| | | | Speech fallout: Trump bleeding Latino supporters | | In the hours after Donald Trump laid out his vision for an America intolerable for undocumented immigrants, several members of his National Hispanic Advisory Council quit and other leading Latino surrogates withdrew their support. "The speech was just an utter disappointment," Jacob Monty, a Houston-based attorney and advisory council member, told The Washington Post. Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles President Alfonso Aguilar, a Trump surrogate, told CNN's Carol Costello: "I just think he's embraced (Alabama Sen.) Jeff Sessions and people like Ann Coulter and forgotten about building a coalition to win this election. I'm so sorry, but I just can't be part of that."
Trouble with Trump: Bettina Inclán, the former Republican National Committee Hispanic outreach director, wrote for REFINERY29 a sharp criticism of Trump's Wednesday -- a "presidential" Mexico City trip followed by the "whiplash" of his hard-line immigration speech: "Trump leaves people like me, a Latina Republican, who want to expand the GOP base and win national elections, with little to work with. I'm left with more questions than answers, scratching my head as I try to imagine what went on inside his campaign when they wrote this speech."
The grim reality inside Trump Tower: Politico's Alex Isenstadt looks at the GOP's failure to stand up a national campaign infrastructure with a story that begins like this: "The plan to get to 270 electoral votes remains unclear. The battleground state deployment plan is a work-in-progress. Money from big donors is slowing to a trickle. And aides are confused about who's calling the shots."
What this feels like: The beginning of an RNC vs. Trump campaign blame game. | | | Your laugh of the day comes courtesy of the Center for Public Integrity's Carrie Levine, who looks at the Federal Election Commission's efforts to stop people from filing fake campaign forms. The FEC is getting existential, moving toward kicking "God" and "Satan" off the ballot. "Darth Vader," too. And there's something for Katniss Everdeen and Alexander Hamilton fans in there. Levine's story prompted this tongue-in-cheek tweet from Ellen Weintraub, an FEC commissioner. | | Clinton schedules to be released before election | | Breaking this evening: The State Department will provide Hillary Clinton's schedules of her meetings as secretary of state before election day, per The Associated Press' Stephen Braun. They're slated to come by mid-October.
This means more focus on the two issues Clinton can't escape: Her private email server use and the Clinton Foundation. Politico's Ken Vogel reported today that Bill Clinton used taxpayer dollars to subsidize the foundation -- a private business -- and the family's private server.
Another foundation-related hit: Clinton Foundation executive Doug Band unsuccessfully sought a diplomatic passport for himself through Clinton State Department staffer Huma Abedin, emails released by Judicial Watch show. A Bill Clinton spokesman said it turned out they didn't need those passports after all for a diplomatic mission to free two American journalists being held in North Korea.
Vice President Joe Biden weighed in on the Clinton Foundation, telling NBC's Kasie Hunt today in Ohio: "Look, I think the Clinton Foundation, like all foundations, have found themselves in a position where things are changing, and I think she's gonna change and adjust to the realities of how complicated it's all become." | | | Vice President Joe Biden was at his Biden-est on the campaign trail today. Some of the GIFs from CNN's Brenna Williams: | | Clinton's August fundraising haul: $143 million | | | From CNN's Dan Merica: Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign raised $143 million in August for her campaign, the Democratic National Committee and state parties, a haul that makes the month the best of her campaign. With its massive August haul, the Clinton campaign starts September with more than $68 million in the bank, while her joint fundraising accounts have a combined $84 million in the bank. | | Melania Trump sues the Daily Mail for libel | | | Melania Trump has filed a $150 million lawsuit against the Daily Mail and Tarpley, a US-based blog, claiming the two outlets made false and defamatory statements about her involvement in an escort service, CNN's Dylan Byers reports. "These defendants made several statements about Mrs. Trump that are 100% false and tremendously damaging to her personal and professional reputation," Charles Harder, a lawyer for Melania Trump -- Donald Trump's wife -- said in a statement. The suit was filed in state court in Montgomery County, Maryland. The Daily Mail issued a retraction for its story this evening. | | Hillary Clinton running mate Tim Kaine will give what the campaign is billing as a major national security speech Tuesday. ... Liberal mega-donor Tom Steyer is making a play for millennials, investing in a North Carolina voter turnout effort. ... Donald Trump paid a $2,500 Internal Revenue Service fine after illegally contributing $25,000 to Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi's campaign through his namesake foundation.
Programming note: We're taking Sunday off but will be back with another Nightcap on Monday. Enjoy your Labor Day weekend! | | | Get the Nightcap, a comprehensive summary of the most important political news, delivered to your inbox daily. | | | | | |
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