BY MATT BERG
& CROOKED MEDIA

WEDNESDAY
OCTOBER 23, 2024

Order the chocolate donut and don't add anything else.” 

— Tim Walz’s [advice to JD Vance]([link removed]) on how to act normal at a donut shop.

DICTATOR CURIOUS

Kamala Harris is closing her campaign with what some call her strongest message: Emphasizing that a ton of high-profile Republicans absolutely loathe Donald Trump, including a lot of his own former top aides. 

- Vice President Kamala Harris is doing everything she can to make sure the American people know that a hell of a lot of conservatives also think former President Donald Trump is batshit crazy. She got a batch of fresh material to work with yesterday, after Trump’s former chief of staff, John Kelly, told The Atlantic that his former boss wanted “the kind of generals Hitler had.” Kelly also told the New York Times — [with recorded audio]([link removed]) — that Trump met the definition of a fascist, has no understanding of the Constitution or rule of law, and will become a dictator if he’s allowed. 

- Today, Harris seized on those comments: “In a second term, people like John Kelly would not be there to be the guard rails against his propensities and his actions,” Harris said at Washington D.C.’s Naval Observatory. “Those who once tried to stop him from pursuing his worst impulses would no longer be there and no longer be there to rein him in.” 

- Kelly’s on-the-record warning might just help some Republican voters resolve to abandon Trump, according to Jeff Flake, the former Republican Arizona senator who recently endorsed Harris. “I think it makes a difference,” Flake told What a Day in a phone call this afternoon. “There are very few undecideds out there, but I think a legitimate group of undecideds are Republicans who have never cottoned to the former president — but they have a hard time given what people are told these days that you can't be a conservative unless you vote for the Republican slate as it is.” It helps when Trump-skeptical conservatives see former Rep. Liz Cheney and others come out and campaign with Harris, he added.

Flake isn’t the only one making this point. Harris’ most persuasive closing argument is pointing out that many of Trump’s own former cabinet members and other high-ranking Republicans refuse to back him, [according to one group]([link removed]) that tested different messages. 

- The poll found that emphasizing support from Republicans and conservatives was even more effective than focusing on the threat Trump poses to reproductive rights, which has long been seen as one of the Democrats’ most powerful messages. Harris, apparently, got the memo, and has begun campaigning hard in swing states with a flock of conservatives. During a CNN town hall tonight, Harris is expected to [capitalize on Kelly’s comments]([link removed]) even further.

- Some on the right don’t buy this idea, though. Trump has thrived on turning controversy into media dominance, and Kelly’s comments may simply [play into that strategy,]([link removed]) according to Kurt Volker, Trump’s former top Ukraine official (who had a [rocky split from the administration]([link removed]) and played a prominent role in Trump’s first impeachment). “It definitely helps him,” Volker told What A Day. “If you think about what's happening in this late phase in the election cycle, all the news is about Trump. It's either his rallies, his campaigns, his messaging, or it's Kamala and the Democratic campaign also talking about him — and in a negative way, but talking about him. So it’s all about Trump, and this benefits him.”

- Many Republicans, including Trump’s former top military officials, are also worried about the former president’s cozy relationship with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and how he would represent the U.S. on the world stage. “One of the political parties in this country is a pro-Russia party. That's the case for my opponent. It's the case for the people my opponent associates with,” Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), who’s locked in a contentious race that could decide how the Senate swings, told [Pod Save America]([link removed]) today. “Democrats don't go to bed with dictators.”

Anti-MAGA conservatives don’t suddenly agree with Democrats on policy — they just want to restore their party to normalcy before Donald Trump radicalized the far-right.
 
 

DENY ME A RIVER

Election denialism is apparently mainstream in the Republican Party now. Great news for democracy! How wonderful to live in such normal times! 
 
Almost half of all GOP candidates running for Congress or top state offices have expressed doubt about the integrity of the 2024 election on social media, the [Washington Post]([link removed]) found. Republicans are actively undermining the election results before the votes are even in, laying the groundwork for a contentious post-election season.
 
No surprise here, the five candidates who have spewed disinfo from their fingertips include former TV anchor Kari Lake, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX). It’s not a winning message: Americans [widely trust]([link removed]) local and state officials to conduct a fair election — more so than they did in 2020. 
 
What’s more, Donald Trump is in talks with the lawyer who helped him try to overturn the last election, the [New York Times]([link removed]) reports. The lawyer, Kurt Olsen, is giving Trump advice about how to sow distrust before November 5, telling him to make legal demands related to voting machines in swing states, one person familiar with the conversations told the Times. Buckle up, this probably isn’t going to be pretty!
 

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WHAT ELSE?

North Korea has sent troops to Russia, [Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed today.]([link removed]) South Korean officials have said that the Hermit Kingdom’s forces are helping Russia with its war against Ukraine by training on drones and other equipment being used on the battlefield.
 
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Israel has improved humanitarian aid deliveries into the Gaza Strip, but “more progress needs to be made, and most critically, it needs to be sustained,” [during his trip to Tel Aviv today]([link removed]). The Biden administration warned Israel that it must improve aid deliveries or risk a cut in U.S. arms sales, [following reports]([link removed]) that Israel is trying to starve out northern Gaza.
 
The Justice Department warned billionaire conspiracy theorist Elon Musk’s pro-Trump super PAC that his [$1 million giveaway scheme]([link removed]) may violate federal law, [according to CNN]([link removed]). 
 
Chris LaCivita, Donald Trump’s bombastic campaign manager, [shared tweets]([link removed]) after the Jan. 6 Capitol riots that blamed Trump for fueling an “insurrection.” In classic X fashion, LaCivita defended his actions by saying that “retweets and likes are not endorsements.” Don’t insult our intelligence, Chris, we’ve been on Twitter far too long! 
 
The majority of living American recipients of the Nobel Prize for economics [signed a letter]([link removed]) calling Kamala Harris’s economic plan for the country “vastly superior” to Trump’s. You don’t have to have won the Nobel Prize for economics to know that, but we appreciate the confirmation all the same!  

Ronna McDaniel, the ousted chair of the Republican National Committee, warned Republicans that they aren’t doing enough to win over Gen Z voters, who lean Democratic, she [wrote in an op-ed]([link removed]) in The Hill.

LOOK NO FURTHER THAN CROOKED MEDIA

With a pivotal election approaching, the battle between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris isn’t just a U.S. issue; it’s a turning point for global politics. In a special weekly series, Ben Rhodes breaks down how the foreign policy stakes shift dramatically depending on who wins. If you want to learn about [the stakes for global democracy]([link removed]), [the impacts on the potential presidencies for Ukraine & Russia]([link removed]), or [Israel/Gaza, and the Middle East]([link removed]), make sure to check out the series every Saturday until November 5th in your Pod Save The World feed or on [YouTube]([link removed])!
 
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LIGHT AT THE END
OF THE EMAIL

The beloved Goldfish snack is [changing its name]([link removed]) to “Chilean Sea Bass” in a bid to win over adult eaters, who haven’t been snacking as much since the peak of the pandemic. Sure, what the hell. There were so many other good names to choose from though: Sarcastic Fringehead, Bumphead Parrotfish, Tasselled Wobbegong. The options are endless.

Insane Clown Posse‘s frontman Violent J [endorsed Kamala Harris]([link removed]) because his mom wants her to win. We bow down to the ultimate Juggolo Mom for your service. 

Mount Everest is [getting taller and taller]([link removed]), rising 50 to 165 feet over the past millennia because the earth’s crust is rebounding. I didn’t know that was possible, and this is more interesting than good news. But I found that it distracted me from the daily chaos, so I hope you enjoy learning about this wild world we inhabit.

Researchers have discovered “the largest and most comprehensive urban plans of any medieval city” in Central Asia, [unveiled in research]([link removed]) published today, complicating what historians thought they knew about the Silk Road trade routes. Again, this world is so damn cool.
 
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YOU SURVIVED

SEE YOU THURSDAY

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