Trump's Twitter debacle. Is he okay?

August 13, 2024

I dislike beginning newsletters with stories about Trump. But it is impossible to avoid Monday’s Hindenburg-like “interview” of Trump on Twitter by Elon Musk. It sounded like Trump was drunk, but he famously abstains from alcohol. Did he interview while having his teeth cleaned at the dentist? Throughout the interview, Trump slurred and lisped his words in a way that raised genuine concern about his health among those listening to the live broadcast. Heather Cox Richardson retweeted a post by a HuffPo reporter who contacted the Trump campaign asking about Trump's slurring. The Trump campaign responded, “Must be your sh*tty hearing. Get your ears checked out.”

The Trump Campaign doth protest too much, methinks!

Musk began the event by denying that it was an “interview,” saying

I want to emphasize it is a conversation. It's really intended to just get a feel for what Donald Trump is like in a conversation. It's hard to catch a vibe about someone if you don't hear them talk in a normal way . . . .

So, Musk wanted us to know that in “normal conversation,” Trump speaks with a pronounced slur and lisp?

If so, is Trump okay? A short clip by Twitter user Jim Stewartson is embedded here. (Click the speaker icon to turn on the audio.) "OK, seriously there are two options. His dentures are falling out or he had a stroke.

As of Monday evening, I was unable to identify a major US media outlet discussing Trump's slurred speech, so I reluctantly cite The Mirror US, Donald Trump 'slurs words' and speaks with 'lisp' in Elon Musk chat sparking concern over his health.

See also, The Independent, Trump repeats same talking points during Musk interview - but the former president’s ‘lisp’ steals the show.

Update: USA Today just published this analysis by Rex Huppke: Trump rambles, slurs his way through Elon Musk interview. It was an unmitigated disaster. Per Huppke:

He was also badly slurring his words, raising questions about his health, and doing nothing to knock down rising concerns about his age and well-being. He sounded like a disoriented, racist Daffy Duck.

Also, HuffPo, WHAT * WAS * THAT?: Trump Slurs Words In Rambling, Off-The-Rails Interview With World's Richest Man...

If President Biden or V.P. Harris exhibited a sudden, pronounced slurring of words, the US media would demand to be present in the exam room while a neurologist conducted tests to determine if they had suffered a stroke. But, again, none of the elite news media organizations seems bothered by a symptom in Trump that would cause alarm if exhibited by any other human being.

To be clear, sudden and unexplained speech slurring should not be mocked. It should prompt genuine concern. Hello, major media. Are you there? Are you listening? Do you care?

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Republican efforts to prevent certification of votes

I continue to receive emails from readers concerned about reports that local Republican officials will refuse to certify election results in 2024. That is a legitimate concern. Rachel Maddow featured the threat on her weekly program for the third consecutive Monday.

However, in her third report on the threat, Rachel interviewed Noah Bookbinder, the CEO of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), about plans to fight back against illegal efforts to refuse to certify election results. Bookbinder confirmed the seriousness of the threat but also emphasized that plans and resources are in place to ensure that certification occurs in the manner required by law.

Noah Bookbinder announced that CREW is publishing a report that details the threat and the legal remedies. The report is here: CREW, Election certification under threat. (To read the report, you must click the “download” button.)

CREW’s report is an impressive resource. It surveys election law in the eight states where potential election deniers occupy official positions. For each state, the report lays out the statutes and case law that require local and state officials to certify election results. The report is, in effect, a compendium of the legal briefs that will be filed against local officials (if any) who refuse to certify results.

Many of the emails from concerned readers forward articles describing the threat with a note from the reader saying, “I sure hope Democrats are doing something to prepare for this.” The answer is a resounding, “Yes, they are!” If you don’t believe me, spend an hour or two reading the CREW report for reassurance that Democrats have their eye on this issue.

And kudos to CREW for creating such an excellent resource. If you want to support CREW’s mission, you can show some love here: CREW.

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Pro Publica releases “Project 2025 Training Tapes”

Pro Publica obtained “training tapes” created by Project 2025 for the shock troops who will implement the project if Trump is elected. See Pro Publica, Inside Project 2025’s Secret Training Videos.

Although Trump and JD Vance claim that Trump has nothing to do with Project 2025, the training tapes make clear that the project is being run by alumni of Trump's administration. See Talking Points Memo, Inside Project 2025’s Secret Training Videos.

Per TPM,

A review of the training videos shows that 29 of the 36 speakers have worked for Trump in some capacity — on his 2016-17 transition team, in the administration or on his 2024 reelection campaign.

The Trump Campaign talking point that it has nothing to do with Project 2025 is officially dead. Give it up, Donald!

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Federal judge imposes $1 million fine on Trump and attorney Alina Habba for frivolous suit against Hillary Clinton and others

In 2022, Trump filed a lawsuit in Florida against thirty-one defendants for allegedly disseminating false information against Trump to destroy his political career. United States District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks dismissed the lawsuit last year. Today, Judge Middlebrooks issued an order imposing sanctions of $937,989 against Trump and his attorney, Alina Habba.

In granting sanctions, Judge Middlebrooks wrote,

Here, we are confronted with a lawsuit that should never have been filed, which was completely frivolous, both factually and legally, and which was brought in bad faith for an improper purpose. Mr. Trump is a prolific and sophisticated litigant who is repeatedly using the courts to seek revenge on political adversaries. He is the mastermind of strategic abuse of the judicial process, and he cannot be seen as a litigant blindly following the advice of a lawyer. He knew full well the impact of his actions.

Trump will appeal, but the sanctions represent another legal setback for Trump—this time for abusing the legal system. It is a setback that should be garnering more attention. Tell a friend!

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Opportunities for Reader engagement

Big Tent USA and Rural Democracy Initiative

BigTentUSA is thrilled to welcome Sarah Jaynes, Executive Director of Rural Democracy Initiative  and Jess Piper, Executive Director of Blue Missouri, on August 13th at 12:00PM ET. Our conversation will focus on rural America and what they are feeling about the Harris/Walz ticket, the November elections and their future.

The Rural Democracy Initiative is driving a growing array of organizing efforts in states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Montana, and Arizona, where new work is underway to engage rural voters, speak to their concerns, and otherwise show up in places that many Democrats have written off. RDI is building power and shared prosperity across diverse communities in rural areas and small cities. Their investments target civic infrastructure in small towns and cities to influence public sentiment, electoral outcomes, and redistricting procedures. Their main goal is to provide support for rural working people, therefore transforming the landscape of rural America for future generations.

Please RSVP to the Big Tent USA event on August 13 here.

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Reminder regarding Today’s Edition fundraiser for Adam Schiff and nine US Senate candidates.

On Wednesday, August 14 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific / 8:00 p.m. Eastern I will talk with Rep. Adam Schiff, Senator Bob Casey, Senator Tammy Baldwin, and Rep. Elissa Slotkin as Today’s Edition readers help fund their campaigns to retain control of the US Senate. Sign up here: Today's Edition fundraiser for US Senate Candidates with Adam Schiff.

If you have already signed up, look for a confirmation email with a link to the event. Be sure to check your spam / junk email folders for the confirmation email!

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Concluding Thoughts

Since Kamala Harris announced her candidacy, she has gained four to six points in the polls against Trump. During that time, she has taken her case directly to the voters in seven swing states and has been serving as vice-president of the United States. During that time, Trump made himself available in a staged press event with hand-picked reporters who let him lie for ninety minutes, and he joined in an event with Elon Musk in which both were rambling, incoherent, and engaged in mutual adoration.

In other words, Trump hasn’t subjected himself to a press conference in the last three-and-half weeks and has otherwise been hunkered down in Mar-a-Lago, golfing and posting lies on Truth Social.

Against that backdrop, journalists are in a frenzy that Kamala Harris is not submitting to a press conference in which they will subject her to hostile follow-up questions they were unwilling to ask Trump. She will agree to a press conference when the time is right. But given that her strategy of talking to the voters instead of reporters is crushing Trump, it would be silly for her to change strategy to please reporters who have failed the American people by not holding Trump to the same standard they seek to impose on Kamala Harris.

So, every time a self-important reporter asks, “When will Kamala Harris talk to the press?” the answer is, “When she is taking a break from talking to the American people and when you show that you will hold Donald Trump to the same standard you are seeking to impose on her—and not a moment before.”

We are done letting the press bully us. The election is not about them. It is about the voters. Let’s never let the press forget that lesson again.

Talk to you tomorrow!

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Below: The Pacman Nebula, 9,200 light-years from Earth with a radius of 48 light-years. The nebula features a giant central star that is part of a “quintuplet” system, which can be seen in the photograph. (Try enlarging the photo to count the stars in the quintuplet system.) Photo taken in Los Angeles on 8/12/2024 with a sixty-minute exposure.