said. “If nothing else, he is a good marketer. And he knows his brand and doesn't change from it, as much as people want him to do it. It's worked, so he's gonna keep doing it.” While his fellow business leaders may dismiss him as an entertainer, Trump’s brand is appealing to many in large rural swaths of this sprawling state. Some younger Republicans see a path for Trump A couple hours south of the historic country club — a ride replete with dozens of proudly pro-Trump signs on main thoroughfares and backroads alike — the Trump buzz is tangible, which makes news of a Madison Square Garden rally electrifying. “I like that,” Dayton Leone — a junior in high school in an exurb of New York City — told Raw Story. “I like that.” “Do you think he can win New York?” Raw Story inquired. “I do,” Leone said. “I think he can win.” Youthful optimism aside, Trump’s appeal outside of New York City is something many Republican congressional incumbents — even ones who’ve avoided his previous New York rallies — are banking on this cycle. “I wouldn't say the state is in play for Trump, but in the districts that will determine control of Congress, he's doing very well in,” Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) told Raw Story at a high school football game in Mahopac, NY earlier this week. “That should send a big red flag to Democrats across the country that like, where there is actually competition is a very different dynamic than what they're projecting.” “What's changed?” Raw Story pressed. “Like, is Trump just like an ethos now, or Dems doing such a poor job…?” “It's the substance of the issues,” Lawler said. “So whether people like him or not, it's almost irrelevant to the point that what they don't like is the disaster at our southern border. What they don't like is that they're paying through the nose for groceries, gas, housing and Kamala Harris wouldn’t change one thing — like, ‘Oh, everything’s great.’” Everything’s not great, especially among independent-minded voters who are sick of the tens of millions of dollars in lies blanketing their screens these days. “It’s so depressing” Back at the country club, as robotic golf caddies hum as they skirt across the manicured greens outside as they pull the heavy, clanging clubs of today’s lazy golfers, inside many New York business leaders are fretting. “Do you think Trump thinks he can win New York?” Raw Story asked. “No, I think that’s just a show. Everything about him is a show,” Jennifer — an Upstate New York credit union executive who asked we not use her last name for professional reasons — told Raw Story. “I try to ignore him, because he’s gotten so depressing. It’s so depressing.” ALSO READ: Not even ‘Fox and Friends’ can hide Trump’s dementia
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[l] at 10/21/24 10:05pm
Joking with his audience that the fast-approaching 2024 election is "surreal,” comedian Jon Stewart kicked off "The Daily Show" on Monday night by teasing Donald Trump for his appearance at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s, quipping: “This campaign cannot get any weirder.” The comedian began his opening monologue with the state of the race in the final stretch before Election Day by playing a clip of Trump at McDonald’s.“My first day at McDonald’s. I’m looking for a job. So, if you don't mind, I want to work the French fry counter,” Trump said.“Give him the job,” Stewart said seeming to be stunned by the clip as the show cuts back to him and the crowd cheers. “I implore you. I don't care if his references don't shake out. Save democracy, give him the job.”Stewart said while Trump has engaged in somewhat unusual actions in recent weeks, “He’s out there having the time of his life.”“That's his whole campaign right now. ‘Ave Maria’ dance party, ‘I'm going to deport everybody,’ football tailgate, blame the Jews if I lose, McDonald’s drive-thru. He’s out there having the time of his life and the poor, sweet media — oh, poor, sweet media — they know they're mad. They’re just not exactly sure which thing they should be maddest about anymore. But I can tell you one thing, media, it probably shouldn't be the McDonald’s thing,” Stewart said.NOW READ: Signs of what will happen on Election Day are everywhereHe played a clip of an MSNBC analyst criticizing Trump’s “inept” fast food stunt, and added that the former president was “incapable” of working a fry machine.“Look I’m all for criticizing Donald Trump, but I got to tell you, I also don't know how to work the fryer at McDonald’s, and would be incapable of doing so,” Stewart joked.He said the campaign is now at that point where “we can no longer discern the noise from the signal.”"We've lost the ability to understand what level of outrage to even demonstrate,” he said. He continued by next poking fun at Trump’s lewd remarks over the weekend about golfer Arnold Palmer – which the comedian referred to as “where the absurdity-outrage cycle reached its apex.”“First of all, I’m not here to fact-check the former president, but Arnold Palmer wasn't all man. He was half man, half lemonade,” he quipped.Watch the segment below or at this clip.
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[l] at 10/21/24 9:22pm
A slightly uncomfortable moment on CNN surfaced Monday night after former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson offered her analysis on Donald Trump’s recent lewd remarks about golf legend Arnold Palmer – which prompted awkward laughter on the set.“I don’t know why you guys are so flustered,” Carlson said Monday night on a CNN panel which included former Obama White House official Van Jones, ex-Trump adviser David Urban and CNN data analyst Harry Enten. The moment came during “The Source” with Kaitlan Collins when Carlson said she believed Trump’s remarks were purposely made as “his full-throttle attempt to get at men and their manhood.“And no offense to guys on this panel, but what man does not like people talking about their manhood, okay?” Carlson said as the panelists – and host – filled the studio with laughter.“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Enten said holding his hands up. NOW READ: Signs of what will happen on Election Day are everywhere“You can strike me off that list,” Urban said.“Right off of that one,” Jones replied in a rare moment of agreement with Urban, a longtime Trump supporter."Well, I’ve known a few men in my day, and I’m just going to stand by that statement,” Carlson said before continuing what she thinks Trump’s strategy is. “He is hoping to God that they are listening to that and saying, ‘Wow, he's talking about me, and I like Donald Trump and I’m going to go out and vote for him.’”The analysis animated the CNN panel with each guest reacting to the comments.“I’ll defer to you on women’s issues Gretchen,” Urban said while chuckling.“…But you don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jones said right before the conclusion of the humorous, on-air moment, which prompted Collins to cover her laughter with papers.Watch the video below or at this link.
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[l] at 10/21/24 8:54pm
Attorneys for former President Donald Trump are demanding that CBS release the full, unedited transcript of Vice President Kamala Harris' "60 Minutes" interview and accused the network and show producers of intentionally misleading the public by broadcasting an edited interview."60 Minutes" on Sunday night said in a statement that Trump's accusation it used deceitful editing of the Oct. 7 interview is "false" — and noted Trump pulled out of his interview. "60 Minutes gave an excerpt of our interview to Face the Nation that used a longer section of her answer than that on 60 Minutes. Same question. Same answer. But a different portion of the response. When we edit any interview, whether a politician, an athlete, or movie star, we strive to be clear, accurate and on point. The portion of her answer on 60 Minutes was more succinct, which allows time for other subjects in a wide ranging 21-minute-long segment," the program said.NOW READ: Not even ‘Fox and Friends’ can hide Trump’s dementiaThe sternly worded statement said Trump is welcome to join the program to conduct an interview.On Monday night, Edward Paltzik, counsel to Trump, penned a demand letter to Gayle Sproul, senior vice president of legal affairs at CBS News, in which he claimed the statement conceded that Trump was "accurate in his assertion" that "60 Minutes" aired two different versions on Oct. 5 and 6 and that it was "doctored in order to mislead" the public ahead of the election.Paltzik pointed to Harris' answers about the Israel-Hamas war, in which a full transcript was provided online."The open question is whether such posted transcript is original or whether is has also been doctored, edited, or manipulated in any way that is helpful to Kamala Harris' failing campaign," said Paltzik. He accused the network and producers of the program of intentionally misleading the public by broadcasting the edited version, while opting to release other portions online."Such manipulative editing was aimed at causing confusion among the electorate regarding Vice President Kamala Harris' abilities, intelligence, and appeal," the letter said. "News organizations such as CBS have a responsibility to accurately represent the truth of events, not history an interview to try and make their preferred candidate appear coherent and decisive, which Harris most certainly is not. Due to CBS' actions, the public cannot distinguish which Kamala Harris they are seeing; the candidate or the puppet of a behind the scenes editor."
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[l] at 10/21/24 8:20pm
Donald Trump’s bizarre town hall last week that turned into a 40-minute dance party was part of a “great week” the former president had on the campaign trail, a comment made by an ex-Trump adviser that prompted laughter on CNN Monday night.The moment came during “The Source” with anchor Kaitlin Collins when longtime Trump supporter David Urban told the panel that included former Obama White House official Van Jones that the Trump campaign feels good because “they had a great week last week.”“I know we have this skewed view here of how you want to see the world in anti-Trump terms,” Urban said as Jones, seated directly next to him, burst out in laughter before breaking out in dance gestures with his hands to mock Trump.“That’s a great week?” he said with a laugh.NOW READ: Signs of what will happen on Election Day are everywhereUrban went on to reference the crowds outside of the Pennsylvania McDonald’s location that Trump visited Monday as a sign that enthusiasm for the former president’s campaign is soaring, which he claimed isn’t the same for Vice President Kamala Harris.“The enthusiasm for Donald Trump during this campaign is – to paraphrase Spinal Tap an 11 – right? It is unprecedented.”But Jones couldn’t help but circle back to Trump’s awkward dance routine.“What I’m telling you is when your candidates up there and doing this for 40 minutes,” Jones said while again making dance gestures with his hands and chuckling. “People love him,” Urban said with a smile.“Yeah crazy people,” Jones quickly responded as the two continued the jovial exchange. “People who are insane. Nobody loved that. The people who were on stage did not love that – it was not good.”“They loved it, I’m telling you they loved it,” Urban insisted.Watch the clip below or at this link.
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[l] at 10/21/24 8:12pm
The president of the United Auto Workers slammed former President Donald Trump's visit to a Pennsylvania McDonald's, calling it a "joke" on CNN and saying Trump was simply playing "dress-up."Trump visited the fast food chain in suburban Philadelphia on Sunday, working the fry station of the McDonald's, which was closed to the public during his visit. During the roughly 30-minute event, he took questions from customers through the drive-through window. But Shawn Fain, head of the UAW, wasn't impressed, telling CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins, "I think it's a joke and I think most voters see it that way.""Let's be real," he said. "Donald Trump wants to play pretend and put on a show and play dress up and act like he understands what working-class people go through, what fast food workers go through."NOW READ: Not even ‘Fox and Friends’ can hide Trump’s dementiaThe reality, he noted, is the eatery was closed to the public. "It was franchisees and campaign supporters that were screened and allowed to be customers," said Fain. He added: "This is not the life of a McDonald's worker," noting they work at a furious pace to clear people through the line and make the company money, all at "poverty wages.""To me, it's a slam and it's an insult to people that have to do that work every day that are trying to pay the bills at the end of the week and that's their biggest fear is getting their bills paid," said Fain. "Trump doesn't understand that. So I think that whole charade was a joke."On the contrary, he said, Vice President Kamala Harris knows what it's like to struggle, said Fain. "Really to me [that's] one of the distinct differences between these two candidates," he said. Watch the clip below or at this link.
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[l] at 10/21/24 7:48pm
Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) has a few choice words to say about Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and his loyalty to former President Donald Trump.Cheney, who was ultimately kicked out of the House GOP over her criticisms of the former president and vote to impeach him, gave the remarks at a forum with anti-Trump conservative commentator Charlie Sykes, both of whom were hosting an event Monday for Vice President Kamala Harris in Waukesha, Wisconsin."Congresswoman Cheney, you know how hard this is, though," said Sykes. "You know how hard it is to break away from tribal loyalty, to do something you haven't done before. So I'd like you to address that as well. Lindsey Graham was on television yesterday, saying, what are you never-Trump Republicans, what are you thinking of? How could you possibly do all of this?"NOW READ: Not even ‘Fox and Friends’ can hide Trump’s dementiaGraham is tapping into something real, Sykes said."There are a lot of people who are listening to us who may be disillusioned with what's happening with the Republican Party, but they don't — they're afraid of paying the price. Because there is a cost to all of this. What do you say to those Americans?""Well, don't listen to Lindsey Graham, for one," said Cheney. "It's good life advice, actually."Graham proclaimed in 2016 that the GOP would get "destroyed" for hitching its wagon to Trump and would "deserve it" — only to become one of Trump's most outspoken supporters in the Senate. Even when confronted about Trump's threats to use the military on his political opponents in a recent interview, Graham downplayed it and said Trump will take a "success tour" not a "revenge tour."Watch the whole event below or at the link here. - YouTube www.youtube.com
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[l] at 10/21/24 7:11pm
The GOP's lawsuits seeking to block some overseas ballots from being cast in Michigan and North Carolina have been turned away by state judges, CNN reported Monday.It's a blow to former President Donald Trump's ongoing efforts to obstruct the management of elections across the country."The RNC sued in Michigan and North Carolina to block state policies that allow for citizens abroad to cast ballots in those states if their parents (or, in Michigan, their spouse) resided in those states before leaving the country, even if the voters themselves never lived there," reported Tierney Sneed and Marshall Cohen. However, judges in both these states rejected the suits; Michigan Court of Claims Judge Sima Patel decried the “11th hour attempt to disenfranchise” voters, while Wake County Superior Court John Smith denied the GOP's request to set aside North Carolina overseas ballots.NOW READ: Not even ‘Fox and Friends’ can hide Trump’s dementiaMichigan and North Carolina have emerged as critical battleground states for both campaigns.Mail-in voting historically began as a means to allow overseas troops to vote, and historically the GOP has championed this form of voting because these voters have heavily favored them; however, overseas ballots this year "could be a crucial bloc for Democrats as the pool of civilian expats overseas now eclipses military voters serving outside the country," said the report.This comes as some of the GOP's other election litigation has fallen flat; the GOP has been smacked down multiple times over a lawsuit in Nevada alleging the state had failed to keep non-citizens off its voting rolls, based on an analysis of data that even Nevada's former GOP secretary of state had dismissed as insufficient evidence.It also comes as the Republican National Committee, under the direction of new pro-Trump leadership, has shifted resources away from traditional canvassing and voter outreach operations, and directed them into recruiting poll watchers and preparing litigation, with the intent to challenge any election results that go against the former president.
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[l] at 10/21/24 6:54pm
Concerns about Michigan’s election system spurred members of a local Republican party to explore submitting “inconsistent signatures with absentee ballots” in an effort to test the battleground state’s voting verification process. Citing a newsletter the Clinton County Republican Party released Saturday detailing their ill-fated plan, The Detroit News reported that the group ultimately scuttled the idea over concerns it could result in criminal charges.“After some discussion and the possibility of being charged with election interference or potentially fraud, we decided to not pursue that course of action,” Stephen Willis, chairman of the county party, wrote in the newsletter obtained by The Detroit News. The publication noted that the strategy would have involved “Republicans filling out the absentee ballots and signing their own envelope with a different signature than they normally would,” according to an interview it conducted with Willis on Monday.NOW READ: Signs of what will happen on Election Day are everywhereIn his weekly county GOP newsletter, Willis described the idea as “a suggestion to test the process to see if anyone is checking the ballot envelopes.” He told the paper that although not officially sanctioned by the county party, "it was possible some individuals had gone forward with it on their own."The actions described in the newsletter, the publication notes, “points to both the concerns some Republicans continue to have about Michigan's election system and the lengths they've been considering going to in order to investigate their worries, less than two weeks before the pivotal Nov. 5 presidential election.”The secretary of state’s office encouraged people “to not commit any type of election fraud in an attempt to prove a point,” The Detroit News reported. It added that more than 1 million absentee ballots had been returned by Michigan voters as of Monday.
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[l] at 10/21/24 6:26pm
Eric Trump on Monday falsely said his father, Donald Trump, saved the word “Christmas,” by declaring, “we’re gonna call it a Christmas tree because we celebrate Christmas as a nation.”The ex-president’s son falsely alleged President Barack Obama “weaponized the IRS to go after um, you know, Christian organizations…absolutely viciously,” before setting his sights on an old right-wing canard that liberals hate Christmas.“You know, you had a cognizant effort to get rid of the word ‘Christmas,'” Eric Trump told Newsmax. “I mean, they were calling it a holiday tree, uh, during the Obama administration.”Every year during his two terms in office, President Barack Obama, and First Lady Michelle Obama, celebrated Christmas, with a tremendous number of Christmas trees at the White House, and with the lighting of the National Christmas Tree, often accompanied by their two daughters.“It wasn’t until my father came in and said, ‘we’re gonna call it a Christmas tree because we celebrate Christmas as a nation,” Eric Trump continued, before claiming, “faith is under attack, family is under attack, and what’s more important to society, to communities to, you know, kind of healthy children, to prosperous children to, you know, a safe streets, then then God and and religion and and the teaching of the Commandments and and so many other great things, right?”Watch the videos above or at this link.Eric Trump says his dad saved Christmas: "You had a cognizant effort to get rid of the word 'Christmas.' They were calling it a holiday tree during the Obama administration. It wasn't until my father came in and said, 'listen, we're gonna call it a Christmas tree.'" pic.twitter.com/SRv7ORBNwj— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 21, 2024
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[l] at 10/21/24 6:16pm
Politico published a story on Monday that critics say sanitized Donald Trump's speech in storm-ravaged Asheville, North Carolina — even as the article acknowledged several other chaotic developments and actions the former president has taken in the previous few days."After a weekend of headlines about Donald Trump’s entertainment-focused message on the campaign trail — he jokingly touted the size of Arnold Palmer’s genitalia, learned how to cook McDonald’s french fries and appeared at a Steelers game — the former president delivered a more somber address about the resilience of survivors of the deadly storm, while also bashing the Biden-Harris administration’s response," said the report, written by Natalie Allison.Commenters on social media took umbrage, accusing Politico of whitewashing Trump's extreme behavior."In 2024 Trump being 'somber' just means he didn’t explicitly mention anyone’s genitalia or call for using the military against Americans," wrote Dave Willett of the League of Conservation Voters.Some commenters pointed out that Trump's "somber" tone wasn't all that somber; Kamala Harris campaign spokesman Ian Sams posted a video of Trump praising gunmen who threatened FEMA aid workers trying to help the city, saying, “I think you have to let people know how they’re doing. If they’re not doing, if they’re doing a poor job, we’re supposed to not say it? By doing that, they’ll do a better job next time.” ".@politico wrote this up with a headline about Trump striking a somber tone," wrote national security attorney Bradley Moss.NOW READ: Not even ‘Fox and Friends’ can hide Trump’s dementia"What fresh hell is this @politico ?!" wrote former Chicago and Seattle local news reporter Jennifer Schulze. "Take a look at the actual clips of Trump in NC and see if you think this is anyone's idea of somber. Good grief.""Dear @politico reporters. It really is OK to fact-check candidates' claims -- rather than just repeat them verbatim as if you're human tape-recorders," wrote former Wall Street Journal editor and Columbia University professor Bill Grueskin, emphasizing the article omitted that many of Trump's claims about absent disaster response in North Carolina were false."Literally WHAT is happening in the Politico newsroom?? Trump angrily lied & politicked throughout his NC damage tour-- including justifying threats against FEMA workers stemming from his own disinformation," wrote T.J. Adams-Falconer, a former adviser to former President Barack Obama."I’ve resisted the conclusion that the mainstream press wants Trump to win," wrote progressive reporter Aaron Rupar. "But stuff like this really makes me wonder what the hell is going on in some of these editorial meetings."
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[l] at 10/21/24 6:00pm
Calling it a “thorny issue” for Department of Justice prosecutors to untangle, CNN’s Elie Honig floated the idea that billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk could be violating federal election law with his offer to pay voters to sign his pro-Donald Trump petition, but added that legal charges aren't expected before Election Day.“This is yet another one of these wild hypotheticals that has come to life – we've never seen a situation exactly like this,” Honig, a CNN senior legal analyst and former federal prosecutor, told anchor Wolf Blitzer on Monday on his show, “The Situation Room.”“It's probably over the line,” he said, adding that while it is a federal crime to pay somebody to vote or register, “there’s a wrinkle here.”“There's a contingency built in. What Musk is saying is essentially, 'If you are registered, then you might win this prize.' However, if we look at the Justice Manual which is DOJ’s internal guidance to prosecutors, it says that where there's a lottery where there's some contingency involved, that probably still qualifies under the law.”NOW READ: Signs of what will happen on Election Day are everywhereHonig noted that Justice Department officials will have “a very difficult decision to make” on whether or not to bring charges against the outspoken CEO of Telsa, X, and SpaceX who has enthusiastically endorsed Trump.“But I do want to stress this: nobody should expect to see an indictment to drop or any specific action out of DOJ in the next 15 days between now and the election because DOJ has a policy saying, ‘We try to avoid bringing charges on bringing investigative steps too close to an election that could influence voters.’”Honig added that it wasn’t clear whether Musk’s actions might motivate voters of Trump, or Vice President Kamala Harris. He also said that aside from any criminal prosecution of Musk, an individual, campaign or PAC – with proof of a legal injury – could seek an injunction in a lawsuit to stop him."It could be that we see somebody sue here in the next few days, but again we’re in uncharted territory," Honig said.Watch the clip below or at this link.
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[l] at 10/21/24 5:47pm
The first winners of an Elon-Musk-backed organization's $1M giveaway — aimed at getting voters to cast their ballots for former President Donald Trump — were already registered as Republicans — and had already voted prior to winning the money, according to a new report.The tech billionaire's America PAC launched a controversial $1 million daily giveaway initiative leading up to the Nov. 5 election. Randomly selected registered voters who sign a petition supporting the First and Second Amendments can win the money. The giveaway runs from Oct. 17 through Election Day in the following battleground states: Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, and North Carolina.So far, two Pennsylvania voters — identified by the PAC as John Dreher and Kristine Fishell — have won the sweepstakes. According to Politico, both are registered Republicans who had already voted early this year prior to winning.The organization has faced challenges since kicking off its initiative. NOW READ: Signs of what will happen on Election Day are everywhereA political vendor that handles contract canvassing operations for the super PAC warned its employees not to speak to the press after reports that a significant share of the operation was inflated."A handful of disgruntled former contractors who were either fired or demoted are conspiring with reporters who want to elect Kamala Harris and undermine our program," said a text message meant to be passed along to contractors working with Blitz Canvassing, obtained by Hugo Lowell of The Guardian. "Please ask your canvassers to keep an eye out and let their managers know if they receive any calls we should know about."Prior to that, The Washington Post reported that Musk’s "characteristically erratic leadership style, including towering demands and sudden firings," has adversely impacted the organization and threatened to limit its effectiveness.
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[l] at 10/21/24 5:30pm
Vice President Kamala Harris has picked up a wide range of endorsements in the presidential race, from self-described "democratic socialist" Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) to arch-conservative former Vice President Dick Cheney and his daughter, former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), to major entertainment figures like Robert De Niro, Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift.Many Harris supporters have been arguing that in light of how much political baggage former President Donald Trump has, Harris should be way ahead in polls. But with the election only 15 days away, countless polls are showing a very close race. Harris narrowly leads in many national and swing state polls; Trump narrowly leads in others.In a biting article published on October 21, The New Republic's Michael Tomasky warns that Republicans will find a variety of ways to "cheat" in this election — from threatening election workers to voter intimidation and suppression to refusing to accept the election results if Harris wins.Republicans, Tomasky argues, have a long history of playing dirty tricks — only in 2024, it will be even worse."How Republicans win presidential elections, according to Republicans: We are the party of middle-American morals and values, and the Democrats are the party of amoral weirdos and un-American radicals, so voters naturally prefer us," Tomasky explains. "How Republicans win presidential elections, according to the mainstream media: Republicans speak more effectively to real Americans, who are mostly white, Christian people in small cities and towns who are more authentically American than those big-city coastal elitists could ever be. How Republicans win presidential elections, according to the factual record: They cheat."NOW READ: Not even ‘Fox and Friends’ can hide Trump’s dementiaTomasky gives specific examples, noting that in Wisconsin, young voters recently received texts that read, "WARNING: Violating WI Statutes 12.13 & 6.18 may result in fines up to $10,000 or 3.5 years in prison. Don't vote in a state where you're not eligible."The New Republic editor recalls that when he was a "young reporter in New York," Republicans inundated "Black neighborhoods" with flyers that read, "WARNING: If you aren't up to date on your utility bills, it is illegal to vote.""I'd imagine we’ll see a lot of this kind of thing come Election Day," Tomasky argues. "But this year, we'll see far worse than that. Election workers, as we know, are terrified. A recent Brennan Center survey found that 38 percent of election workers had received some kind of threat. In Durham County, North Carolina, they're installing bulletproof glass at election headquarters and equipping poll workers with panic buttons. Will armed MAGA vigilantes be showing up at polling places in Black neighborhoods in the major cities of swing states? I'd be shocked, at this point, if some don't. I hope the police are ready."Republicans, according to Tomasky, rationalize "cheating" by saying that "anything to defeat" Democrats "is justified.""Now, add to this cocktail Trump — a guy who was raised, by his father and Roy Cohn, to believe that everyone cheats, so you just need to be the best cheater," Tomasky warns. "So, all bets are off. The cheating this year is and will be unprecedented. And then there's the stuff Trump is planning on doing after Election Day. But first things first."Michael Tomasky's full article for The New Republic is available at this link.
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[l] at 10/21/24 5:30pm
Vice President Kamala Harris has picked up a wide range of endorsements in the presidential race, from self-described "democratic socialist" Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) to arch-conservative former Vice President Dick Cheney and his daughter, former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyoming), to major entertainment figures like Robert De Niro, Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift.Many Harris supporters have been arguing that in light of how much political baggage former President Donald Trump has, Harris should be way ahead in polls. But with the election only 15 days away, countless polls are showing a very close race. Harris narrowly leads in many national and swing state polls; Trump narrowly leads in others.In a biting article published on October 21, The New Republic's Michael Tomasky warns that Republicans will find a variety of ways to "cheat" in this election — from threatening election workers to voter intimidation and suppression to refusing to accept the election results if Harris wins.Republicans, Tomasky argues, have a long history of playing dirty tricks — only in 2024, it will be even worse."How Republicans win presidential elections, according to Republicans: We are the party of middle-American morals and values, and the Democrats are the party of amoral weirdos and un-American radicals, so voters naturally prefer us," Tomasky explains. "How Republicans win presidential elections, according to the mainstream media: Republicans speak more effectively to real Americans, who are mostly white, Christian people in small cities and towns who are more authentically American than those big-city coastal elitists could ever be. How Republicans win presidential elections, according to the factual record: They cheat."NOW READ: Not even ‘Fox and Friends’ can hide Trump’s dementiaTomasky gives specific examples, noting that in Wisconsin, young voters recently received texts that read, "WARNING: Violating WI Statutes 12.13 & 6.18 may result in fines up to $10,000 or 3.5 years in prison. Don't vote in a state where you're not eligible."The New Republic editor recalls that when he was a "young reporter in New York," Republicans inundated "Black neighborhoods" with flyers that read, "WARNING: If you aren't up to date on your utility bills, it is illegal to vote.""I'd imagine we’ll see a lot of this kind of thing come Election Day," Tomasky argues. "But this year, we'll see far worse than that. Election workers, as we know, are terrified. A recent Brennan Center survey found that 38 percent of election workers had received some kind of threat. In Durham County, North Carolina, they're installing bulletproof glass at election headquarters and equipping poll workers with panic buttons. Will armed MAGA vigilantes be showing up at polling places in Black neighborhoods in the major cities of swing states? I'd be shocked, at this point, if some don't. I hope the police are ready."Republicans, according to Tomasky, rationalize "cheating" by saying that "anything to defeat" Democrats "is justified.""Now, add to this cocktail Trump — a guy who was raised, by his father and Roy Cohn, to believe that everyone cheats, so you just need to be the best cheater," Tomasky warns. "So, all bets are off. The cheating this year is and will be unprecedented. And then there's the stuff Trump is planning on doing after Election Day. But first things first."Michael Tomasky's full article for The New Republic is available at this link.
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[l] at 10/21/24 5:10pm
Republicans in Congress are threatening a new investigation into progressive firebrand Federal Trade Commissioner Lina Khan, this time for what they allege might be illegal campaigning from public office, Bloomberg reported Monday."Republicans including House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio said Khan’s reported appearances with lawmakers including Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and Senator John Hickenlooper of Colorado potentially violate a ban on partisan political activity by federal government employees," reported Billy House. "Jordan and Senator Mike Lee of Utah, in a letter to Khan on Monday announcing their joint inquiry, said her 'campaign-style tour' raises perception of breaching ethical standards" — although they did not cite any specific violation they believe Khan committed.The Hatch Act bars most federal employees from engaging in campaign activity under the color of their office. Some Trump administration officials were fined for violating the rule.NOW READ: Signs of what will happen on Election Day are everywhereIt's unclear whether Khan violated the Hatch Act; she made appearances with a number of Democrats seeking office, but not during campaign events, according to the report. For example, "One event that Khan attended this month with Democrat Representative Ruben Gallego — running in a competitive race for an open US Senate seat — was not promoted as an openly political gathering, but rather a 'Renters Listening Session.'"Khan, who has become a powerful voice for regulating deceptive corporate practices and breaking up monopolies, has become a particular enemy for Republicans in Congress. Earlier this month, Jordan sent another letter to Khan warning her to stop pursuing civil rights complaints against an Arizona car dealership accused of charging higher interest rates to Latino customers, claiming that this is not within the scope of the FTC's mandate.Republicans aren't alone; even some business leaders who support Democrats, like billionaire entrepreneur and investor Mark Cuban, have reportedly privately lobbied for Khan's removal if Vice President Kamala Harris wins the election.
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[l] at 10/21/24 4:59pm
Donald Trump’s latest comments on the federal response to Hurricane Helene prompted CNN fact checker Daniel Dale to clap back with a detailed report on why the former president’s “debunked lies” are “false in at least four ways.”The brutal fact check came hours after Trump made a stop in a storm-ravaged community near Asheville, North Carolina, where he used a question-and-answer session with reporters to repeat a false claim that has been widely debunked since he first made it earlier this month. The claim involves a false narrative that FEMA spent disaster relief money on migrants who entered the country illegally, leaving it with no money to help hurricane victims.“It’s all gone. They’ve spent it on illegal migrants,” Trump said Monday, according to CNN, which adds that he went on to say: “They were not supposed to be spending the money on taking in illegal migrants.”NOW READ: Signs of what will happen on Election Day are everywhere“First, there is zero basis for Trump’s suggestion that FEMA or the Biden administration might be running some sort of scheme to get undocumented immigrants to vote illegally in the 2024 election,” Dale wrote Monday. A noncitizen voting in a federal election carries a felony charge, he added.He also pushed back on the realities of Trump’s claims that FEMA disaster funds were improperly reallocated to migrants and that FEMA funds are “all gone.” “FEMA is not out of cash,” Dale wrote, noting that FEMA told CNN last week that the agency’s Disaster Relief Fund contained some $8.5 billion remaining. The article also notes that Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC) published a fact sheet earlier in October that stated “FEMA has NOT diverted disaster response funding to the border or foreign aid.”Dale concluded his fact check by knocking down Trump's assertion that Biden administration officials “didn’t have any money left for North Carolina.”In fact, Dale writes, various forms of assistance have poured into North Carolina in the monster storm’s aftermath, with the White House saying “more $300 million has been approved so far.”
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[l] at 10/21/24 4:45pm
A co-host on Right Side Broadcasting Network told viewers Monday she can't stand Vice President Kamala Harris — so much so she finds it "hard to even focus" upon hearing Harris.The network was airing a livestream of former President Donald Trump's event the 11th Hour Faith Leaders Meeting, which was set to take place at 6:30 p.m. EDT at the Concord Convention Center in Concord, North Carolina. Ahead of Trump's speech, co-hosts Christina Loren and Max Kane exchanged thoughts on Harris as the crowd booed a clip of her that was played on stage."Oh, see," said Loren. "Kamala. Just her voice right? Ew."NOW READ: Signs of what will happen on Election Day are everywhere"Nails on a chalkboard," Kane quipped. "The worst. It's hard to even focus when I hear it because I just get so upset," replied Loren with a laugh."Not even exag- it is very hard," agreed Kane. "I wish [President Joe] Biden was on right now. It'd be a lot easier to listen to."Watch the clip below or at this link.
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[l] at 10/21/24 4:20pm
A notorious Russian-backed propaganda unit with a history of pushing Kremlin talking points through fake whistleblower videos and deepfakes is the likely culprit behind a sex abuse smear campaign aimed at Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, according to a report in Wired.The publication on Monday said it conducted an analysis using “several deepfake detector tools” to trace the origins of a fake Walz video that spread rapidly on X last week to being AI-generated. The video, which purports to show a former student of Walz detailing abuse claims during his days as a teacher, reached over 4.3 million views before it was deleted.And, according to several specialists following the disinformation campaign against the Democratic vice presidential nominee, the latest disinformation campaign “is tied to a network called Storm-1516, which has been linked to, among other things, a previous effort that falsely claimed Vice President Kamala Harris perpetrated a hit-and-run in San Francisco in 2011. Storm-1516 has a long history of posting fake whistleblower videos, and often deepfake videos, to push Kremlin talking points to the West,” Wired reported. NOW READ: Not even ‘Fox and Friends’ can hide Trump’s dementiaThe publication notes that Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) has repeated at least one of the false narratives peddled by the propaganda unit, which NBC News reported is also responsible for pushing “at least 50 false narratives in this manner since last fall, which comes amid a broader Russian government effort to disrupt next month’s election with the aim of helping former president Donald Trump return to the White House,” according to Wired.The spread of the “wild and baseless” abuse claims against Walz has been amplified around MAGA world, but Wired noted that last week’s release of the deepfake video by "a prominent anonymous QAnon-promoting account" was the first time the claims went viral.A co-director at Clemson University’s Media Forensics Hub told the publication “he immediately recognized this tactic as part of Russia’s well-established disinformation playbook.”“There is little doubt this is Storm-1516,” Darren Linvill told Wired, which added that the network was uncovered last fall by Linvill's team.
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[l] at 10/21/24 4:06pm
Former President Donald Trump claimed to a reporter in Asheville, North Carolina, that he is unfamiliar with the gubernatorial race, where embattled GOP Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson is facing off against Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein."I'm not familiar with the race. I haven't seen it," said Trump, according to Axios.This comes even though Trump endorsed Robinson in March — and gave him high praise at his rallies, calling him "Martin Luther King on steroids."Robinson, a previously little-known right-wing activist who shocked many political observers with his election to the lieutenant governorship in 2020, has spent the whole of the campaign running from incendiary remarks he made on social media prior to taking office, including endorsing various conspiracy theories, attacking school shooting survivors, and questioning the Holocaust.NOW READ: Signs of what will happen on Election Day are everywhereBut things reached a head in September when CNN reported that Robinson made posts on a pornographic internet forum calling himself a "Black NAZI" and praising slavery. The report triggered widespread condemnation from other North Carolina Republicans and a mass exodus of staffers from Robinson's office. Current polls suggest Robinson is rapidly bleeding support as North Carolina Republicans shift focus to the presidential race instead.Trump and Robinson have not shared a campaign stage for weeks since the report came out. Trump praised Robinson as recently as early October, proclaiming him to be a "great one."North Carolina has emerged as a significant battleground state in the 2024 election with polls showing the presidential contest extremely tight. The state narrowly backed Trump in the last two presidential elections.
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[l] at 10/21/24 3:43pm
Steve Bannon, an adviser of former President Donald Trump, is set to be released from prison next week, according to a new report.Bannon, who was appointed in 2016 as CEO of the Trump campaign and later as chief strategist after Trump's election to the White House, was convicted of contempt of Congress for refusing to testify to House investigators of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the capitol. He was sentenced in 2022 to serve four months in prison. Katelyn Polantz, senior crime and justice reporter for CNN, reported Monday that Bannon will get out of prison on Tuesday, Oct. 29.NOW READ: Signs of what will happen on Election Day are everywhereA first-time felony offender, Bannon has recently tried to seek leniency and get out of prison early, Polantz said. However, even though his attorneys have made their case, the warden at the Danbury, Connecticut, prison said they don't have time to release Bannon early. "All of this is coming as Bannon has tried to re-emerge as a voice behind Donald Trump," Polantz said. "He hasn't been calling into his podcast, though his podcast is still out there."Bannon plans to campaign for Trump upon his release, Polantz said. Watch the clip below or at this link.
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[l] at 10/21/24 3:20pm
Donald Trump was forced to answer questions about his claims that Democrats were stealing the 2024 election. Ballots are being cased or mailed in, but election day hasn't even arrived, and Trump is already claiming that it will be stolen.When NBC News reporter Vaughn Hillyard asked Trump about his proof, he didn't have it. Read Also: Behind the legal tactics Trump is using to dodge justice for January 6"About two hours ago, we were at another stop where I had the opportunity to ask Donald Trump, not a question about 'what will that cheating look like,' but instead, the question I presented to him was, 'have there been any specific incidents of cheating up to this point that you or Michael Whatley would like to present to the country?'"Despite continuing to claim that the election is being stolen, Trump told Hillyard, "No, not at this time. It's too early."Hillyard said that Trump then took the stage and claimed that the only way that Democrats would win the election was if they "were to cheat." In a Rolling Stone report, conservative lawyers flagged their concern that Trump is already laying the groundwork to claim fraud. "According to four conservative attorneys and other sources who’ve spoken to the former president on this matter, Trump intends to declare — as soon as on election night — that the race is being 'rigged' or 'stolen' from him, by pointing to slow vote counts of mail-in ballots in crucial battleground states as his evidence for supposed Democratic shenanigans afoot," reported Asawin Suebsaeng, Justin Glawe, and Andrew Perez.See the clip below or at the link here. - YouTube www.youtube.com
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[l] at 10/21/24 1:51pm
Fox News cut off former President Donald Trump Monday after he accused Democrats of "cheating" in elections.At a rally in North Carolina, Trump told the crowd how he put former state GOP Chair Michael Whatley in charge of the Republican National Committee. "He's running a whole shebang," the former president said. "He ran your state, as you know, the Republican Party. We did so well. I said, put him in charge of everything this time.""He'll stop the cheating. He's going to stop the cheating."The candidate turned and asked Whatley if Democrats were currently cheating."They're trying," Trump said, answering himself. "They're not going to get away with it.""They got away with it in plenty of places. This will be America's new golden age. It's going to happen."With that remark, Fox News host Martha MacCallum cut off Trump.NOW READ: Signs of what will happen on Election Day are everywhere"We're going to keep dipping in and out of these campaign events and we're going to be seeing a lot of them over the next couple of weeks," she said.There is no evidence of widespread election fraud in the 2020 election or in 2024 early voting.Watch the video below from Fox News.

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