NewsNation Chief Washington Anchor and On Balance host Leland Vittert was a foreign correspondent for four years in Jerusalem. He gives you an early look at tonight’s 7 p.m. ET show. Subscribe to War Notes here.
Editor’s note: Post-DNC travel cut into our writing time, so here’s our thoughts … in an abbreviated version of War Notes.
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Watch tonight: Your thoughts on the DNC!
State of play:
- 74 days to the election
- 18 days to the debate set for Sept. 10
- 33 days since Vice President Kamala Harris accepted the candidacy, and she still hasn’t had a meaningful interaction with the press
- Decision Desk HQ average: Harris +2.6, as of around 12 p.m. ET today. Click here to see the latest numbers.
A Trump Mea Culpa
Watch long enough in life and politics, and you will see everything, including a Donald Trump mea culpa. In a groveling tweet and Truth Social post, he all but apologized to Georgia Governor Brian Kemp.
- “Thank you to @BrianKempGA for all of your help and support in Georgia, where a win is so important to the success of our Party and, most importantly, our Country. I look forward to working with you, your team, and all of my friends in Georgia to help MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Kemp responded with a full-throated endorsement of Trump and passionate argument for his election.
Look back: Just a few weeks ago, Trump laid into the popular swing state governor, saying, “He’s a bad guy. He’s a disloyal guy. And he’s a very average governor … Little Brian, little Brian Kemp. Bad guy.”
- Context: Trump hates Kemp for not backing his 2020 election fraud claims.
Thought bubble: Just imagine how bad Trump’s internal polling in Georgia is for him to grovel?!
Watch tonight: Trump is actually doing pretty well … betting markets still show him a favorite, albeit by a narrow margin!
Look forward: What will Trump do on Monday’s anniversary of the Abbey Gate suicide bombing that killed 13 Americans during the Biden-Harris disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal?
See What You Want
Harris’ speech last night met the bar so everyone could see what they wanted but was not so good one must acknowledge its greatness.
- For supporters, it was a historic speech to reach across the aisle and deliver a bold vision for an America moving forward together in this “fleeting” moment vs. the “darkness” of Trump.
- For Trump supporters, it highlighted the same (failed) progressive policies, weak foreign policy, and anti-Trump drivel of the Biden administration wrapped in a newfound patriotism and joy.
- For realists, it came nowhere close to meeting the hype of a 2008 Obama-esque moment and will soon be forgotten.
- Peggy Noonan is out with the best take in The Wall Street Journal: “Kamala Harris’s speech was fine, and delivered with assurance. I prefer ‘Ask not what your country can do for you’ to ‘Never do anything half-assed,’ but tastes vary.”
Don’t screw up: Between now and Labor Day, Harris’ job is to not screw up.
- She promised an “interview” between now and then.
- It will be with a predictably safe journalist, and then, she can say she did it.
- The interview will be forgotten over Labor Day weekend, and then after, she will be too busy doing debate prep.
- After Labor Day, she’ll be too deep in debate prep for an interview people might remember.
- If it’s a good debate, there will be no reason to do an interview.
- If it’s a bad debate, she’ll have to clean it up.
Watch tonight: The Great Frank Luntz will talk about whether Harris’ preconvention bounce is the end of the beginning or the beginning of the end for her improbable 34 days in American political history.
Who’s Watching
DNC ratings slightly outpace the RNC at approximately 20 million viewers per night. Assuming there’s about 10 million of overlap, that means less than a third of all voters watched the conventions.
Click here for fun stats on the states where Harris’ speech beat Trump the most (and vice versa).
- Thought bubble: None of those are swing states.
Watch tonight: Colby Hall will be on to discuss how the media matters less and less, meaning the candidates (and anchors) have to be crazier and crazier to get noticed!
Tune into “On Balance with Leland Vittert” weeknights at 7/6C on NewsNation. Find your channel here.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily of NewsNation.