The latest Gabriel Sherman Vanity Fair piece on Trump, a laundry list of 100% self-inflicted wounds.

[Miles Archer]

With Donald Trump’s approval sinking to Jimmy Carter levels and coronavirus cases spiking across the country, Trump is reluctantly waking up to the grim reality that, if the current situation holds, his reelection is gone. Republicans that have spoken with Trump in recent days describe him as depressed and “down in the dumps.” “People around him think his heart’s not in it,” a Republican close to the White House said. Torn between the imperative to win suburban voters and his instincts to play to his base, Trump has complained to people that he’s in a political box with no obvious way out. According to the Republican, Trump called Tucker Carlson late last week and said, “what do I do? What do I do?”

To console himself, Trump still has moments of magical thinking. “He says the polls are all fake,” a Republican in touch with Trump told me. But the bad news keeps coming. This week, Jacksonville, Florida—where Trump moved the Republican National Convention so he could hold a 15,000-person rally next month—mandated that people wear masks indoors to slow the explosion of COVID-19 cases. According to a Republican working on the convention, the campaign is now preparing to cancel the event so that Trump doesn’t suffer another Tulsa–like humiliation. “They probably won’t have it,” the source said. “It’s not going to be the soft landing Trump wanted.”

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/07/trump-despondent-as-numbers-crater-loser-label-looms

[dalton99a]

1. So the two grifters Kushner & Parscale are in firm control of the White House

Kushner’s vast sway over West Wing decisions has become a flashpoint between him and Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, sources say. The two have been engaged in a cold war over control of the campaign. Meadows pushed Trump to replace campaign manager Brad Parscale, a Kushner ally, the Republican close to the White House said. Kushner wasn’t happy that Meadows is close with Kushner’s adversaries Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie. “Meadows is in real shit. He went to war with Jared and tried to get Brad out,” the Republican, briefed on the internal debate, told me. A couple weeks ago, Meadows unloaded about Kushner over dinner with his predecessor, Mick Mulvaney, at Sette Osteria near the White House. “All Mark did was complain how much operational control Jared has and how it leaves very little space for the chief of staff,” said a Republican briefed on the conversation. “Mark whined to Mick, ‘why didn’t you warn me before I accepted the job? There’s nothing for me to do.’”

[hedda_foil]

2. Trump campaign internal polls show Trump's level of "strong support" dropping from 21 to 17 points

[CatWoman]

3. what can he do? what can he do?

why not try shutting the fuck up for a change

[cwydro]

4. His name doesn't belong in the same sentence as Jimmy Carter's.

Never.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

5. In other words "Look for some crazy 'hail Mary' type shit to go down before Labor Day.". nt

[CatWoman]

6. YUP

Hey Bud

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

7. .

It's been forever.... Or it feels like it. Especially since this individual was inaugurated 13 years ago.






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