Thursday, August 24, 2023

8/24 WAKE-UP CALL: It Was The No Don Debate


The large field of GOP presidential hopefuls gave Donald Trump what he wanted in their first debate: two hours of infighting and bickering and only brief criticism of the absent front-runner. The two-hour debate was the first opportunity for those challenging Trump to make an impression on the nation and, more specifically, Republican primary voters. Trump holds a huge polling lead and skipped the debate for an alternative interview with host Tucker Carlson on X. The also-rans had to decide how to treat what moderator Bret Baier of Fox described as the “elephant not in the room”—whether to embrace him or hammer him.


For his part, Trump largely ignored his challengers in the interview, focusing his criticism on President Biden and his record as if he were already engaged in the general election. At the debate, Trump was barely mentioned in the first hour. And when he finally came up, his hold over his opponents was clear: Asked if they would support Trump even if he is convicted in any of the four criminal probes he faces, only two debaters, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, signaled that they wouldn’t. 

RAMASWAMY IN SPOTLIGHT: Ramaswamy emerged as Trump’s most vocal defender. Vivek Ramaswamy, the wealthy biotech company founder, heralded Trump as “the best president of the 21st century” and positioned himself as Trump’s heir as a truth-speaking nonpolitician. Throughout the event, he was the former president’s most vocal defender, and attracted criticism from many of the others, a sign of Ramaswamy’s recent rise in many polls. He often gave as good as he got, sparring at various times with Christie, Pence and Haley.  “For a long time, we have professional politicians in the Republican Party who have been running from something,” he said. “Now is our moment to start running to something.”

➤CLIMATE CHANGE: At last night’s Republican presidential debate, only one candidate acknowledged that humans play a role in climate change, despite the scientific consensus on the issue. Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy declared that climate change is a hoax. Candidate Ron DeSantis avoided the question on climate change and instead criticized President Joe Biden’s response to the wildfires on Maui. Candidate Nikki Haley acknowledged the existence of climate change but blamed it on China and India.

➤DEBATE REAX: With former President Donald Trump skipping Wednesday night’s Republican presidential debate, the eight candidates who took the stage had a chance to shine and make up a 40-point polling gap on the 77-year-old front-runner. Unfortunately for them, experts consulted by The Post agreed, nobody did enough in Milwaukee to change the dynamics of the race. “All of the candidates were looking for a breakout moment and didn’t get it,” said former Westchester County Executive and Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob Astorino. “Donald Trump wasn’t there,” he added. “That’s like watching the Kansas City Chiefs without Patrick Mahomes. The star wasn’t there.” The candidate who came into the night with the highest expectations was Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is polling a solid — if distant — second behind Trump in most national surveys. “DeSantis hit fly balls short of the fence,” Astorino said of the former college baseball player. “He was trying to hit home runs. I don’t think he had a great performance. He wasn’t attacked a lot. He’s still a viable candidate.”

Daily Mail Composite (8/24/23)

ESTIMATED 87M WATCHED: Moderators hosting Republican candidates on Fox News Thursday night had a buzzer to cut off meandering answers. Donald Trump interviewer Tucker Carlson did not. That, along with other factors, led to a wide-ranging 46-minute interview with the former president where he called critics 'savages,' spoke openly about the potential death of of the 80-year old president, then riffed at length about low-flow shower heads and electric cars. The pre-recorded sit-down got 87 million views and counting Wednesday night, a number the Fox debate filled with bickering by his rivals was almost certainly unlikely to match. Among the hot topics the former Fox host threw Trump's way was a question about whether the nation was headed for 'civil war.'

Trump On Biden: 'I think he's worse mentally than he is physically and physically. He's not exactly a triathlete, or any kind of athlete,' Trump mused. 'You look at him who can't walk through the helicopter he walks he can't lift his feet out of the grass, you know, it's only two inches at the White House. 'You watch him and it looks like he's walking on toothpicks,' the former president went on. 'And then you see him in the beach where he can't lift a chair. You know, those chairs are meant to be light, right? Like two ounces.' Trump then said he didn't understand the strategy behind sending Biden to the beach.

➤PUTIN RIVAL PRESUMED DEAD: Putin rival Prigozhin listed as passenger in deadly plane crash. Wagner’s chief, who led a failed mutiny against the Kremlin, was killed after the plane he was aboard crashed. Social-media channels close to the paramilitary group said Russian air defenses shot down Yevgeny Prigozhin’s jet northwest of Moscow. Published images of debris appeared to have damage consistent with such missiles. Russian aviation regulators cited by state media didn’t provide an explanation, while some lawmakers said a bomb on board could have caused the crash. The government said it is investigating. Deliberately downing the plane would be a very public execution of the man who presented the most serious threat to Russian President Vladimir Putin in his 23 years in power.



HE BETTER BE ALIVE: Wagner mercenaries have threatened to march on the Russian capital if their former leader Yevgeny Prigozhin has been killed after a plane which named him on the passenger list crashed in a field to the north of Moscow. Russian officials also claimed Prigozhin was on an ill-fated plane which crashed in a field north of Moscow , killing all ten onboard, two months after his failed coup attempt against Putin's regime.

➤RUDY GIUILIANI SURRENDERS AT FULTON COUNTY JAIL: Rudy Giuliani, former lawyer for Donald Trump and once known as “America’s mayor,” turned himself in at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta to be booked yesterday. He is one of 19 defendants, including the former president, who are charged with racketeering and other crimes related to efforts to interfere with the Georgia results of the 2020 presidential election. His bond was set at $150,000.

➣CAL BIKER BAR SHOOTING KILLS 5:  A shooting at a popular biker bar in Orange County, California Wednesday left four people dead and five others wounded, according to authorities and reports. The suspect was among the dead, shot by deputies who responded to the carnage at Cook’s Corner, a Lake Forest restaurant on Santiago Canyon Road in Trabuco Canyon, according to KCAL News. The mayhem began as a domestic dispute between a retired law enforcement officer and his wife, sources told the news outlet. Gunfire then erupted and nine people were shot, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said. Four were declared dead on scene. Six people, including five with gunshot wounds, were hospitalized, authorities said.

➤NJ SHORE TOWNS IMPOSE CURFEWS: A wave of curfews has hit shore towns in New Jersey this summer after local business owners and residents complained about teenagers’ unruly behavior. The kids want to hang out with their friends after years of isolation during the pandemic, while adults want families to feel safe. Rules about how late minors can be out aren't limited to the Jersey Shore; cities such as Atlanta and Baltimore have instituted strict curfews to battle increased youth violence since Covid-19, too. In other shoreline news, a man-made lake in Alabama is giving the Gulf Coast a run for its money.

⚾MLB: YANKEES 9 NATIONALS 1: Aaron Judge produced his first career three-homer game as the host New York Yankees cruised to a 9-1 victory over the Washington Nationals and snapped their first nine-game losing streak since 1982 on Wednesday night. The Yankees won for the first time since Aug. 11 against the host Miami Marlins and avoided their first 10-game skid since 1913. New York also got the win after general manager Brian Cashman labeled the season "a disaster" in a lengthy pregame press conference. 

In the first, Judge capped an eight-pitch at-bat by hitting a 2-2 curveball from MacKenzie Gore (6-10) over the wall in center field. Judge's 431-foot blast marked New York's first lead in 61 innings. It had last led in the second inning of its 11-3 loss to Atlanta on Aug. 14. According to OptaSTATS, it was the third-longest streak without a lead in team history and two innings shy of the team record set in August 1906.Judge gave the Yankees a 6-0 lead in the second when he his fifth career grand slam. In the seventh while facing Jose A. Ferrer, Judge hit another solo shot to become the 25th player in team history to record three homers in a game.

DJ LeMahieu also homered before Judge's third homer for the Yankees, who are 13-27 since getting to 10 games over .500 on July 4.

⚾MLB RED SOX 7 ASTROS 5:  Adam Duvall homered for the third time in as many games, clubbing a three-run home run in the 10th inning that lifted the visiting Boston Red Sox to a 7-5 win over the Houston Astros on Wednesday. Duvall drilled a 2-2 sinker from Astros reliever Kendall Graveman (3-6) into the left field seats immediately after fouling a pitch off his lower leg that resulted in an extended delay. He drove home Rafael Devers and Triston Casas and snapped a 4-4 tie with his 14th homer.

⚾MLB SCORES:  

  • Giants 8 Phillies 6
  • Rays 6 Rockies 5
  • Cardinals 6 Pirates 4
  • Cubs 6 Tigers 4
  • White Sox 5 Mariners 4
  • Brewers 8 Twins 7
  • Royals 4 Athletics 0
  • Reds 9 Angels 4
  • Reds 7 Angels 3
  • Padres 4 Marlins 0
  • Orioles 7 Blue Jays 0
  • Braves 7 Mets 0
  • Dodgers At Guardians Play Suspended

⚾LLWS WILLIAMSPORT, PA:

  • Chinese Taipei 9, Curaçao 1
  • Texas 1, Washington 0
  • Mexico 2, Japan 0
  • California 5, Tennessee 3

🏈SAM DARNOLD NAMED 49ERS’ QB2: The San Francisco 49ers have picked Sam Darnold as their Number 2 quarterback behind Brock Purdy. That must be a disappointment for Trey Lance, who was the number 3 pick in the 2021 NFL draft. Coach Kyle Shanahan told KNBR radio in San Francisco that he hopes Lance will stay with the team even as number three.

🏈JETS’ DAVIS IS ‘STEPPING AWAY’: He didn’t say he’s retiring, but New York Jets wide receiver Corey Davis announced yesterday on Instagram that he’s “stepping away” from football. Davis

🌞THE LONG HOT SUMMER: A number of American cities are expected to experience their hottest summer on record this year, based on current data and the forecast to the end of this month. The Weather Channel says it expects records to be set in Pensacola, Sarasota and Key West, Florida; Mobile, Alabama; Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Del Rio, El Paso, San Antonio and Victoria, Texas; Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Louisiana, and Roswell, New Mexico. The Weather Service’s excessive heat warning covered more than 100 million people in 19 states yesterday. Temperatures topping 100 degrees are expected today in Chicago, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Kansas City, Oklahoma City, and Des Moines.



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