It’s Tuesday. Have you heard the exciting news?! Two pandas 📹 just landed in Washington, D.C. They flew from China last night! Thank goodness we have some of those goofy creatures back before it snows. Anyway, here’s what’s happening today:
- Harris’s unconventional media blitz tells us a lot about her strategy.
- Trump opted to turn a town hall event into an impromptu listening session of his favorite songs. Harris took a swipe at this, saying she hopes “he’s okay.”
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Trump allies want to dramatically change election rules. It’s worrying critics.
- Keep reading for more details on the pandas’ arrival.
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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Take a peek behind the curtain:
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We’re three weeks from Election Day, and it’s hard to imagine how this presidential race could be any closer. Vice President Harris and former President Trump are essentially tied or within the margin of error in nearly all of the battleground states. Want to know Harris’s strategy?: Just look at her carefully tailored recent and upcoming media appearances and you can see exactly which demographics she’s targeting. -
Today — Black male voters: Harris is sitting down with popular radio star Charlamagne tha God today in Detroit for a live interview. Democrats worry about Trump’s popularity with Black male voters. Not only will this interview make an appeal to these voters, but it is also happening in the battleground state of Michigan.
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Tomorrow — Republican centrist voters: Fox News anchor Bret Baier will interview Harris for her first formal interview with the network Wednesday. Baier is a calculated pick for the Harris campaign. He’s a strong interviewer and a well-known figure at the network, but has also been critical of Trump. Harris is hoping to peel off some independent voters who are uncomfortable with Trump’s rhetoric. A Fox News interview with Baier could do exactly that. CNN’s Dana Bash pointed out that Harris never even did a Fox News interview in 2019 when she ran for president.
💡 Why this matters: Harris hasn’t done many media interviews — and the interviews she has done have been with nontraditional outlets, such as the popular “Call Her Daddy” podcast with Alex Cooper. Her Fox News interview is one of the more traditional appearances she has done and will likely touch on a broad range of policy areas. She’s had a few missteps on policy (like on “60 Minutes”), so this could be worth watching.
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Trump’s coming at this from another angle: |
Republican allies of former President Trump are trying to dramatically change election rules in an effort to restrict voting and purge voter rolls across the country, reports The Hill’s Rebecca Beitsch.
How so?: “A review of the voting landscape by The Hill shows the breadth of efforts carried out at the state and local level, where GOP officials have adopted a number of measures to increase partisan control of elections and secure greater opportunities to audit results and hinder certification. They’ve also launched a series of lawsuits or other challenges seeking to cull voter rolls, sparking fears that bids to remove tens of thousands from the list will inevitably remove qualified voters.”
💡 Why this matters: Critics are worried it could dissuade Americans from voting and hurt turnout. And if Trump loses, this effort could fuel his challenge. Beitsch’s reporting is worth reading: ‘Trump’s GOP moves to dramatically revamp election rules’ |
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Trump was scheduled to appear on CNBC this week, but CNBC anchor Joe Kernen said Trump canceled it. |
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So, Trump basically held an impromptu concert last night 🤔: |
There were two lengthy interruptions during Trump’s town hall event Monday due to medical emergencies in the crowd, so he decided to play some of his favorite songs for the crowd, including Franz Schubert’s “Ave Maria.”
The odd part: Instead of continuing with the town hall after the second interruption, he indicated to his staff that he wanted to play more of his favorite music. Then, he played “Time to Say Goodbye” by Andrea Bocelli and “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World” by James Brown. This went on for 39 minutes to be specific, according to The Washington Post. |
This quote: “We could do another question or two if you’d like,” Trump said, eliciting cheers from the crowd, before changing his mind. “How about this? We’ll play ‘YMCA,’ and we’ll go home.”
Lol and this quote: “Let’s not do any more questions. Let’s just listen to music. Let’s make it into a music. Who the hell wants to hear questions, right?” 📹 Watch the clip |
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➤ HARRIS USED THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY: |
She swiped at Trump for turning his Q&A into a music streaming session. “Hope he’s okay,” Harris posted on X, replying to a clip insinuating that Trump “appears lost, confused, and frozen on stage.” 🔎 Harris’s full post
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Fallout from Trump’s ‘enemy from within’ comments: |
Former President Trump raised eyebrows for suggesting that the National Guard and the U.S. military combat “the enemy from within,” a group that Trump says includes “radical left lunatics.”
Trump’s former Defense secretary weighed in: Mark Esper, a Trump critic, said the public should take Trump’s comments “seriously.” From Esper: “Because I lived through that, and I saw over the summer of 2020 where President Trump and those around him wanted to use the National Guard in various capacities in cities such as Chicago and Portland and Seattle,” Esper told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins. And Tim Walz had some sharp words about the comments: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), Harris’s running mate, said former President Trump “crossed a line” when he made those comments.
In Walz’s words: “He crossed a line that, I have to tell you, in my lifetime, I would have never imagined because we know our history,” Walz said at a rally in Wisconsin on Monday. “To Donald Trump, anybody who doesn’t agree with him is the enemy |
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➤ MORE READS FROM THE TRAIL: |
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I love these lil’ goofballs!: |
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Two new pandas arrived in Washington, D.C., this morning, 11 months after the National Zoo sent its two pandas to China. The best part: They traveled on “The Panda Express.” ❤️
Our new friends’ names: Bao Li and Qing Bao will be here for 10 years. Can you watch their arrival at the zoo?: No, the zoo is closed today to help get the bears situated. I hope they’re happy with their new accommodations. Read WTOP News’s reporting on the new pandas |
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➤ SIGHTS AND SOUNDS FROM THE ARRIVAL:
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🍗 Celebrate: Today is National Shawarma Day! ⚕️ Walgreens is closing some stores: Drugstore Walgreens announced that it is closing roughly 1,200 of its 8,500 locations amid losses.
💊 This is a wild story: Time’s Olivia B. Waxman writes: “Anatomy of Lies Dives Into the Wild True Story of a TV Writer Who Faked Having Cancer.” The full read
💀 This ‘SNL’ clip had me cracking up on my commute this morning: “Monica, the happy Amazon employee, stops by the Update desk,” NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” posted. 📹 Watch the clip
🎃 Omg: A teacher from Minnesota (not Tim Walz) won his fourth straight (!) pumpkin-weighing contest in Northern California with a whopping 2,471-pound gourd. 📸 See the pumpkin here
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The House and Senate are out. President Biden is in Pennsylvania this afternoon, and Vice President Harris is in Washington. (all times Eastern) |
- Noon: Former President Trump speaks at the Economic Club of Chicago. 💻 Livestream
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Noon: Veteran journalist Bob Woodward discusses his new book at an event hosted by The Washington Post. 💻 Livestream
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1 p.m.: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) campaigns in Volant, Pa. 💻 Livestream
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5 p.m.: Harris participates in a live iHeartRadio interview with Charlamagne tha God.
- 5 p.m.: Walz campaigns in Pittsburgh. 💻 Livestream
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6 p.m.: Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) campaigns in Lafayette Hill, Pa. 💻 Livestream
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6:45 p.m.: Biden speaks at a political event in Philadelphia. 💻 Livestream
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7:30 p.m.: Former President Trump campaigns in Atlanta. 💻 Livestream
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8:45 p.m.: Biden and first lady Jill Biden return to the White House.
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If you happen to see this penguin, stay away. I think he’s having a bad day… |
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