It’s Wednesday. The weather in Washington is showing off this week. Do you think we can trust it or is this the “false fall” season on this chart? Here’s what’s happening today:
Filing from The Hill’s beautiful new office, I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Send tips, commentary, feedback and cookie recipes to cmartel@digital-staging.thehill.com. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here.
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*Cue Beyonce*: ‘All the female voters, all the female voters’: |
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Former President Trump has a growing problem with female voters, and it’s beginning to alarm Republicans.
How so?: A recent ABC News/Ipsos poll found that Harris has significantly widened the gap with Trump among women, leading the former president 54 percent to 41 percent. 🚨Before the Democratic convention last month, Harris only had a 6-point edge in that demographic.
What about with men?: The Hill’s Alexander Bolton points out that Trump’s lead among men is notably smaller than Harris’s lead in November.
Trump knows this: He acknowledged his problem with female voters during a recent rally. “Somebody said, ‘Women don’t like Donald Trump,’” he said. “I said, ‘I think that’s wrong. I think they love me.’ I love them.”
😅 That’s probably not how I would have worded this: Trump pointed to a group of women who traveled to his rally. “They’re wealthy as hell. Look at them,” Trump said. “Their husbands are great but they allow them to go all over the country.” 💻 Watch the clip (around the 21-minute mark)
^ Trump said he was referring to a group of women from North Carolina who had attended more than 200 of his rallies. This even extends to Capitol Hill: Two of the Senate’s most prominent Republican women, Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), say they won’t vote for Trump. 💡 Why this matters: The gender gap between parties is nothing new, but it’s becoming even more pronounced. Suburban female voters are a key demographic for winning in November, particularly in battleground states. This is a demographic that could determine the election outcome. |
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How does Trump attract more female voters?: |
Trump has been testing the waters in softening his position on abortion, even while bragging about ending Roe v. Wade.
How so?: Trump recently argued that Florida’s six-week abortion ban was too strict and floated covering the cost of IVF treatments if he is elected. He’s also urged Republicans to prioritize softening their positions on abortion to help them win elections. That’s risky territory, though: He received *a lot* of pushback last week from anti-abortion activists, who are a key part of his base that helped propel him to victory in 2016.
Anti-abortion activists likely won’t vote for a Democrat, so what’s the risk?: This group has had a constant tug and pull with Trump, but their patience may be wearing thin. The risk is that Trump angers social conservatives, and it depresses their turnout. Read more on the potential risks Trump faces in angering the anti-abortion movement.
Worth the read: The Hill’s Joseph Choi and Brett Samuels have some reporting on Trump “tying himself in knots on abortion,” including this quote from a GOP consultant that hits the nail on the head. “The advice we’ve always given to clients on this issue is do not stand in the middle of the road, because you’ll get hit by traffic going both ways,” said Chuck Coughlin, an Arizona-based GOP consultant.
💡 Why this matters: Abortion rights are broadly popular among Americans, especially with women and younger voters. Democrats see this as a winning issue for them, especially in Florida.
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🔷 ‘Trump knows abortion could decide this election. Democrats need to act like it.’: USA Today
🔷 ‘Trump Could Destroy the Anti-Abortion Movement’: Bloomberg
🔷 ‘Democrats target Trump’s muddled abortion message’: Politico |
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🔔 Trump’s in Pennsylvania: Fox News’s Sean Hannity will interview former President Trump this afternoon for a town hall in Pennsylvania. It airs at 9 p.m. but will be taped at 5:30 p.m. Keep in mind that people could request tickets from Fox News.
^ Also keep in mind: Trump wanted to debate Harris today in a Fox News forum, but she declined. That’s how it became a town hall.
🗻 Harris is in New Hampshire: Harris is holding an afternoon campaign stop in Portsmouth, N.H. According to The Hill/Decision Desk HQ, Harris has an 82 percent chance of winning the state, though Trump leaned into the Granite State on Tuesday with Truth Social posts. |
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📊 Harris and Trump are tied: A new CNN poll shows that Harris and Trump are locked in three critical battleground states: Georgia, Nevada and Pennsylvania. Biden won all three states in 2020.
📱 And Harris is doing well with young voters: A new NBC News/SurveyMonkey poll shows that Harris is leading Trump by 16 points (!) among young voters.
📺 Getting traction — RFK Jr. had some not-so-nice words about Harris: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. slammed Harris’s candidacy, telling NewsNation host Chris Cuomo that she is not “worthy” of being president. “I think we need to have a president who can give an interview, who can articulate a vision, who can put together an English sentence,” Kennedy said.
👎 Meghan McCain won’t support Trump OR Harris: Meghan McCain, the daughter of the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), said she will not support Harris or Trump in November. She didn’t say how she would vote, though.
📺 The “Anti-Psycho PAC”: Conservative lawyer and Trump critic George Conway’s political action committee is spending six figures on an ad campaign against Trump. The ad features prominent Republicans criticizing Trump. |
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🥜 Celebrate: Today is National Macadamia Nut Day! I stumbled on this white chocolate macadamia nut cookie recipe the other day and haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.
💳 Oh, yikes: Some TikTok users believe they’ve found a glitch to get free money from Chase ATMs. Well, they’re actually just committing check fraud. Read CNN’s explainer
🎾 This ball boy should play quidditch: Watch this 📹 U.S. Open clip of a ball boy frantically chasing a bug around the court. 💃 Oh hey, Anna Delvey: Fake heiress Anna Delvey, who was the subject of the Netflix show “Inventing Anna,” will compete on “Dancing with the Stars.” |
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The House and Senate are out. President Biden is in Washington, and Vice President Harris is in New Hampshire this afternoon. (all times Eastern) |
- Noon: NASA officials are holding a press conference. The Boeing Starliner may depart the International Space Station as soon as Friday. 🚀 Watch
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12:15 p.m.: Harris leaves for Portsmouth, N.H.
- 1:30 p.m.: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre briefs reporters. 💻 Livestream
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2:50 p.m.: Harris speaks at a campaign event in Portsmouth. 💻 Livestream
- 6:35 p.m.: Harris returns to Washington.
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8 p.m.: Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) campaigns in Mesa, Ariz. 💻 Livestream
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9 p.m.: Sean Hannity’s town hall with former President Trump airs on Fox News.
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10: The presidential debate between Trump and Harris.
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