Trump and Harris pivot
Plus: Charli XCX: “My music is not political”
Hi, I’m Hunter and welcome to Whig, my new newsletter about politics and pop culture. Subscribe for more:
Fresh off a Democratic National Convention that featured speakers across the political spectrum and saw Vice President Kamala Harris make overtures to voters outside her party, former President Donald Trump is attempting to appeal beyond his base too. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the general election pivot to the middle.
Trump welcomed endorsements from Democratic-turned-independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Friday and from Democrat-turned-Fox-News-contributor former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) today (read more on that below), and he’s moderating on abortion policy. Trump said as president he wouldn’t enforce a ban on mail delivery abortion pills and he wrote in a post on his social network Truth Social that he would “be great for women and their reproductive rights,” upsetting anti-abortion activists.
“Reproductive rights” is a phrase you’re more likely to hear from Democrats than Republicans, so Trump’s choice of words is noteworthy. The same can be said of Harris’ line about climate change during her acceptance speech last week, in which she called for “clean air” and “clean water,” terms Trump himself has used to defend his record on environmental issues. Her call to create "an opportunity economy where everyone has the chance to compete and a chance to succeed” sounded poll-tested for the Chamber of Commerce. With their nominations now locked down, Harris and Trump are not just seeking new voters outside their parties, they’re speaking to them too in language they’re familiar with. — Hunter
Harris raises more than half a billion:
Harris campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon wrote in a memo that right before Harris took the stage last Thursday for her acceptance speech, the campaign passed $500 million in donations. Immediately following Harris’ speech, the campaign saw its best fundraising hour since she entered the race and it has now raised $540 million, “the most ever for any presidential campaign in this time span,” O’Malley Dillon said.
Trump’s bipartisan endorsements:
RFK Jr. joined Trump at a rally in Glendale, Ariz., last Friday hours after suspending his campaign, and I don’t know if you’ve seen footage but there were pyrotechnics, like it was a pop concert or pro wrestling match or something. “We are both in this to do what’s right for our country,” Trump said. He promised to create an independent presidential commission on assassination attempts “and they will be tasked with all of the remaining documents related to President John F. Kennedy.”
Gabbard’s endorsement of Trump today in Detroit gave him the backing of another Democrat-turned-independent. Gabbard, who’s been accused of sharing Russian propaganda, praised Trump for “having the courage to meet with adversaries, dictators, allies and partners alike in the pursuit of peace.”
Second Gentleman goes first wife guy:
Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff celebrated his and his wife’s 10-year anniversary by watching her become the second woman in U.S. history to accept a major party nomination and sharing a video that showed photos of them together over the years.
“Ten years of marriage, forever to go. Happy anniversary, VP. I love you,” Emhoff wrote in the caption. During his DNC speech last Tuesday, Emhoff said his wife was “ready to lead. She brings both joy and toughness to this task and she will be a great president.” He also shared an embarrassing story about the first voicemail he ever left Harris, which she saved.
Hundreds of top Republican staffers endorse Harris:
More than 200 Republicans who’ve worked for former President George W. Bush, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), and the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) endorsed Harris in an open letter. “We have plenty of honest, ideological disagreements with Vice President Harris and Gov. Walz. That’s to be expected. The alternative, however, is simply untenable,” reads the letter, signed by former McCain deputy campaign manager Reed Galen, former McCain campaign strategist Mike Murphy, and others.
Zuck says he’s staying “neutral” on politics:
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is serious about getting out of politics. In a letter to Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), chair of the House Judiciary Committee, Zuckerberg said Biden administration efforts to censor misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic were wrong “and I regret that we were not more outspoken about it.” He also said he would not be involved in helping state election nonprofits like he was four years ago, citing optics.
“Despite the analysis I’ve seen showing otherwise, I know that some people believe this work benefited one party over the other,” Zuckerberg wrote. “My goal is to be neutral and not play a role one way or another—or to even appear to be playing a role. So I don’t plan on making a similar contribution this cycle.”
Jack Schlossberg had a jam-packed DNC:
Vogue political correspondent Jack Schlossberg spoke at the DNC for the second time ever (he previously spoke at the virtual 2020 convention with his mother, U.S. Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy), and he also found time to chat with everyone from Transportation Secretary Mayor Pete Buttigeig and Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D).
Schlossberg reacted to news that his cousin RFK Jr. dropped out and endorsed Trump on X. “Never been less surprised in my life,” he wrote. “Been saying it for over a year — RFKjr is for sale, works for Trump. Bedfellows and loving it. Kamala Harris is for the people — the easiest decision of all time just got easier.”
This designer made Ella Emhoff’s dress for the DNC:
Designer Joe Ando, a Fashion Institute of Technology grad who’s designed for celebrities including Dakota Johnson and Keke Palmer, designed the periwinkle-and-white dress Harris’ stepdaughter Ella Emhoff wore during her remarks at the DNC. Ando posted a video watching Emhoff’s speech and wrote, “SHE LOOKS SO GOOD!!”
The Biden’s Cali vacation:
President Joe Biden quoted the lyrics of the song “American Anthem” in his DNC speech Monday — “The work and prayers of centuries have brought us to this day. What shall our legacy be? What will our children say? Let me know in my heart when my days are through. America, America, I gave my best to you.” — then headed to California with First Lady Jill Biden for some rest and relaxation.
The First Family stayed at a ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley owned by political donor Joe Kiani northwest of Los Angeles. Dr. Biden was photographed at the Book Loft, a book store in Solvang, Calif. where she signed a copy of her children’s book Willow: The White House Cat and she bought The Hunter, a novel by Tana French. POTUS stayed at the ranch except to go to Mass at Old Mission Santa Ines in Solvang.
⚾ Boston Red Sox catcher Danny Jansen is the first player in MLB history to play for both teams in the same game. Jansen was a member of the Blue Jays when they took on the Red Sox on July 26, but play was suspended due to rain and rescheduled and Jansen was traded to the Red Sox the following day. He played for both teams today. [Sports Illustrated]
💸 Fed Chair Jerome Powell signals "time has come" for interest rate cuts. In conveying that the Fed is likely to start cutting its benchmark rate, Powell cited some weakening in the labor market, as well as progress in battling high inflation. [CBS News]
📈 Dow closes at record high, while tech stocks drag down S&P and Nasdaq. The market kicked off August under pressure, as concerns over a possible recession pulled stocks off their record levels. Since then, though, expectations of lower Federal Reserve interest rates and improving U.S. economic data have sent stocks soaring. [CNBC]
🚀 NASA astronauts who have been stuck in space for 80 days are expected to return home in February 2025. NASA is bringing home astronauts Sunita "Suni" Williams and Barry "Butch" Wilmore next year. [People]
Lady Gaga scores 18th top 10 hit:
Lady Gaga’s “Die With a Smile” with Bruno Mars debuts on this week’s Billboard Hot 100 at No. 3. It’s Gaga’s 18th top 10 hit and first since her No. 1 hit “Rain On Me” with Ariana Grande in June 2020. The song is Mars’ 19th top 10 hit.
Swifties for Kamala are mobilizing with or without Tay Tay:
A group of Taylor Swift fans united in their support for Harris are organizing with an official kickoff call Tuesday. “We do not speak for Taylor,” Swifties for Kamala senior communications director and cofounder Irene Kim told Cosmo. “Our movement is about the power of our community and how we can mobilize together.” The group, which uses a seal showing a sleeping cat that says “Kamala’s a Relaxing Thought” as its avatar, has a newsletter called Paint The Town Blue.
Taylor Swift hasn’t weighed in on the 2024 campaign but endorsed Biden in 2020. Trump accepted the fake endorsement of a Swifties for Trump group in a social media post showing A.I.-generated photos of women in “Swifties for Trump” tees in earlier this month.
Charli XCX: “My music is not political”:
In her cover story for New York shot by David LaChappelle, Charli XCX said the reaction to her “kamala IS brat” tweet was not something she expected. It was meant as “something positive and lighthearted,” she said, but soon became a cable news segment topic. “Did I think me talking about being a messy bitch and, like, partying and needing a Bic lighter and a pack of Marlboro Lights would end up on CNN? No.”
She said “to be on the right side of democracy, the right side of women’s rights, is hugely important to me,” but added, “politics doesn’t feed my art” (of course they don’t, cars and poppers do). “I’m not Bob Dylan, and I’ve never pretended to be,” she said.
The Foo Fighters are donating song royalties to Harris:
After Trump used the Foo Fighters’ “My Hero” at his rally with RFK Jr. without their authorization, the band said they’ll donate the royalties from the song to the Harris campaign. “Foo Fighters were not asked permission and if they were, they would have not granted it,” a spokesperson for the band told People.
Mariah Carey’s mom and sister both died this weekend:
This is devastating. Mariah Carey shared news of the passing of her mother Patricia Carey and sister Alison Carey in a statement to People: “My heart is broken that I’ve lost my mother this past weekend. Sadly, in a tragic turn of events, my sister lost her life on the same day,” she said. “I feel blessed that I was able to spend the last week with my mom before she passed. I appreciate everyone’s love and support and respect for my privacy during this impossible time.” No other details about their deaths are known.
Kim K asks Biden to make clemency part of his legacy:
Kim Kardashian seems to be making the most of Biden’s final months in office. Kim K said in a post on X she visited the Department of Justice last week to meet with U.S. pardon attorney Elizabeth Oyer to discuss people they believe deserve a pardon.
“We talked about some of the many men and women who have taken accountability for their crimes, worked hard to turn their lives around, and are ready to come home from our prisons and be with their families,” Kardashian wrote. She said she would share some of their cases this week on social media. “I hope President Biden takes the opportunity to make clemency a significant part of his legacy before he leaves office. #ClemencyNow.”
Thanks for reading! See you next week. ⭐