#senile Trump

[thashining]

say what?

[makingdonalddrumpfagain]

It's time for compassion 🍊

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Matt Wuerker

* * * *

"We're not weird."

August 10, 2024

Robert B. Hubbell

I am watching the Harris-Walz rally in Arizona as I write this newsletter on Friday evening. The venue is packed, and the crowd is wildly enthusiastic. Tim Walz delivered an even more enthusiastic speech than when he was introduced in Philadelphia on Tuesday. (Who knew? Where has this guy been hiding?)

But the most striking takeaway is the look of pure joy and happiness on Kamala Harris’s face as she delivers her remarks. She is genuinely enjoying herself as she delivers hopeful remarks and plays off the energy of the crowd.

Trump, on the other hand, used his press conference yesterday to predict the “end of days,” including an economic depression and World War III. And on Friday evening, he was reduced to telling his MAGA supporters, “We’re not weird.” It's hardly a compelling campaign slogan, but Trump has to work with what he’s got.

Which message is more likely to motivate voters to turn out at the ballot box? If the trends in the polls and the reaction of crowds at rallies are any indication, the momentum strongly favors Harris and Walz.

Kamala Harris has led the most remarkable political turnaround in American history for which she (and Joe Biden’s immediate endorsement) deserve tremendous credit. But there is much work to be done. We know that Republicans will sow chaos to interfere with a Democratic victory. That is why we must do everything in our power to ensure that Kamala Harris wins the presidency by a wide margin. We must convert enthusiasm into votes.

To state the obvious, converting enthusiasm into votes is a much better problem than fighting a pervasive sense of impending doom. We must not deceive ourselves about the level of effort and organization being demanded of us. But as we engage in the hard work of converting enthusiasm into votes, we should do so with a sense of hope, confidence, and joy.

For the second weekend in a row, we can look to the future unburdened by the anxiety that dragged us down for so long. I will go into the weekend with the image of Kamala Harris’s joyful remarks to an enthusiastic crowd in a swing state that is now back in play. It doesn’t get much better than that!

Coda to yesterday’s press event at Mar-a-Lago.

First, if you have not watched Lawrence O’Donnell’s analysis of the media's collective failure in its reporting on Trump’s press event at Mar-a-Lago on Thursday, I urge you to do so. Lawrence O’Donnell’s segment is destined to become a classic of broadcast television that rivals the statement during the McCarthy hearings by Army lawyer Joseph Welch, “Have you no sense of decency?”

I guarantee that if you watch the segment, it will deepen your understanding of how the media enabled Trump’s initial rise and continued viability despite an attempted coup, inciting an insurrection, attempted bribery of Ukraine, refusal to return national defense documents, and two impeachments. See Lawrence: 'Stupidest' candidate Trump did not answer reporters' questions (msnbc.com).

Two post-debate developments underscore the bizarre nature of the press event yesterday.

Were reporters mere props at Trump’s press event on Thursday?

Susan Glasser published an analysis in The New Yorker, Does Anyone in America Miss Joe Biden as Much as Donald Trump? Glasser’s analysis included this shocking statement:

Trump summoned handpicked members of the media to Mar-a-Lago for a press conference, the point of which was to change the subject from Harris’s remarkable honeymoon.

If true, the hand-picked journalists were used as props by Trump in a propaganda event. Worse, they knew they were props but played their assigned role nonetheless.

If true, that fact would explain the journalists' odd complacency, the obsequious nature of the questions, and the lack of follow-up in the face of obvious lies.

I say “If true” because I can find no separate confirmation of Glasser’s statement. But someone should pursue that question. If true, it is a scandal, and every reporter who participated in the sham press event owes an apology to the public.

Was Trump involved in an emergency landing of a helicopter with Willie Brown, the former Speaker of California’s State Assembly?

At the press event, Trump claimed he was in an emergency landing of a helicopter on which California Speaker Willie Brown was a passenger. Trump told the story of the near crash in a helicopter to frame a story that Willie Brown told him something negative about Kamala Harris during that helicopter ride. Trump said of Willie Brown, “He told me terrible things about her.” (Kamala Harris and Willie Brown dated in the 1990s. )

Willie Brown told the media that he was not on a helicopter with Trump that was forced to make an emergency landing. The NYTimes published a story on Thursday titled, That Time Trump Nearly Died in a Helicopter Crash? Didn’t Happen. (This article is accessible to all.)

The Times’ story makes clear that “several elements of the story” do not stand up to scrutiny, including the claim that Willie Brown was on the helicopter with Trump.

On Friday, Trump threatened to sue the NYTimes, claiming that he had flight records to back up his story.

So, this is interesting. Trump is either doubling down on his lie, or the NYTimes published a story with false statements.

As of Friday, it appears that Trump is doubling down on his lie—a fact that became clear when another Black politician—Nate Holden—told Politico that he was on the helicopter ride with Trump that was forced to make an emergency landing. See Politico, The other Black politician who says he was with Trump in that near-fatal chopper crash.

So, it appears that Trump has confused two Black politicians from California. And the Black politician who was on the helicopter ride with Trump told Politico the following:

Before he hung up with Politico, Holden assured a reporter that nobody discussed—let alone criticized—Kamala Harris as Trump claimed Brown did.

“He either mixed it up,” Holden said. “Or, he made it up. This was just too big to overlook. This is a big one. Conflating Willie Brown and me? The press is searching for the real story and they didn’t get it. You did.”

The most reasonable inferences are (a) Trump confused two Black politicians from California, and (b) there was no discussion of Kamala Harris on the helicopter ride.

Now that Trump has threatened to sue the Times for defamation over the story, perhaps the Times will show more interest in documenting Trump’s lies.

A final bizarre aspect of this story occurred on Friday. Trump told the New York Times he was going to sue the Times and asserted that he had flight records to prove his story. Here is the Times’ account of the exchange:

“We have the flight records of the helicopter,” Mr. Trump insisted Friday, saying the helicopter had landed “in a field,” and indicating that he intended to release the flight records, before shouting that he was “probably going to sue” over the Times article. When asked to produce the flight records, Mr. Trump responded mockingly, repeating the request in a sing-song voice. As of early Friday evening, he had not provided them.

So, Trump is doubling down on his story that Willie Brown told him “terrible things” about Kamala Harris and has descended into a childish mocking of the Times’ reporter asking for records of some elements of Trump’s story.

While this story may seem overly complicated and like a tempest in a teapot, the fact that Trump has put the Times’ credibility on the line could be a tipping point for the Times to begin holding Trump to a standard for veracity that it applies to all other politicians. That would be a welcome development, indeed!

[Late update: In a Truth Social post late Friday, Trump attacked Maggie Haberman of the New York Times over the story, calling her “Maggot Hagerman.” Looks like the gloves may be coming off.]

[Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter]

[cynicalclassicist]

More of that very stable genius that they want to be a dictator?

Trump is mindless. MAGA is brutally mindless.

#Healthcare

[talkstothemoonandstars]

Trump Warns That ‘Cognitively Impaired’ Biden Will ‘Lead Us Into World War 2’ in Confused Speech (Video)

This wasn’t the only mistake Trump made during his speech. At another point, he appeared to imply that he is also beating President Obama in the 2024 election polls.

“As you know, crooked Joe Biden and the radical left thugs have weaponized law enforcement to arrest their leading political opponent, and leading by a lot, including Obam— I’ll tell you what,” Trump said before shifting gears. “You take a look at Obama and take a look at some of the things that he’s done, this is the same thing.”

[just-be-kind-dammit]

As said on X, this will never NOT be funny

[animentality]

I have always wanted to believe in ignorance over malice, but in the 2024 us elections...

I think it's both.

and I'm not sure if I can see Trump supporters as human beings anymore.

[scottguy]

Perfect.

2 minute YouTube video.

🤣

[isawthismeme]

[atwoodsfemalefantasy]

KAMALA HARRIS WILL PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS!!!!!

fun fact: project 2025 is coming after EVERYBODY.

women: do you like bodily autonomy, the right to leave abusive relationships, the ability to work, and birth control? Trump is coming after it.

POC: We all already know how racist that fucker is. now he's trying to shut down the office that handles civil rights. think about that for a second

queer people: Trump and Vance? they're coming for your right to get married (pssst, that also means your right to see your partner in the hospital, and other serious issues). remember when Pence was the VP? remember how hard he supported conversion therapy? yeah.

trans people: Trump and Vance want to stop kids from transitioning, trans inclusion in schools, and other basic rights for trans people

hey, even you straight white men! listen: this might not affect YOU, but imagine this world for a second. you can never ever leave your wife because they want to eliminate divorce. all those "i hate my wife jokes"? get ready to be stuck with them! what about kids? are you prepared to have a ton of kids because your wife can't get birth control? do you really want to live in a world that's controlled by the catholic church, even if you aren't religious? are you prepared to live in a world where the people around you are dying? and Trump is power hungry af. guess what? if you're not rich, you might be next. are you ready?

if ANY of these issues matter to you, you HAVE to vote blue. even if you want to criminalize abortions, if you like your right to go to work? VOTE BLUE. because Trump might take away abortions, but he's coming for working women, too. even if you think trans people shouldn't be allowed to transition, but you like your kids properly educated, guess what? VOTE MOTHERFUCKING BLUE. because Trump might take away gender affirming care, but he'll also take YOUR rights.

Trumps America is good for NO ONE! not even rich straight white men! WE ALL will suffer if he is elected. i don't care if you agree with one or two things he is proposing, remember that a vote for Trump is a vote for EVERYTHING he stands for. a vote for Trump is a vote AGAINST LIBERTY and after he takes from the minorities, he's coming for you, too.

get out the damn vote. vote blue.

[galliro]

Ignore the people/bots on.here that are trying to get you not to vote for biden. Theyll write you essays about all the things biden has done/will do and then try and convince you to waste your vote on a third party like in 2016.

Conviniently they leave out the fact trump and the republicans have done worst and will worsen things if elected again

REMEMBER republicans are very openly stating they want to kneecap democracy if trump gets elected. There is not one complainy you can lodge against biden which doesnr apply to trump.twice over

You wont get another chance vote if republicans get their way

Vote blue

[mugiwara-lucy]

She had to remind him he was dealing with HER NOT Biden. She SCHOOLED him! 🤣

[garthnadermemestash]

See how that works.

[thefrankshow]

[ravenkings]

i think a big issue with american politics atm that no one ever wants to just come out and admit is that republicans are much more willing to "play dirty" than democrats, and this is why democrats keep on getting caught on the wrong foot, and lbr this stretches back at least as far as nixon and watergate. this is not to say that democrats aren't above political skulduggery from time to time, but overall imo, there's much less of a tolerance for potentially underhanded tactics. as a result, the dems keep getting caught off guard and playing defensive bc republicans have no compunction of taking the underhanded shot that the dems would never think of returning bc they consider themselves above it.

[davidaugust]

Bagram is an airbase in Afghanistan, has little to do with the energy industry and the US state of Alaska is about 5,602 miles (9,015 km) from Afghanistan.

If he meant the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), he’s also wrong since it is estimated to have less than 12 billion barrels of oil while Saudi Arabia has proven reserves of 267 billion barrels.

He should be nowhere near any decisions made about military or energy; he apparently doesn’t have the ability to know what they are.