TAYLOR SWIFT ENDORSES VP KAMALA HARRIS @taylorswift today broke her silence on the presidential election, endorsing VP Kamala Harris. Here’s what Swift said in her endorsement: Like many of you, I watched the debate tonight. If you haven’t already, now is a great time to do your research on the issues at hand and the stances these candidates take on the topics that matter to you the most. As a voter, I make sure to watch and read everything I can about their proposed policies and plans for this country. Recently I was made aware that AI of ‘me’ falsely endorsing Donald Trump’s presidential run was posted to his site. It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation. It brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter. The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth. I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election. I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them. I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos. I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of running mate @timwalz, who has been standing up for LGBTQ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body for decades. I’ve done my research, and I’ve made my choice. Your research is all yours to do, and the choice is yours to make. I also want to say, especially to first time voters: Remember that in order to vote, you have to be registered! I also find it’s much easier to vote early. I’ll link where to register and find early voting dates and info in my story. With love and hope, Taylor Swift Childless Cat Lady
Here’s my quick breakdown of the Harris/Trump debate. Usually I can find strong and weak points on each side. Not tonight. It was lopsided showing. And I’m not alone in that assessment. Watch the video for details. What did you think? What was the big moment of the debate in your mind? Share your take in comments!
VP Kamala Harris has selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate. The Governor is perhaps best known nationally for introducing the word “weird” to campaign vernacular, flipping the messaging on Trump and Vance. He is an accomplished Governor who has protected reproductive rights, expanded policies for parents and kids and taken action on a range of other progressive priorities including health care as governor. At 60, he is just a smidge older than Harris but with his gray hair he looks significantly older. He could provide the so-called “permission structure” that might help some Americans get comfortable voting for the first female, and first Black and South Asian woman for president. His choice has been hailed by everyone from the Obamas to Bernie Sanders. Conservatives are already on the attack. Want to learn more about Walz and the strengths he brings to the ticket and the possible challenges he presents? We will put it in a newsletter extra. Sign up for the newsletter. Link in bio.
This is a carousel. Swipe for more from the speech. In her acceptance speech tonight, @vp Harris accomplished many things at once: – prosecuting the case against Donald Trump – adding policy detail to her campaign message – reassuring key constituencies of her values on hot button issues including the border and Israel/Gaza – telling her personal story so voters have a better sense of her as a person. Above all and beyond the specifics Harris achieved the most difficult task for a female candidate for office – she was warm, likable, and tough. In this week’s newsletter I’ll explain why that’s so hard and so important for women running for office. She nailed it. Sign up for the newsletter at the link in bio. What are your thoughts and impressions? #harris #dnc #nominationspeech
This is a carousel. Swipe for more from the speech. In her acceptance speech tonight, @vp Harris accomplished many things at once: – prosecuting the case against Donald Trump – adding policy detail to her campaign message – reassuring key constituencies of her values on hot button issues including the border and Israel/Gaza – telling her personal story so voters have a better sense of her as a person. Above all and beyond the specifics Harris achieved the most difficult task for a female candidate for office – she was warm, likable, and tough. In this week’s newsletter I’ll explain why that’s so hard and so important for women running for office. She nailed it. Sign up for the newsletter at the link in bio. What are your thoughts and impressions? #harris #dnc #nominationspeech
This is a carousel. Swipe for more from the speech. In her acceptance speech tonight, @vp Harris accomplished many things at once: – prosecuting the case against Donald Trump – adding policy detail to her campaign message – reassuring key constituencies of her values on hot button issues including the border and Israel/Gaza – telling her personal story so voters have a better sense of her as a person. Above all and beyond the specifics Harris achieved the most difficult task for a female candidate for office – she was warm, likable, and tough. In this week’s newsletter I’ll explain why that’s so hard and so important for women running for office. She nailed it. Sign up for the newsletter at the link in bio. What are your thoughts and impressions? #harris #dnc #nominationspeech
This is a carousel. Swipe for more from the speech. In her acceptance speech tonight, @vp Harris accomplished many things at once: – prosecuting the case against Donald Trump – adding policy detail to her campaign message – reassuring key constituencies of her values on hot button issues including the border and Israel/Gaza – telling her personal story so voters have a better sense of her as a person. Above all and beyond the specifics Harris achieved the most difficult task for a female candidate for office – she was warm, likable, and tough. In this week’s newsletter I’ll explain why that’s so hard and so important for women running for office. She nailed it. Sign up for the newsletter at the link in bio. What are your thoughts and impressions? #harris #dnc #nominationspeech
This is a carousel. Swipe for more from the speech. In her acceptance speech tonight, @vp Harris accomplished many things at once: – prosecuting the case against Donald Trump – adding policy detail to her campaign message – reassuring key constituencies of her values on hot button issues including the border and Israel/Gaza – telling her personal story so voters have a better sense of her as a person. Above all and beyond the specifics Harris achieved the most difficult task for a female candidate for office – she was warm, likable, and tough. In this week’s newsletter I’ll explain why that’s so hard and so important for women running for office. She nailed it. Sign up for the newsletter at the link in bio. What are your thoughts and impressions? #harris #dnc #nominationspeech
FIRST TRADITIONAL PRESS INTERVIEW AS NOMINEE VP Kamala Harris has agreed to sit down for a traditional press interview alongside nominee Gov Tim Walz – and they’ll do it with @cnn’s @danabashcnn . The political press has been clamoring for an opportunity to interview Harris ever since she entered the race. This will be her first as the nominee. The interview comes as the traditional media finds itself at odds with other media personalities who are getting more access to the candidates — especially content creators who tend to promote the campaign’s messages online. Whatever knocks you have against the DC press, a sit-down like this has advantages for voters. Serious reporters who cover Washington talk to experts and electeds on all sides. They have historic knowledge of institutions and a memory for what policy has been attempted before; they also understand where the votes are and therefore can engage candidates on questions including: can this get passed? What are the costs and unintended consequences? A sit down like this allows voters to hear the candidates speak on topics that matter but which the campaign might not have addressed and it’s a way to pressure test the candidates — to assess their readiness for the rough and tumble of DC politics — and their ideas. As a matter of strategy, there are obvious downsides to an interview: if the candidates stumble badly that provides material the opposition can use to its advantage. On the other hand, refusing to do an interiew would become an issue on its own. And Harris said she’d grant one this month — so failing to do so would become a big THING. A note on Dana Bash: she is a serious, substantive reporter who has covered multiple presidential campaigns as well as Capitol Hill for years. I worked alongside her and can attest that she knows more about what’s happening in DC than many members of Congress. I’m personally delighted to see that the campaign granted this interview to a woman reporter. I can’t tell you how rare that is. You can tune in to see the interview Thursday night on CNN.
WILL TAYLOR SWIFT ENDORSE? Did Taylor Swift just share an election Easter egg with us? The pop star shared a post from her Eras Tour on Instagram ( @taylorswift ) with a silhouette on the seventh slide that’s leaving viewers wondering if it’s VP Kamala Harris. Swifties have taken to social media to discuss fan theories on whether or not the figure is meant to be Harris and if the post is an unofficial endorsement of the Democratic nominee. Fans are trying to piece together if the figure is one of Swift’s many background artists caught in motion, or if there is a deeper meaning behind the image. Could Taylor Swift make a surprise appearance at the Democratic Convention this month? Is this a subtle response to JD Vance’s childless cat lady comments? While the post has led to speculation, Taylor Swift has yet to officially endorse anyone for the 2024 presidential election. She previously endorsed President Joe Biden in the 2020 election. What do you think of this silhouette? Is it a coincidental shot of a background artist, or a more cryptic message?
TRUMP CAMPAIGN “ALTERCATION” AT ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY Former President Trump visited Arlington National Cemetery Monday to commemorate the 13 service members killed during the 2021 US withdrawal from Afghanistan. There, his team reportedly engaged in a “verbal and physical altercation” with a cemetery official over an alleged violation of federal law, NPR reports. It’s against the law to take photos or videos for political campaign usage in Arlington and other national military cemeteries. Reportedly when an Arlington official tried to stop two Trump staffers from recording in an area where recent US military casualties are buried, the aides insulted and pushed the cemetery official. The Trump campaign denies the allegations and accused the cemetery official of “clearly suffering from a mental health episode.” In a statement, Arlington National Cemetery confirmed “there was an incident, and a report was filed.” This comes just a few weeks after Trump disrespected troops by saying the civilian Presidential Medal of Freedom is “better” than the military Congressional Medal of Honor because Medal of Honor recipients are “either in very bad shape because they’ve been hit so many times by bullets or they are dead.” Share your thoughts in comments.
JACK SMITH REVISES TRUMP INDICTMENT Federal prosecutors filed a new revised indictment against former President Trump. This indictment – 36 pages instead of 45 – removes mention of Trump’s conversations with Justice Department officials. Watch video for more. Share your questions in comments!
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INTERN FOR NNN – link to apply is in our bio!
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RFK JR TRUMP = ?? Today third party candidate and professional conspiracy theorist RFK Jr announced he’s suspending his campaign and endorsing Donald Trump. He’s expected to show up at a rally with Trump later on Friday. Kennedy launched a long-shot third party bid positioning himself as an alternative to Trump and Biden but his campaign has struggled to maintain its support and funding after VP Kamala Harris entered the race. It seems some voters who turned to RFK saw him as an outsider or “fresh voice” who could “ – but once the Harris entered and became the change candidate in the race RFK’s support dipped. He says that his name will remain on the ballot in non-swing states – presumably to siphon votes from Harris in blue states. But he’s all in on Trump, at least for now. Many of you ask why we should care what RFK does? Because this election could be won by a few thousand votes in a handful of swing states, and a third party candidate can throw a race. In theory, his support for Trump could also drive the crucial margin to the Republican ticket. On the other hand, it’s possible that GOP leaning voters who backed RFK did so because they wouldn’t vote Trump and wanted another option. In the livestream in which he announced his decision, RFK also launched a ferocious broadside on Harris and the Democratic party which he accused of running a “rigged” campaign organized by operatives “without an election.” He also attacked the media. Lots of cable news cut away from the speech when he wouldn’t stop talking – and right-wing social media is going nuts. Note: RFK reportedly approached the Harris campaign to shop his endorsement. They did not engage. Do you think RFK will make a real difference for Trump? What conspiracy theories do you think they cook together?
KERRY WASHINGTON ON SEXISM IN POLITICS I spoke with actress and activist Kerry Washington @kerrywashington at the DNC last week. Washington, who hosted one night of the 2024 convention, also worked to try to get Hillary Clinton elected in 2016. I asked her – after working to support Clinton and Biden in past cycles – whether she thinks the Harris campaign learned any lessons from Clinton’s bid for the presidency. And, whether they are combatting sexism in new ways, or if she’s noticed a change in campaign styles since Clinton ran for president. Her answer: we the people have changed. Do you agree?
The guessing game is over. (Though we gave newsletter readers the tip last night 😉 Minnesota Gov Tim Walz is VP Harris’ VP pick. We get into his history, bio, what he brings to the ticket, what Trump and his allies are saying, and the joy and concerns of Democrats. Read about it in tonight’s newsletter. Link in stories and bio. What do you think of this ticket?
The guessing game is over. (Though we gave newsletter readers the tip last night 😉 Minnesota Gov Tim Walz is VP Harris’ VP pick. We get into his history, bio, what he brings to the ticket, what Trump and his allies are saying, and the joy and concerns of Democrats. Read about it in tonight’s newsletter. Link in stories and bio. What do you think of this ticket?
RFK JR AND TULSI GABBARD JOIN TRUMP TEAM The Trump campaign added RFK Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard, two figures with national profiles and followings of their own, to the transition team. This comes as the campaign struggles to find its footing after VP Kamala Harris entered the race and has caught up to former President Trump in the polls. Both Kennedy and Gabbard harbor unusual positions — RFK Jr. has promoted anti-vax conspiracies, blames antidepressants for school shootings, among other beliefs, and Gabbard consistently promotes Putin’s interests in her TV appearances, especially by criticizing Ukraine and urging it to end the war. Kennedy, who withdrew his third-party campaign to endorse Trump, will likely remain on the ballot in several key swing states. These appointments also come as polling numbers for Trump’s VP pick Sen. JD Vance remain low. The campaign is looking to bring on other surrogates to bolster Trump’s support. What do you think of these two being appointed? Tell us in comments.
This week @vp Kamala Harris accepted the nomination and presented the prosecution. Who did she appeal to and how. Plus: RFK Jr’s not-so-surprise endorsement and how Kamala learned from Hillary’s hurdles. That’s in the latest newsletter. Link in bio and in stories. Plus sign up to join a subscriber zoom.
This week @vp Kamala Harris accepted the nomination and presented the prosecution. Who did she appeal to and how. Plus: RFK Jr’s not-so-surprise endorsement and how Kamala learned from Hillary’s hurdles. That’s in the latest newsletter. Link in bio and in stories. Plus sign up to join a subscriber zoom.