| THAT “POST-CONVENTION POLL BUMP” LYFE: Hillary Clinton pulled ahead of Donald Trump by 7 points in a new CBS News poll conducted after the Democratic National Convention. Clinton has 46 percent support among voters nationwide, while Trump has 39 percent support. https://bit.ly/2alKcD6
Happy Monday. We are officially in the double-digits of the campaign countdown — the election is 99 days away! Nervous laugh. I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of what you missed this morning and what’s on tap for the rest of the day. Send comments, story ideas and upcoming events to cmartel@thehill.com, @CateMartel and on Facebook.
STORY OF THE WEEKEND — SLOWLY BACKING UP WHILE CONTINUING TO MAKE EYE CONTACT: Donald Trump started a firestorm after he criticizedKhizr and Ghazala Khan, whose son was killed while serving in Iraq. The Khans have said they are private people but have felt compelled to call out Trump, making the rounds on TV. https://bit.ly/2aLru8o
If you’ve been out on the news this weekend, here’s a quick video to catch you up: https://wapo.st/2aLaVcE
TRUMP UPDATE: Trump this morning said the country needed to focus on radical Islamic terrorism. “Mr. Khan, who does not know me, viciously attacked me from the stage of the DNC and is now all over T.V. doing the same — Nice!” Trump tweeted Monday. “This story is not about Mr. Khan, who is all over the place doing interviews, but rather RADICAL ISLAMIC TERRORISM and the U.S. Get smart!”https://bit.ly/2amc4XA
— Republican vice presidential nominee Mike Pence on Sunday night defended his running mate, while trying to move beyond the controversy, blaming President Obama and Hillary Clinton for the “disastrous decisions” that led to the death of Capt. Humayun Khan in Iraq. https://bit.ly/2au4xFz
REACTIONS — especially note the Republican responses (!):
— Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), without mentioning Trump by name (!): “Many Muslim Americans have served valiantly in our military … Captain Khan was one such brave example. His sacrifice–and that of Khizr and Ghazala Khan–should always be honored. Period.” https://bit.ly/2ac3Nsc
Tweet from Darth: “missing from this statement to be honest”: https://bit.ly/2aoQyQ0
— Hillary Clinton: “Mr. Khan paid the ultimate sacrifice in his family, didn’t he? And what has he heard from Donald Trump? Nothing but insults and degrading comments about Muslims…” https://politi.co/2aLHCa0
— Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.): “I cannot emphasize enough how deeply I disagree with Mr. Trump’s statement. I hope Americans understand that the remarks do not represent the views of our Republican Party, its officers, or candidates.” Full statement: https://bit.ly/2aCP8o6
— MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” anchor Mika Brzezinski: “Melania Trump doesn’t speak often. She is often very quiet next to her husband. I think she is great … I would never criticize that.” https://bit.ly/2aJd7UW
— Jeb Bush: “This is so incredibly disrespectful of a family that endured the ultimate sacrifice for our country.” https://bit.ly/2arYVhx
— Gov. Scott Walker (R-Wis.) is wearing a black wristband to remind himself of the young American men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. “I would never, I don’t care what they say, you’ll never hear me question anything about a Gold Star family.” https://bit.ly/2aJgrQd
— HBO’s John Oliver: He’s “a damaged, sociopathic narcissist.” Ouch. Full clip: https://bit.ly/2aoVwfE
AND JUST IN CASE THE KHAN STORY WASN’T ENOUGH FOR THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN: The other major story in Trumpland is Donald Trump’s attempt to correct his recent comments on Ukraine. Trump had claimed that Russia would not intervene in Ukraine. Clarification: Following pushback from Team Clinton, Trump said he was referring to a future in which he were president. “I am saying if I am President. Already in Crimea!” he tweeted, acknowledging that Russia has already seized Ukrainian territory. https://bit.ly/2ap0xoh
ZIKA UPDATE – 10 NEW CASES IN FLORIDA: A total of 14 people in Florida have contracted the Zika virus locally – and Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) is asking the federal government for emergency help to fight the virus. https://bit.ly/2asmWVB
ANYONE HAVE A 10-FOOT POLE WE COULD BORROW…?: Via The Hill’s Reid Wilson, Republicans are growing much more optimistic about their chances of saving their Senate majority. Difference in strategy: Democrats hope to nationalize elections by tying Trump to every Republican running for office. Republicans hope to localize races by focusing on issues specific to their constituents. Here’s what we’re looking at in each of the battleground states: https://bit.ly/2aLdEmD
BEHIND-THE-SCENES OF THE WHITE HOUSE: The White House released a special tour of the West Wing with receptionist Leah Katz-Hernandez. https://bit.ly/2afwqQs
IN INTERNATIONAL NEWS: A Russian helicopter was shot down in Syria on Monday, killing all five people on board. Context: It is the deadliest incident since Russia’s intervention in Syria began last summer. https://bit.ly/2atSWpe
THIS WILL MAKE YOU DO A DOUBLE-TAKE: Via The Hill’s David McCabe, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has ordered a ban on sex offenders playing Pokemon Go and similar augmented reality games. Why: Authorities need to “ensure these advances don’t become new avenues for dangerous predators to prey on new victims.” https://bit.ly/2afYQKs |
