Mediaboss Marketing

Former President Donald Trump's teleprompter apparently broke down at a Las Vegas rally on Sunday, giving the former president free rein to meander into a debate over whether it would be worse to electrocuted or bit by a shark, a rant apparently meant as an indictment of electric vehicles.

I say, what would happen if the boat sank from its weight, and you have this tremendously powerful battery, and the battery is now underwater and theres a shark thats approximately 10 yards over there, Trump said. After referencing shark attacks that injured three people in Alabama, including two teenagers, he concluded that he personally would "take electrocution every single time. Im not getting near the shark."

Although the shark attacks added new flavor, Trump's story about the supposed dangers of battery-powered boats is recycled from a speech in Iowa last year. Both there and in Las Vegas, Trump used the prospect of sinking in an electric boat to attack President Joe Biden.

"He wants to have all electric cars, everything has to be electric, and by 2030 ... that's in six years from now, and you know what, electric cars are fine, they have a problem, they don't go far, they cost a lot to buy, and they're made in China, other than that I think they're wonderful, right?" he said, contradicting U.S. carmakers who say that government support is precisely what they need to remain in a competitive global market (under the Biden administration, electric cars with major Chinese components are ineligible for tax credits).

It also turns out that people have been on boats that use electricity for a very long time. In the 21st century, nearly all boats that are not powered by oar have some electric component to them, whether to operate the main engine, lights system, radio, or motor, and the makers of those boats have considered Trump's grisly scenario and used safety standards before he ever raised the subject.

Electric-powered boats do not pose a unique threat of electrocution, but if they did, Trump is betting that electrocution might be a quicker way out than death by shark bite. Stormy Daniels, the adult-film actress at the center of his hush money conviction, once recalled his fear and hatred of the seaborne predators. Terrified of sharks," she said. "He was like, I donate to all these charities and I would never donate to any charity that helps sharks. I hope all the sharks die.

Read more:
Trump rants about sharks and death by electrocution after his teleprompter goes out in Las Vegas - Salon

astead herndon

What do you mean by that? What did you because what were you intending to communicate?

So I believe, going back to that conversation and what I can remember from it, I believe I was asked, would you vote for Trump, and then would you vote for him if he was convicted? And I said, I dont want to vote for him, but I also dont want to vote for Joe Biden. And then, even if he was convicted, I still wouldnt want to vote for him. But given the choice between the two, thats who I would vote for.

Mm-hmm, so thats how you felt back in October?

Yeah.

Has anything changed for you in the months following?

No, not really. I still dont want to vote for either of those people. But given our phenomenal system, those are the choices that Im given. So between the two of them, yeah, I guess Id have to go for the criminal.

Mm-hmm. A lot of people are in this position of not really liking both of their options. What leads you to Trump in that scenario over Biden?

A couple of things. Number one, under Donald Trump, I had affordable rent, I had affordable cost of living. Under Joe Biden, my cost of living, Im looking at housing, Im looking at inflation. Im looking at these major factors. Im looking at not only those, Im looking at the events happening in Israel and Palestine. And Im seeing the way that were handling those situations.

Do I believe that the Palestine thing would change much with Donald Trump? No, I dont. If anything, I believe it would probably be worse. But looking back at inflation, cost of living, housing, that type of stuff, I have major problems with those. And I believe that Donald Trump, his main goal is to handle that.

So youre saying your decision to go back to Trump over Biden is based in the belief that you were better off economically in those years versus how you feel now?

Yeah.

What did you think of the recent conviction of Trump?

Im not surprised. Im not a big fan of Donald Trumps moral character, I would say, without having personally met the man. I can say what Ive inferred from him. I sincerely doubt his moral character. So if someone came up and saying he had 34 charges of criminal misconduct, I would, in no way, be surprised.

Why, then, is a lack of moral character or even the reality now of a criminal conviction, why is that not disqualifying for you?

Because Im looking at my alternatives. And I see what the alternative has done in the last four years. I believe that thats worse.

Yeah, Im saying, I mean, if its purely about economics or kind of what the reality was while they were in office, where does moral character factor in to you? Does it factor in to you?

Ooh, OK. There we go. If I had the choice between candidates with good moral character that would lead our country into a more prosperous time, that would be my candidate, right? Thats who Im looking for the most. If you were to rank the importance of those two issues, moral character or economic prosperity, I would probably have to go economic prosperity because right now I work too damn hard for too little to be concerned with the exact moral character of the individual that got us there.

Can I ask how you voted in 2020 and in 2016?

I did not.

You did not vote in 2020?

I did not.

Did you vote in 2016?

I did not.

Will you vote this time?

I absolutely will be.

Im curious, what makes you motivated to vote this time that didnt motivate you before?

I suppose I was four and eight years younger, and the situation at hand didnt affect me or affected me less, right? As a 22-year-old, I was far less concerned with my economic well-being. Now, that matters to me a lot more. As Im getting into house purchasing age, as Im getting into needing to deal with all of the repercussions of these decisions myself, now Im much more interested in voting and making sure that I have some type of say in what were going to accomplish in the next four years.

Well, thank you, Dakota.

Yeah, absolutely. No worries.

Have a great day.

You as well. Bye. [MUSIC PLAYING]

Hi, my name is Astead Herndon. Im a reporter with The New York Times. I was looking for Walter Bear.

Yes, how can I help you?

Thank you. I appreciate it. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself, Walter? What part of the country youre in, how old you are, what you do for work, things like that.

Im retired, live in Las Vegas.

Retired and live in Las Vegas, awesome. What did you do before you retired?

Oh, I was in real estate.

Are you someone whos considered themselves a Democrat, Republican, independent? Any political label?

Im not a Democrat. Im not a Republican. I only vote for who I believe is going to do the job. I dont care who you represent. If youre going to do the job and represent the people, then Im for you.

Well, let me ask specifically about the last couple of elections. Did you vote in 2020 for the presidential race?

Yes, I always vote.

Mm-hmm. Do you mind telling me who you voted for in 2016 and 2020?

I voted for Obama.

Well, Im asking in 2016, when it was between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, whatd you do?

Oh, I voted for Donald Trump. I did not vote for Hillary.

And what do you do when it was Donald Trump versus Joe Biden four years ago?

I vote for Donald Trump. I didnt vote for Joe Biden.

Well, since you voted for Trump in 2020, Im wondering what has soured you on him a little bit four years later.

Well, it really hasnt soured on that. I dont like some of the things hed been involved in. But then again, it just could be politics, you know?

Anything specifically?

Well, his court cases, you know? But then, the court cases are personal, really.

I was going to ask specifically about that. I think you told The New York Times polling last fall that you would think about voting for Trump, but you might change if he was convicted. What were you thinking at that time, and what changed?

Well, I really wanted to see what was really taking place, to see if he was really guilty of what he had been accused of.

And in this case, you have 34 guilty counts now on falsifying business records. For you, what was your reaction to that verdict?

The falsification that is taking place

I dont know. I really have mixed emotions about it, really.

Well, take me through that. What are your mixed emotions?

Well, is he really guilty? I mean, is this a plan of attack against him? And so I dont really like the way theyre really slamming him, you know? And I guess I really havent kept on top of it like I should have. And sometimes, when you hear the news, its not exactly the way it really should be.

So youre saying that when you mentioned it last time, you were open to seeing what type of evidence emerged, but theres something about this one that doesnt seem to have fully convinced you.

Well, that I havent really been following it.

But you havent really been following this one?

No, I really havent been keeping up with it like I should have. Ive been involved in a lot of other things, you know? Your personal life sometimes comes before everything else. This is politics, and politics is going to be what politics is, and you cant stop it.

I totally understand that, especially since you guys still got some months before the presidential race. Do you think youll catch up on the news? Do you think that the verdict will matter in terms of how you eventually land?

Im still in favor of Donald Trump, really. Something about Donald, I just sometime I think he really represents the stand for the truth of the people. Most politician are known for lying. All they do is all they are is paid liars. They just sit up there and lie. They say one thing and do a complete opposite.

Thank you so much. I really appreciate your time.

All right. You have a wonderful day.

Yes, you too. Bye.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Read more:
Trump's Guilty. Does Anyone Care? - The New York Times

Former President Donald Trump is scheduled for a pre-sentencing interview with a probation officer Monday after his hush money trial conviction last month, according to a Trump campaign official and two sources familiar with the matter.The interview will be virtual and, as CNN previously reported, Trump attorney Todd Blanche will be present. Typically, a convicted defendant meets with a probation officer without an attorney.Mondays routine pre-sentencing interview, which was first reported by NBC News, will form part of the report the probation department will submit to Judge Juan Merchan to help decide Trumps punishment ahead of his sentencing, set for July 11.Last month, a Manhattan jury found Trump the presumptive GOP presidential nominee guilty of all 34 charges in his hush money trial, making him the first former president to be convicted of a felony.Trump does not have to cooperate with the routine pre-sentencing investigation, but a judge can take a negative inference from a defendants lack of cooperation with the process.In the pre-sentencing interview, a defendant is typically asked about their conviction and other basic background information such as their employment and criminal history.As part of the process, Trumps legal team can submit letters of support from his friends and family to Merchan. The former presidents team is scheduled to submit its sentencing recommendation Thursday, according to a source familiar with the plan.President Trump and his legal team are already taking necessary steps to challenge and defeat the lawless Manhattan DA case, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement Saturday.The Manhattan District Attorneys Office will also submit a memo telling the judge what sentence it sees fit for Trump.Merchan could sentence Trump to probation or up to four years in state prison on each count, with a maximum of 20 years.Prosecutors have never sought to remand Trump into custody, so the former president is free as he awaits sentencing.

Former President Donald Trump is scheduled for a pre-sentencing interview with a probation officer Monday after his hush money trial conviction last month, according to a Trump campaign official and two sources familiar with the matter.

The interview will be virtual and, as CNN previously reported, Trump attorney Todd Blanche will be present. Typically, a convicted defendant meets with a probation officer without an attorney.

Mondays routine pre-sentencing interview, which was first reported by NBC News, will form part of the report the probation department will submit to Judge Juan Merchan to help decide Trumps punishment ahead of his sentencing, set for July 11.

Last month, a Manhattan jury found Trump the presumptive GOP presidential nominee guilty of all 34 charges in his hush money trial, making him the first former president to be convicted of a felony.

Trump does not have to cooperate with the routine pre-sentencing investigation, but a judge can take a negative inference from a defendants lack of cooperation with the process.

In the pre-sentencing interview, a defendant is typically asked about their conviction and other basic background information such as their employment and criminal history.

As part of the process, Trumps legal team can submit letters of support from his friends and family to Merchan. The former presidents team is scheduled to submit its sentencing recommendation Thursday, according to a source familiar with the plan.

President Trump and his legal team are already taking necessary steps to challenge and defeat the lawless Manhattan DA case, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement Saturday.

The Manhattan District Attorneys Office will also submit a memo telling the judge what sentence it sees fit for Trump.

Merchan could sentence Trump to probation or up to four years in state prison on each count, with a maximum of 20 years.

Prosecutors have never sought to remand Trump into custody, so the former president is free as he awaits sentencing.

Read more from the original source:
Trump scheduled for pre-sentencing interview with a probation officer after hush money conviction - WCVB Boston

Frank Bruni, a contributing Opinion writer, hosted a written online conversation with Josh Barro, who writes the newsletter Very Serious, and Olivia Nuzzi, the Washington correspondent for New York magazine, to banter and bicker about the potential political fallout of Donald Trumps conviction. Below is a lightly edited transcript of their conversation.

Frank Bruni: Josh, Olivia, great to be with you. I want to start not with Donald Trump but with Joe Biden. What happens on Nov. 5 has as much to do with Bidens navigation of the coming months as with Trumps, and Biden is getting all sorts of conflicting advice.

Whats the optimal balance between running against a felon and focusing on the day-to-day concerns of less partisan, less engaged voters? I for one think Biden needs to be very careful about overdoing the felon part voters are well aware of Trumps status, transgressions and, er, character. Your thoughts?

Josh Barro: A defining feature of this campaign, as Nate Cohn has written on extensively for The Times, is that Bidens support has been holding up well among highly engaged voters and has fallen terribly over the last four years among less-engaged Americans. Much of Bidens slide in the polls is because of worsening views of him among people who did not vote in the 2020 election. So Bidens big challenge is that he really needs to reach people who arent interested in politics and arent likely to hear any given message he sends out.

Most of those less-engaged voters were probably not following the trial closely, or at all. Its important for those people to hear that Trump is a felon. Im not sure they need to hear it from Biden personally it might be a message to be pushed in paid media, by the Biden campaign or by affiliated pressure groups.

Bruni: Hmm, Josh, I dont know. Theres disengaged and then theres living off the grid. They really need a reminder that Trump is a felon?

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit andlog intoyour Times account, orsubscribefor all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?Log in.

Want all of The Times?Subscribe.

See original here:
Opinion | Trump Is Blocking Out the Sun: Three Writers on the Politics of the Guilty Verdict - The New York Times

Democratic President Joe Biden carries a slight edge in Minnesota over former Republican President Donald Trump into their rematch, although a new Minnesota Poll shows that advantage is short of the incumbents victory margin four years ago in a must-win state for Democrats.

Biden was preferred by just shy of 45 percent of respondents compared to about 41 percent for Trump in the live-interview poll conducted last week for MPR News, KARE 11 and the Star Tribune. Thats considered a dead heat given the polls margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points in the survey done by Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy.

A small percentage preferred a third-party candidate independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had the support of about 6 percent while a sliver remained undecided.

The poll of 800 people reached on their home or cell phones in early June also shows that both major party nominees are deeply unpopular, with more than half of respondents disapproving of each. Many respondents lack enthusiasm about their choice.

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.

Thats the case with Angela Fairbanks Jacobson, who didnt take part in the poll but discussed her preference for Biden in an interview after she donated clothes at a free-store near the south Minneapolis intersection known as George Floyd Square.

Im just, Im sad, Fairbanks Jacobson said. Its unfortunate that we dont have younger candidates, but it is what it is right now.

Angela Fairbanks Jacobson of St. Paul says she'll vote for Joe Biden but wishes the presidential candidates were younger.

Mark Zdechlik | MPR News

About 3 in 10 Biden supporters said they are very enthusiastic about his reelection effort. Slightly more, about 36 percent, were somewhat enthusiastic and the rest were not very or not at all enthusiastic for the candidate they plan to vote for.

More than 61 percent of Trump supporters are very enthusiastic about his candidacy and about 18 percent lack much enthusiasm.

In 2020, Biden beat Trump in Minnesota by about 7 percentage points. It was a far bigger gap than in 2016 when Trump came up fewer than 2 points short of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. The states 10 electoral college votes are deemed critical in Bidens reelection calculus.

In the new poll, the category of economy and jobs was the top issue for more than a quarter of respondents. That slightly trailed the state of democracy as a driving issue.

Democratic respondents said protecting democracy is their main concern followed distantly by climate change. Republicans pointed to the economy as their top concern followed by immigration.

Fairbanks Jacobson said her vote in November will be about preserving the nations democracy.

Definitely supporting anybody but Trump, Fairbanks Jacobson explained. I feel that Trump is a threat to our democracy. We do absolutely not want a dictator.

"I feel he's done an OK job," C.Terrence Anderson of Minneapolis says of Biden. "I think there's definitely been some successes like infrastructure and things like that, but very disappointing in Gaza. So I think it's a mixed bag.

Mark Zdechlik | MPR News

Around the corner, 36-year-old C. Terrence Anderson shared those fears that are also driving his support for Biden.

I feel hes done an OK job, Anderson said of Biden. I think theres definitely been some successes in like infrastructure and things like that, but very disappointing in Gaza. So I think its a mixed bag.

Along Main Street in downtown North Branch, an exurb 45 minutes north of the Twin Cities, the sentiment is different.

Sean Moe, 38, was resolute in his support for Trump and his disdain for Biden.

I think Bidens screwed up the country, Moe said. Everything is expensive.

Moe said he used to enjoy grocery shopping but now hates it because of the high prices.

On Main Street in North Branch, Sean Moe was resolute in his support for Trump and his disdain for President Joe Biden.

Mark Zdechlik | MPR News

Standing next to Moe, 46-year-old Justin Burvee also had nothing positive to say about the incumbent.

He hurt us more than hes helped us, Burvee said. In every way possible, like [the] economy. I mean, I havent seen one plus. I mean, gas prices, food, I mean, everything rose. Its terrible.

The poll found Trump to be far more popular among men than Biden. Its flipped among women, who are strongly in Bidens column.

Kaytee Broskoff, 22, was at a park in North Branch with her young son, Easton, as Hanna, the family dog, looked on. Broskoff said its hard for her to afford what she needs, and she blames Biden for inflation.

Its definitely a struggle to be a single mom and live in todays world, said Broskoff, who added she might not vote this fall.

I dont know who I would vote for, she said. If I did vote, I would probably vote for Trump and I say that because my parents support him.

Biden has a dominant edge in the populous Hennepin and Ramsey counties; Trump led in all other geographic regions.

While the new Minnesota Poll found tepid support for Trump and Biden, roughly 55 percent of respondents said they approve of DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchars job performance. She won her current term in 2018 with about 60 percent of the vote.

Klobuchar is running for a fourth term, with her November opponent to be decided in a multi-candidate GOP primary. Former professional basketball player and podcaster Royce White has the Republican endorsement but former Navy officer Joe Fraser has been pushed by prominent Republicans as an alternative.

A recent New York Times poll found that Democratic U.S. Senate candidates are outperforming Biden in key battleground states.

It remains to be seen how much Klobuchar might be able to help Biden in a seemingly competitive Minnesota.

Editors note: For more poll details and methodology around the poll, check out MPR News sister organization, the APM Research Lab.

Read more from the original source:
New Minnesota poll has Biden with narrow edge over Trump as both remain unpopular - MPR News