Senile Trump On The Ropes As Harris Surges

Mangele · August 25, 2024, 10:28pm

Time’s Running Out On Trump Who Still Whines About Fox News as Poll Numbers Keep Dropping

With 71 days until the election, Donald Trump spent Sunday morning ranting on his Truth Social platform about a days-old appearance on Fox News that ended with the network cutting the former president off mid-sentence, while he criticized Kamala Harris’ speech at the Democratic National Convention.

“Bret Baier of Fox News called me, I didn’t call him, just prior to the Kamala Convention speech, and asked me if I would like to critique her after she is finished,” the Republican presidential nominee claimed on Sunday. “I agreed to do so!”

Trump dialed into the network on Thursday night and spoke with anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum for 10 minutes. The Fox News hosts attempted to interject repeatedly, ultimately hurrying Trump off the line in favor of Greg Gutfeld’s late-night show. The GOP candidate then called in to Newsmax to keep his rant going.

“The Fake News, like often ‘gilted’ Maureen Dowd of the failing New York Times, wrote incorrectly that I was making the calls. WRONG!!!” Trump continued in his post. “I don’t have to make calls to go on TV, or anything else — They call me! It’s called Ratings, I guess, and I’m the “Ratings Machine!”

Harris’ speech at the DNC outperformed Trump’s Republican National Convention monologue by 22%, with millions more tuning in to listen to the vice president, which Dowd called a “real dagger” in the former president’s heart in her August 25 op-ed. She also mocked his “scream-of-consciousness” call to Fox.

Trump’s outburst comes as Harris leads him by 3.6 percentage points in an average of national polls. One particularly striking new poll result found Harris leading Trump by seven points nationally, 50 to 43 percent, according to a survey by Fairleigh Dickinson University.

It also comes after the Washington Post reported that his campaign aides have struggled to keep him focused on the campaign instead of golfing almost every day, as he typically prefers to do in August.

As Trump’s former White House spokesperson Alyssa Farah Griffin put it, “From spending days off the campaign trail golfing to coming up with frankly weak nicknames like ‘Kamabala,’ it feels like he’s lost his mojo.”

Harris and Trump are having a new squabble over their upcoming debate, this time about muted mics

Story by MEG KINNARD, Associated Press

The current dispute centers on the muting of microphones when a candidate isn’t speaking, a condition both Biden and Trump accepted for their June debate hosted by CNN. Both sides are accusing the other of gaming the system to protect their candidate.

Biden’s campaign team made microphone muting a condition of its decision to accept any debates this year, and some aides now regret the decision, saying voters were shielded from hearing Trump’s outbursts during the debate. That move likely would not have helped the incumbent Democrat’s disastrous performance.

The Harris campaign now wants microphones to be live all the time, according to Harris spokesman Brian Fallon, who issued a statement needling Trump.

“Trump’s handlers prefer the muted microphone because they don’t think their candidate can act presidential for 90 minutes on his own,” Fallon said. Harris “is ready to deal with Trump’s constant lies and interruptions in real time. Trump should stop hiding behind the mute button.”

Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., speaks during a debate, Oct. 7, 2020, in Salt Lake City, left, and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks during a debate, June 27, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo)

Trump spokesman Jason Miller retorted that the Republican nominee had “accepted the ABC debate under the exact same terms as the CNN debate." He alleged Harris’ representatives sought “a seated debate, with notes, and opening statements.”

Miller then took a shot at Harris not sitting for an interview or holding a news conference since Biden ended his reelection and endorsed her, arguing her campaign now wants “to give her a cheat sheet for the debate.”

The Harris campaign denied Miller’s claim that she wanted notes.

During a stop Monday in the Washington area following a visit to Arlington National Cemetery, Trump said “we agreed to the same rules” in terms of the Sept. 10 debate, adding: “The truth is they’re trying to get out of it.”

Complicating the negotiations this year is that debates are being orchestrated on an ad hoc basis by host networks, as opposed to the bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, through which debate rules were negotiated privately.

Microphones have been unmuted for both candidates for most of televised presidential debate history. The debate commission announced that its October 2020 debate would have microphones muted when candidates were not recognized to speak after the first Biden-Trump contest descended into a shouting match. The second 2020 debate with the microphone muting rules was widely celebrated for being more substantive than the earlier matchup.

poyoloko · August 26, 2024, 4:31pm

there’s a very high probability America might go into civil war

Mangele · August 26, 2024, 4:35pm

That’s why we’re keenly following the development…check out the link

Mangele · August 28, 2024, 3:56pm

You don’t have to script it, but generally politicians have advance teams that will at least warn people that they are coming with media. This just continues to show how bad they are at being politicians and how they lack any self-awareness

Sen. JD Vance of Ohio filled in the details of his awkward stop at a Georgia bakery last week that went viral, expressing sympathy for the camera-shy worker he encountered.

“I just felt terrible for that woman,” Vance told NBC News in an interview published on Wednesday. “We walked in, and there’s 20 Secret Service agents, and there’s 15 cameras, and she clearly had not been properly warned, and she was terrified, right? I just felt awful for her.”

Vance stopped at Holt’s Sweet Shop in Valdosta, Georgia part of a series of stops in South Georgia that he made during a campaign swing last week. Presidential hopefuls and their running mates often try to coordinate unannounced stops at local stores and restaurants during campaign swings. As Vance learned, things don’t always go smoothly when candidates venture beyond campaign rallies.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1826659904641532071

In footage of the visit, Vance tried to introduce himself to workers as he ordered an assortment of donuts and cinnamon rolls.

“The zoo has come to town, thank you for letting us come in here,” Vance told the worker, laughing as a pool of reporters watches his every move.

The worker, glancing around nervously, quickly adds, “I don’t want to be on camera.” Vance then urges the assembled press to try to avoid featuring her.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1825305069090181438

The Republican vice presidential nominee said he enjoys going out and meeting Americans.

“We don’t to have these scripted events — I don’t want to go and do three takes of buying Doritos at a Sheetz,” Vance told NBC, poking at Vice President Harris and Gov. Tim Walz’s recent stop at the famous Pennsylvania gas station chain. “I like to get out there and talk to people, and we want to make sure we’re doing it, but definitely make sure that people are at least OK with being on camera, or we’re going to walk in and you’re going to have a person who has, practically, a panic attack because she’s got 15 cameras in her face.”

No J.D. the woman was not terrified. She was fine. Your weirdness is off putting and she reacted the way any normal person would around a socially inept person such as yourself. We feel sorry for you.

Calling in the order and letting them know you are coming with a small army of reporters might have actually been the way to go. But I guess if he did that, he wouldn’t be able to use this as yet another way to whine about Harris and her Doritos.

**She didn’t appear terrified to me, she appeared completely unimpressed by him, and rightfully so. **

The security detail would have gone in and told them what was going on and cleared space for safety. The worker didn’t want to become campaign material most likely. You should apologize to the woman for putting her on the spot like that.

Mangele · August 28, 2024, 9:53pm

Today Vance Finally admits campaign screwed up awkward donut shop visit

JD Vance has admitted that the Trump campaign screwed up an awkward visit to a donut shop in Valdosta, Georgia last week.

As the assembled media looked on, Vance struggled to make small talk while buying baked goods, with one of the employees asking to be kept off-camera. The moment has since gone viral.

“I just felt terrible for that woman,” Vance told NBC News on Tuesday.

“We walked in, and there’s 20 Secret Service agents, and there’s 15 cameras, and she clearly had not been properly warned, and she was terrified, right? I just felt awful for her,” he added.

The visit in Valdosta took place on Thursday where he introduced himself to one staff member, who responded that she didn’t want to be filmed.

“I’m JD Vance. I’m running for vice president,” the Trump running mate said.

“Okay,” the shop worker responded.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1826659904641532071

“We’re gonna do two dozen. Just a random assortment of stuff here,” Vance continued as he browsed the available goods.

“Everything. A lot of glazed here. Sprinkle stuff. A lot of cinnamon rolls. Just whatever makes sense,” he added.

Vance struggled to make small talk as the employee filled up his box, asking how long they had been working there and how long the place had been in business.

“About four years? Okay,” Vance told the employee. “Well, we selected this place. I didn’t know if it had been here for 20 years or four years. You never know.”

The clip of Vance came as he was trying to move on from being called “weird” by Democrats.

*** J O5m**
Vance just keeps stepping in it and looking weirder and weirder, now he told Kamala to go to hell What? Now how is that going to sit with all of Trumps Christian Supporters

Mangele · August 29, 2024, 5:54pm

rexxsimba · August 29, 2024, 6:37pm

Mangele · August 30, 2024, 12:26pm

JD Vance made another uncharismatic stop on the campaign trail on Thursday, making an appearance at an International Association of Fire Fighters event in Boston, where he was booed before his speech even began.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1829195530855166182

“Sounds like we got some fans and some haters. That’s okay,” Vance, who’s been dubbed the “negative rizz” candidate by social media users, said.

But Vance earned even more raucous boos, and some laughs, for dubbing his and Trump’s ticket the “most pro-worker Republican ticket in history.”

Mangele · August 30, 2024, 8:48pm

Mangele · August 30, 2024, 10:29pm

Harris’ mom didn’t lie about number of children in immigration document .She Can’t Qualify For Presidency… | Fact check

An Aug. 26 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) by conservative activist Laura Loomer shows a document with the name of Vice President Kamala Harris’ mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, written at the top. The image outlines in red the date, given as Aug. 21, 1967, and a section labeled “Number of children,” listed as one.

“Did Kamala Harris’s @KamalaHQ mother commit immigration fraud?” reads part of the post’s caption. “As per a document from the United States Department of Justice Immigration and Naturalization Service form I-463, dated August 21, 1967, Shyamala Gopalan Harris claimed to have only one child even though both of her children were born by this time.”

Loomer claims in the post’s caption that the document has “serious issues” that “may lead to Kamala Harris’s disqualification as a presidential candidate.”

Other versions of the claim were shared on Facebook and X, formerly Twitter.

Our rating: False

The document does not prove the vice president’s mother committed immigration fraud. She filed the document shown in the post before her second child was born in January 1967. The date included in the document shows when the government approved the petition.

Harris’ mom didn’t lie about number of children in immigration document | Fact check (msn.com)

Mike Baker1h
Not at all surprised that Loomer has not responded. Anyone would know that your parents’ citizenship has no bearing on being an American citizen if you are born IN the US. We know that from our immigration issues with illegal immigrants having US citizen children. But that did not prevent her from making a totally baseless claim that Harris may be disqualified. Shame on you for lying.

Mangele · September 1, 2024, 4:12pm

Mangele · September 4, 2024, 2:59pm

‘J6 Awards Gala’ fundraiser scheduled for Trump New Jersey golf course flopping…postponed indefinitely

Story by Lauren Irwin

• 1h
(The Hill) – A fundraising event for defendants of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol scheduled to take place at former President Trump’s golf club in New Jersey this week has been postponed indefinitely.

The “J6 Awards Gala,” hosted by nonprofit Stand in the Gap, was planned for Thursday at Trump’s Bedminster, N.J. golf club. According to the event’s website, the date has been “postponed” and the location and time are to be announced.

In an August statement to Fox Business, event organizer L.J. Fino said the event was postponed due to “scheduling conflicts of invited guest speakers.”

The event invited Trump to speak, though he was not expected to attend.

Rudy Giuliani, former New York mayor and Trump attorney who has dealt with his own legal battles regarding the 2020 presidential election, was confirmed to speak at the event.

Conservative comedian Anthony Raimondi confirmed to Fox Business that he plans to attend the event.

The funds raised at the event will provide the Jan. 6 defendants with “much-needed assistance” as they face “significant challenges.”

The event also intends to “honor and celebrate” 20 defendants who contributed to the “powerful ‘Justice For All’ song.”

“Released on March 3, 2023, this song quickly went Platinum, thanks to your unwavering support,” the event website said. “Now, we gather to pay tribute only to these individuals but to all J6 defendants who have shown incredible courage and sacrifice.”

Tickets ranged from $1,500 per person for general admission to $50,000 for a “platinum” 12-person table, NBC News reported.

Mangele · September 6, 2024, 11:57pm

The darkest truth about the MAGA right

It is impossible to disentangle MAGA from a project of racial domination. The casual mainstreaming of Cooper’s views, alongside Trump’s Hitlerian rhetoric describing immigrants as “poisoning the blood of our country,” are the neon-lined sign posts that illustrate that right-wing nationalism is animated by a virulent ethnic chauvinism. There is no way someone can remain a part of this movement and seriously claim to reject racism.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com

Mangele · September 11, 2024, 1:12pm

Mangele · September 11, 2024, 4:23pm

Drudge Report Sums Up Donald Trump’s Debate Performance With 2 Final Words

Story by Lee Moran • 7h • 1 min read

“The End.”

Those are the two words the conservative Drudge Report website posted as its main headline on Tuesday night following Donald Trump’s widely-panned performance in the presidential debate against Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris.

The short headline sat underneath an AI-generated image of Trump surrounded by animals on what appeared to be an airplane.

It linked to Mediaite’s coverage of Trump being fact-checked during the debate for pushing a debunked story that migrants in Ohio are eating people’s pets.

The Matt Drudge-founded website, which has soured on Trump since backing him in the 2016 election, also linked to NBC News’ story on the theme and captioned it, “The Night Trump Lost It All.”

Another headline on the website called it Trump’s “worst performance of his career,” and pointed to this story on Deadline.

Kamala Harris laid the bait for Donald Trump by attacking the most precious thing to him in the world - his rallies.

“He talks about fictional characters like Hannibal Lecter. He will talk about how windmills cause cancer. What you will also notice is that people start leaving his rallies early out of exhaustion and boredom. The one thing you will not hear him talk about is you,” [she said](Trump-Harris debate live updates: Analysis, reactions and highlights | The Independent), in a moment that was likely rehearsed for days.

Trump’s eyes widened and his face dropped. He could no longer hear the moderators above the ringing in his ears.

“Let me respond just to the rallies,” he said, ignoring a question about the border. “People don’t leave my rallies. We have the biggest rallies, the most incredible rallies in the history of politics,” he went on.

The man who has spent every debate of his life burrowing beneath the skin of his opponents was finally on the receiving end of it.

From that moment on, his voice rarely fell below a shout. His sentences were disjointed. His syntax was confused. His face was red. His brow was furrowed. He leaned forward towards the empty space in front of him.

The worst was still yet to come.

In perhaps the strangest moment of the debate, or of any presidential debate in US history, Trump stumbled from a defense of his rallies to the sharing of an online conspiracy theory about Haitian migrants eating cats in Springfield, Ohio.

“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs — the people that came in — they are eating the cats. They’re eating … they’re eating the pets of the people that live there,” he said.

When the moderator, ABC’s David Muir, said there had been no credible reports of pets being harmed, the former president responded with an answer that might have prompted a wellness check if it had been uttered anywhere but the debate stage: “The people on television say my dog was taken and used for food.”

The split-screen was not kind to Trump. As he summoned images of dead cats from his imagination, Harris’s facial expressions told a story all of their own. She laughed and winced through his answers.

This was not the imposing Trump that stalked Hillary Clinton in 2016. Or the restrained Trump that spoke quietly as Joe Biden stumbled just two and a half months ago.

Trump’s debate style was once compared to a “malfunctioning appliance.” On stage this evening, he resembled a whistling kettle rattling on a stove. He never found his footing.

Harris baited him again and again, attacking his temperament, calling him weak and a “disgrace”. She stared straight at Trump as she told him world leaders were “laughing at Donald Trump,” and called him “confused about fact.”

Voices: Trump fumed and his face turned red. Then the debate got weird. (msn.com)

rexxsimba · September 11, 2024, 4:35pm

The general opinion on the outcome of that Debate is clear …
TRUMP LOST …
Again …!!

Mangele · September 11, 2024, 5:03pm

https://twitter.com/i/status/1833835939526807865

Mangele · September 11, 2024, 7:28pm

If song selections were a subtweet, Vice President Kamala Harris said a lot with “The Man” on Tuesday.

Following her presidential debate with former President Donald Trump in Philadelphia, Harris made an appearance at a post-debate party to address supporters. It happened not long after Taylor Swift formally endorsed Harris’s bid for the presidency.

“Hard work is good work, and we will win,” she told the crowd.

“See you later,” Harris added before she exited the stage with Swift’s 2019 song “The Man” playing.

“I’m so sick of running as fast as I can / Wondering if I’d get there quicker if I was a man,” Swift can be heard singing as Harris high-fived and greeted supporters.

CNN has reached out to representatives for Swift and the Harris campaign for comment on the song selection.

“The Man” and its accompanying music video sparked headlines in 2020.

Swift, who wrote the song and directed the music video, used makeup and special effects to appear as “Tyler Swift” in the project, which explores stark cultural double standards between men and women.

“They’d say I hustled/Put in the work/They wouldn’t shake their heads and question how much of this I deserve,” Swift sings on the hit. “What I was wearing, if I was rude/Could all be separated from my good ideas and power moves.”

While several high-profile artists have objected to the Trump campaign using their music, Harris has not – at least publicly – faced similar challenges.

In July, Beyoncé gave Harris permission to use her song “Freedom” for her presidential campaign. The song has since become an anthem for Harris, who has used it for both ads and at her campaign rallies.

CNN’s Elizabeth Wagmeister contributed to this story.