"We're not weird."

August 10, 2024

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!

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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.

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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.

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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.]

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Opportunity for Reader engagement.

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Update on Today’s Edition Fundraiser with Adam Schiff for nine US Senate Candidates

Good news! Rep. Adam Schiff will be joined by Senators Tammy Baldwin (WI) and Bob Casey (PA), and Rep. Elissa Slotkin (MI) as readers of Today’s Edition hold a “small dollar” fundraiser to help elect or re-elect nine Democratic US Senate candidates. Donations start at $25; we hope those who can give more will do so.

The fundraiser will be held on Wednesday, August 14th 5:00pm PT / 8:00pm ET. Sign up here: Today's Edition Fundraiser | Adam Schiff and nine Democratic Senate candidates.

Join me and Rep. Adam Schiff, Senators Bob Casey and Tammy Baldwin, and Rep. Elissa Slotkin as we discuss the state of the US Senate race!

Proceeds will be shared among the following: Senator Tammy Baldwin (WI), Senator Bob Casey (PA), Senator Sherrod Brown (OH),  Senator Jon Tester (MT), Senator Jacky Rosen (NV), Congressman Colin Allred (TX), Congressman Ruben Gallego (AZ), Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin (MI), and Congressman Adam Schiff (CA)

The States Project Giving Circles

The note below from Melissa Walker discusses the incredible work of the States Project Giving Circles and the generosity of the readers of this newsletter—who have contributed $500,000 this year through Giving Circles inspired by Today’s Edition Newsletter:

Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota are all states where States Project Giving Circles fueled new state legislative majorities in 2022, majorities that sent their governors a couple of key policies that would meaningfully help achieve the American promise. Children across Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Michigan now have a chance at a quality education without worrying about their next meal. Pennsylvania expanded its maternal health program, and Minnesota and Michigan were the first states to protect safe, legal abortions after the fall of Roe v. Wade. Over the last two sessions, all three states enacted policies to secure clean air, water, and energy. 

Ending childhood hunger. Reproductive healthcare. Protecting the air we breathe and the water we drink — these policies meaningfully improve people's lives. So it’s no coincidence that Govs Gretchen Whitmer (MI), Tim Walz (MN), and Josh Shapiro (PA) were all on the VP shortlist. Governing power in their state legislatures, won on the margins by mere hundreds of votes, catalyzed their paths to the national stage and the future of this country. 

The States Project works in the closest districts. They build governing power for lawmakers to improve lives. They build the bench. It all starts in the states. 

And the readers of Today’s Edition Newsletter have started 15 Giving Circles that have raised nearly $500,000 so far this year! 💪

You can start a Giving Circle here or support a Giving Circle in a strategically targeted state here. It's a powerful action in 2024 — not where the glamour is, just where the power is.

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Concluding Thoughts

It’s late and I haven’t been able to view the entire Trump rally in Montana, but the snippets I have seen indicate it was off the rails. Trump spent time on defense, stating “I think we are the opposite of weird,” and falsely claiming that Governor Walz signed a bill requiring tampon dispensing machines in boys’ locker rooms. The claim is false, petty, and laughable. But it is an indication that Trump can’t find a foothold to attack Harris and Walz.

Because Trump can’t gain traction against Harris and Walz, Trump polled rally-goers about whether they preferred “Crooked Joe” or Sleepy Joe”—a poll that demonstrates Trump wishes he was still running against Joe Biden! In fact, Trump repeated the claim that Joe Biden would appear at the Democratic convention and attempt to reclaim the nomination. That fantasy can only be seen as a cry for help!

Joe Biden endorsed Kamala Harris less than three weeks ago. Although the race continues to be close on many metrics, Kamala Harris is making tremendous strides in erasing Trump’s lead nationally and in some swing states. And she is increasing support and enthusiasm in key demographics. If those trends continue, we have every reason to be hopeful but no reason to be complacent. And to borrow from Simon Rosenberg, we would much rather be us than them at this point!

Talk to you on Monday!

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The photo below shows the gas cloud of the Pelican Nebula with the starfield removed. The nebula is 2,000 light-years from Earth and is 30 light-years wide.

By removing the starfield, I was able to adjust the exposure and colors of the gas cloud without fighting the brightness of the stars. I think the resulting image is majestic!

Although the gas cloud appears dense, it is (on average) five orders of magnitude less dense than the best vacuum ever created on Earth (at the CERN supercollider in Switzerland). For more information on the density of nebulae and the processing of the Pelican Nebula photo above, see this document.