Wednesday, September 11, 2024
BY MATT BERG & CROOKED MEDIA
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Donald Trump managed to rattle even rank-and-file Republicans with his deranged, bogus conspiracy theory about Haitian migrants eating pets in Tuesday night’s debate.
- Can disgraced former President Trump ever push his die-hard supporters too far? For years, as he transgressed every moral and political norm up to the point of committing actual felonies, the answer has always been a resounding, “hell no!” And yet on Tuesday night, when the chips were down in the all-important debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump managed to make even some normie Republican voters deeply uncomfortable with his unhinged antics. As tensions rose on stage, Trump leaned into the microphone and bellowed an absolutely batshit, racist conspiracy theory, managing to sound like a boomer uncle after accidentally digging into his nephew’s stash of weed cookies at a family gathering: “They're eating the dogs, the people that came in, they're eating the cats,” Trump thundered. “They're eating the pets of the people that live there, and this is what's happening in our country, and it's a shame.”
- Many Americans had no clue what he was going on about. Trump was amplifying unsubstantiated reports about Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, eating people’s pets and ducks from the local pond, which have surged in the right-wing online echochamber with a series of bizarre memes. Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), Trump’s running mate, has been at the forefront of this racist misinformation campaign, even while admitting that it might be false.
- Trump’s outburst went down like a bucket of bricks with Republicans in a Fox News focus group. Those Republicans, along with Democrats and independents, all expressed disapproval of Trump's ravings about immigrants allegedly devouring pets. They weren’t the only ones on the right disappointed with Trump’s performance. Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) called the night a “missed opportunity” for Trump. Fox News’ Brit Hume deadpanned: “Make no mistake about it: Trump had a bad night.” Even MAGA billionaire Elon Musk admitted that Harris “exceeded most people’s expectations.”
- In keeping with the animal theme, GOP political strategist Karl Rove deployed his own barnyard metaphor to describe Trump’s defeat: “There’s no putting lipstick on this pig. Mr. Trump was crushed by a woman he previously dismissed as ‘dumb as a rock.’ Which raises the question: What does that make him?”
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Locals in Springfield, Ohio, have expressed baffled dismay over finding themselves at the center of this wackadoodle right-wing conspiracy theory.
- “I looked on the menu of three of four restaurants here today, man. I didn't see roasted Fluffy nowhere on it," a local man said during a Springfield city hall forum on Tuesday, calling the claims “bull cocky.” To be sure, the town has experienced some changes. About 15,000 Haitians have arrived in the city of 59,000 residents over the last four years under Temporary Protected Status. Haiti’s capital has been overrun by violent gangs in recent years, contributing to the uptick in immigration. Ohio has recently announced plans to provide more resources to cope with the influx. Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH) now plans to send troopers and millions of dollars in healthcare resources into the city.
- MAGA Republicans have also latched onto the death of an 11-year-old boy, who was killed by a Haitian immigrant in a car crash last year, to make their anti-immigration case. Even the boy’s father wants them to shut up. “I wish that my son, Aiden Clark, was killed by a 60-year-old white man … the incessant group of hate-spewing people would leave us alone,” Nathan Clark told the city hall forum. “The last thing that we need is to have the worst day of our lives violently and constantly shoved in our faces, but even that’s not good enough for them. They take it one step further. They make it seem that our wonderful Aiden appreciates your hate, that we should follow their hate.”
Tens of millions of Americans will vote for Trump anyway, of course, literally no matter what he says. But in an election this tight, a couple percentage points can make all the difference. It now remains to be seen whether Trump’s ludicrous behavior on Tuesday night will prompt that kind of change.
For more on the debate, check out today's episode of the What A Day podcast, right here: |
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Kamala Harris and Donald Trump put aside their differences on Wednesday to honor those who died on the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York City.
It’s the second time the two have ever crossed paths, after Tuesday night’s contentious debate filled with personal attacks and vitriol from both campaigns. There was no hint of animosity at the commemoration at the World Trade Center memorial in Lower Manhattan, however, and the two even shook hands again. President Biden and Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) were also in attendance.
Don’t expect the pleasantries to last long. On Thursday, Harris plans to hold rallies in North Carolina while Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN), her running mate, does the same in Michigan. They’re targeting swing-states, while Trump and Vance head to fundraisers in California and New York, respectively… not exactly states that they’re going to flip! But alarm bells are ringing in MAGA world about the Trump campaign’s cash reserves, so that could explain it. |
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Former Vox senior politics reporter and New York Times opinion contributor Jane Coaston, has joined Crooked Media as the new host of What A Day! What A Day is our daily news podcast that offers curated headlines, in-depth reporting, and analysis about the stories that matter most to the way you live, work and play. And they break it down in ways that aren’t too serious. Do yourself a favor and check out Jane & the crew every morning, Monday to Friday for a quick hit of the top news and stories that matter most to the way you live, work and play - in just 20 minutes. You can listen to the show wherever you get your podcasts, or search up What A Day on your nearest YouTube search bar for the new video version!
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President Joe Biden called for “full accountability” for the Israel Defense Forces’ killing of Turkish-American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi in the Israeli-occupied West Bank last week. “The shooting that led to her death is totally unacceptable,” Biden said in a Wednesday morning statement. “Israel must do more to ensure that incidents like this never happen again.” But Israel rarely punishes soldiers, and the White House is unlikely to add more pressure on Israel to act.
The U.S. is moving more aircraft and soldiers into West Africa in an effort to stop the spread of al Qaeda and Islamic State militants, the Wall Street Journal reports. That comes months after American forces were kicked out of Niger, causing the U.S. to lose some access and influence on the continent — as Russia and China also expand their footprints in Africa.
Pop star Justin Timberlake is scheduled to enter a new plea deal on Friday in his Hamptons drunk driving case, according to prosecutors. The plea details weren’t made public, but a person with knowledge of the deal told the Associated Press that the singer will “plead guilty to a less serious offense than the original charge of driving while intoxicated.” What’s that really catchy song he put out a few years ago? Lawsuit and tried? (I’m so sorry).
Former Sen. Kelly Ayotte will face former Manchester mayor Joyce Craig in a toss-up to be New Hampshire’s governor, succeeding Gov. Chris Sununu, the popular firebrand MAGA-apologist. “We won’t let them Mass up New Hampshire,” Ayotte told supporters on Tuesday, meaning she doesn’t want the Granite State to become a wealthy, education-focused, environmentally-conscious Democratic stronghold with a Dunkin Donuts around every corner. Yes, I am a proud Masshole. |
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Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Kamala Harris Tuesday night prompted over 306,000 people to visit Vote.gov using the link she shared, underscoring both her incredible political heft, and the very dubious wisdom of Trump’s decision to insult Swift moments later. Meanwhile: Stevie Nicks is also part of the K-Hive now. Start the door-knocking, Swifties!
Trump Media shares plummeted by 10 percent on Wednesday following the debate, showing that even people willing to bet actual money on Trump’s success thought he was an incoherent, rambling mess.
Delaware State Sen. Sarah McBride (D-DE) has a clear path to becoming the first openly transgender member of Congress after winning the Democratic primary in the race for a spot in the House of Representatives. It’s seen as a solid blue seat, and McBride won the primary with nearly 80 percent of the vote. This would be at least the third time she has made history as a transgender person in politics. The MAGA world will be fuming, and it’ll be incredible to watch.
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