Welcome to the online edition of From the Politics Desk. This evening newsletter brings you the latest reporting and analysis from campaigns, the White House and Capitol Hill from the NBC News politics team.
In today’s issue, senior national political reporter Henry Gomez and campaign manager Alec Hernandez explore how J.D. Vance frequently steps in to explain Donald Trump’s problematic comments. Plus, Chief Political Analyst Chuck Todd digs into Trump and Kamala Harris’ final messages.
Sign up here to receive this newsletter in your inbox every weekday.
Vance appointed as President Trump’s accountability director
Written by Henry J. Gomez and Alec Hernandez
J.D. Vance has shown a willingness to regularly field questions from mainstream news outlets, adding to his unofficial role as Donald Trump’s running mate: accountability.
In interviews, press conferences, and speaking to reporters on campaign planes, Vance defends, decodes, or “actually” defends whatever provocative comments President Trump has made recently. There are often times when you have to read or decipher something.
At the time, Trump questioned whether Vice President Kamala Harris was really black. “I think he pointed out the fundamentally chameleonic nature of Kamala Harris,” Vance argued.
When President Trump disparaged Detroit, a predominantly black city in the battleground state of Michigan? Vance said Trump was “just being honest about the fact that Detroit is being left behind.”
And what about when President Trump named and removed Democratic congressmen as he warned of the “enemy within” and stoked fears of chaos to justify military intervention on Election Day? “The domestic enemy is the people Kamala Harris has sent into this country without vetting, without testing, without documentation,” Vance said.
All Republicans, from Trump’s top surrogates to low-ballot candidates in local elections, will inevitably be forced to answer for some of Trump’s most incendiary statements. Many Republicans have practiced a ritual in recent years to avoid questions about his latest outbursts, claiming they don’t know what he said.
But Mr. Vance is the most prominent player in the campaign after Mr. Trump. There is ample evidence of his willingness to criticize Trump, transforming him from a Trump critic to a supporter. Eight years ago, he was a best-selling memoirist frequently asked to analyze and lament President Trump’s appeal to voters in troubled manufacturing towns like the one he grew up in.
These days, it’s often left to Mr. Vance to explain what Mr. Trump actually means, the way he thinks he wants to say it. Alternatively, it’s up to Mr. Vance to point out the finer points about the shocking or baffling things Mr. Trump has said, without ever straying from Mr. Trump’s ethos of never apologizing above all else.
Read more →
Harris’ team and some Trump allies expect her to prematurely declare victory
Written by Matt Dixon, Yamiesh Alcindor, Carol E. Lee
Kamala Harris, her campaign team, and some of Donald Trump’s own supporters are confident the former president will quickly win on election night, even if results are still unconfirmed in key battleground states. He said that he expected the company to declare the following.
The number of votes will not be fully counted on election night because it takes time for some battleground states to process mail-in ballots and process provisional ballots. As with the 2020 presidential election, predicting who will win a close presidential election can take less than a few days.
NBC News spoke to four Trump supporters, all of whom said the former president isn’t ready to repeat 2020 and immediately declare victory on election night, which is still uncertain. I’m guessing. All involved said they had no direct knowledge that this was an official Trump campaign plan.
Others pointed out that the outcome could be different this November, as he is surrounded by new top aides who will not push him to make such a declaration.
Seven of Ms. Harris’ aides, as well as the vice president herself, said they were preparing in case Mr. Trump did indeed win prematurely, or to legally challenge the results if he lost.
Asked in an interview with NBC News on Tuesday whether her campaign was preparing to deal with Trump’s early declaration of victory, Harris said: “Of course.” “This is a man named Donald Trump, who tried to undo a free and fair election, who still defies the will of the people, who incited a violent mob to storm the U.S. Capitol and kill 140 law enforcement officers. is the person who was attacked.”
Read more →
How are Harris and Trump conducting their closing arguments?
Written by Chuck Todd
Given the tumultuous nature of the Trump era in general and the twists and turns of the 2024 campaign in particular, it’s hard to believe that we’re likely to be nearing the end of this historic election cycle (knock on wood). ) The campaign featuring Donald Trump is ending more normally than previous campaigns so far.
I admit that the phrase “so far” serves many purposes in the above paragraph. And let me be clear: I’m not talking about the events that rocked the campaign, I’m not talking about President Trump’s penchant for crude and offensive rhetoric. Obviously, unforeseen things can still happen, but at this late stage in the campaign, it is unclear whether new events will dramatically impact either candidate’s vote share. No. But if you’re no longer prepared for the unexpected in politics, you’re not paying attention.
But what’s different from before! — Here’s a look at how both campaigns have been doing semi-, in a way, conventionally for this campaign in recent weeks.
First, who are the ultimately persuadable voters: Republicans or Republican-leaning independents who don’t like Trump personally but are skeptical of Kamala Harris’s perceived liberal politics? , the camps seem to be in agreement.
Both camps have messages aimed at this electorate, with Mr. Trump strongly negative about Harris’ politics and encouraging voters that she is really a moderate-dressing San Francisco liberal. I want to convince them. Harris, on the other hand, has been fiercely negative about Trump’s character and democracy, saying that Trump is acting on her own behalf at potential cost, that he is mentally unstable and that he is acting on his own behalf. wants to convince voters that not being able to control their identity is a potential threat to the country.
Given how bizarre the final days of racing ended in 2016 and 2020, this 2024 finale feels entirely mundane. This election race feels similar to close races before the Trump administration. It’s not so much a fight to get rid of bases (although that’s very important) as a fight to convince skeptical undeciders.
Read more about Chuck →
🗓️ Mark your calendars: As part of her closing arguments, Harris is scheduled to speak in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, four sources familiar with the preparations confirmed to NBC News.
🗞️ Today’s Top News
🔵Tracking Harris: Harris denounced reports that President Trump had spoken positively about Adolf Hitler, calling the former president’s recent behavior “increasingly erratic.” Continue reading → 🔵 Harris on the trail, more: Harris tells Telemundo she’s a “pragmatic capitalist” who wants to support Latinx entrepreneurs, takes issue with Trump’s attempts to paint her as a Marxist I fought against it. Continue reading → 🔴 Trump’s whereabouts: President Trump has accused Harris of being a “lunatic” and “stupid” and has increasingly made false personal attacks on his Democratic opponents, accusing her of alcohol and alcohol abuse. He wondered if he had a drug problem. Continue reading → ⚖️ Lawsuits barrage: Ahead of Election Day, lawsuits, primarily from Republican groups, have been filed in seven key battleground states. Sides throw our way. ” Continue reading → 🤝 Transfer of Power: Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, warns that President Trump has not reached a key agreement with the Biden administration for the presidential transition process. and warns that it could put the country at risk. enable a peaceful transfer of power and threaten U.S. national security. Continue reading → 📝 Not in such a hurry: Justice Department sends letter to Elon Musk’s super PAC warning that donating $1 million a day in battleground states could violate federal law did. Continue reading → 💰 Another Blue Wall: The nation’s largest network of left-wing megadonors is targeting key California and New York House races to build a vote-getting operation in bluer states that Democrats are untouched by. poured millions of dollars into. To build a lot of political infrastructure. Continue reading → 🏫 Freshmen on campus: Harris campaign begins early voting push for students on state university campuses in battleground states. The effort consists of concerts, block parties and tailgates, as well as a seven-figure ad buy focused primarily on social media platforms. Continue reading → 🗣️ Notable quote: President Joe Biden repeats a phrase Trump has used in the past, saying of the former president, “We have to lock him up,” then appears to compose himself. “Politically lock him up,” he added. Continue reading → 🎧 Podcast plea: Former President Barack Obama advocates for Harris as presidential candidate in the first episode of a new NBA-sponsored podcast, and tells young people not to get frustrated by the slow pace of political progress appealed directly. players. Read more → Follow live updates from the campaign trail →
That’s all from the political desk. If you have any feedback, love it or hate it, email us at politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com.
And if you’re a fan, please share it with everyone. You can sign up here.
