The Morning: Inside Trump’s rallies

Plus, Hurricane Milton, Bob Woodward's new book and Alaska.

View in browser|nytimes.com October 9, 2024 By David Leonhardt Good morning. We're covering Trump's rallies — as well as Hurricane Milton, Bob Woodward's new book and Alaska. The New York Times In his own words Donald Trump's rallies — freewheeling performances full of jokes and audience participation that his fans sometimes travel hours to attend — are a central part of his 2024 presidential campaign. He holds almost two per week, and they are where he often introduces and tests the themes that end up dominating his campaign. To help readers get a better sense of these rallies, my colleagues Ian Prasad Philbrick and Ashley Wu have watched every one since late July (when President Biden dropped out of the race). Today, The Times is publishing a multimedia article in which Ian and Ashley break down nine main themes that recur at each rally — including his proposed agenda, his allusions to political violence, his flagrant falsehoods, his increasing verbal stumbles and his "hits" — set pieces on subjects like Hannibal Lecter that his audience has come to expect. The article includes video highlights that let you see these themes for yourself. Source: Trump campaign | By The New York Times If anything, the statements that Trump makes at his rallies are probably more important in this campaign than they were when he first ran in 2016. Trump's aides, his critics and independent observers all agree that he is likely to implement more of his promised agenda in a second term than he did in a first. He understands more about what the president does and how the presidency works than he did in 2016. He has also made clear that he will fill his administration with loyalists, rather than the traditional Republicans who sometimes blocked his agenda last time. The Senate is also likely to be more compliant, with Mitch McConnell stepping down as the Republican leader. And the federal judiciary, including the Supreme Court, is more Trump-friendly than it was eight years ago. Trump still won't accomplish his entire proposed agenda. No president does. But it's worth listening to what he says on the campaign trail and considering it a preview of a second Trump term. The work that Ian and Ashley have done cataloging his rallies makes that much easier. I encourage you to read their article and watch the video excerpts. More on the Trump campaign Republicans are spending heavily on TV ads that criticize Democrats on transgender policies, such as allowing trans girls to play girls' sports. One intended audience: suburban women. Trump has secretly spoken with Vladimir Putin several times since leaving office, the journalist Bob Woodward reports in a new book. The Trump campaign has so far opted out of official planning for a government handover, a move that allows him to avoid disclosing his donors to his transition effort. The Trump Organization was in talks about Israeli hotels before the Hamas attack last year. It says it eventually wants to restart them. More on the Harris campaign Harris continued her recent media blitz, pitching policies to help families raise children and care for aging parents. She also cracked a beer with Stephen Colbert and revealed some personal details on Howard Stern's show. Tim Walz said the Electoral College should be replaced with a national popular vote. Senator Mitt Romney, a Trump-critical Republican, said he wouldn't endorse Harris because he hopes to rebuild his party after the election. More on the election Both Trump and Harris are pouring more resources and time into Pennsylvania than any other state. A third of Pennsylvania's ballots are likely to be cast by mail. So in a close election, the outcome could depend on murky rules about which ballots get rejected. The F.B.I. arrested an Afghan citizen in Oklahoma City, accusing him of plotting an ISIS suicide attack to occur on Election Day. THE LATEST NEWS Hurricane Milton Debris from Hurricane Helene on Pass-A-Grille beach near St. Petersburg, Fla. Zack Wittman for The New York Times Florida officials urged more than five million residents to evacuate as Hurricane Milton neared. Cars clogged highways and gas stations ran empty. Biden postponed a trip abroad to oversee the government's response. He urged people in the storm's path to "evacuate now, now, now." Milton regained its Category 5 strength, with sustained winds of 160 m.p.h. The storm, the strongest in the Gulf of Mexico in almost two decades, is expected to make landfall late today or early tomorrow. Storm surge is among the deadliest aspects of a strong hurricane as it approaches land. See a map of storm surge risk across Florida. Some parts of Florida are still littered with debris from Helene, including flattened trees, mangled appliances and waterlogged furniture. Officials are working to clear it before Milton arrives. A clip of a TV meteorologist went viral after he choked up on air while discussing Hurricane Milton. "I apologize," he said. "This is just horrific." Middle East Israeli military vehicles near the border with Lebanon. Avishag Shaar-Yashuv for The New York Times Israel sent more troops into southern Lebanon, a sign that it could be intensifying its ground invasion. Hezbollah escalated its attacks into northern Israel, firing approximately 180 projectiles. One home was hit, officials said, but they reported no injuries. Israel struck a residential building in Damascus, Syria, and officials said the target was a Hezbollah official who smuggled weapons. Palestinian officials said that 12 people were killed in overnight Israeli airstrikes that hit a family home and tents housing displaced people in central Gaza. "Bibi, you've got no strategy": Biden excoriated Benjamin Netanyahu over Israel's conduct in the war, according to the new Woodward book. Hamas's leader, Yahya Sinwar, has revived the use of suicide bombings, a practice the group had largely discontinued, The Wall Street Journal reports. More International News Kenyan police officers in Port-au-Prince. Adriana Zehbrauskas for The New York Times Kenyan police officers are trying to take control of the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince from gangs. It's going slowly. Brazil lifted its ban on the social network X, formerly Twitter, after Elon Musk complied with an order to take down certain accounts. A modern office building in Reykjavik, Iceland, is best known as the home of a penis museum. It is also an offshore haven for some of the world's worst perpetrators of online crime. Harrods, a London luxury department store, is dealing with a major sexual abuse scandal. So far, that hasn't stopped shoppers. Other Big Stories The Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to three scientists, including two from Google's main A.I. lab, for their work with proteins. During arguments, most Supreme Court justices seemed sympathetic to keeping regulations on kits to build untraceable guns, known as ghost guns. More than a dozen states sued TikTok, accusing it of creating an intentionally addictive app that harms children and teenagers. A class-action lawsuit accuses New York City schools of causing chronic absences by failing to provide special education to students with disabilities. Almost half of students with disabilities were chronically absent last year. About 3 percent of U.S. high school students identify as transgender, a C.D.C. survey found. Opinions "I couldn't believe the number of kids I saw shot in the head": 65 health care workers from the U.S. shared what they witnessed while working in Gaza. Those who want a free Palestinian state should hope for decisive Israeli victories over Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, Bret Stephens writes. The special counsel Jack Smith wants to try Trump as soon as possible. In doing so, Smith looks as if he's trying to help the Democrats, Jack Goldsmith writes. Here's a column by Thomas Edsall on Trump merchandise. A subscription to match the variety of your interests. News. Games. Recipes. Product reviews. Sports reporting. A New York Times All Access subscription covers all of it and more. Subscribe today. MORNING READS A cave inside Ruth Glacier. Jason Gulley Into the ice: Scientists searched Alaska for the deepest gorge in North America. Gen Z: A new generation is embracing wine — both the drink and the aesthetics. Corner Office: How Walmart's chief people officer manages America's largest work force. A Morning listen: "This life is all a letting go." On the Modern Love podcast, Andrew Garfield talks about love and loss. Ask Well: Is it better to eat before a workout or after? Debate: Was J. Robert Oppenheimer a true Communist? An old argument is flaring again. Lives Lived: Luis Tiant was one of baseball's memorable showmen, throwing 187 complete games and 49 shutouts. But his career separated him from his family and from his homeland, Cuba. He died at 83. SPORTS Utah's first official N.H.L. goal.  Sportsnet N.H.L.: The league's newest franchise, the Utah Hockey Club, won its inaugural game of the regular season. Fans were thrilled. Momentous: The St. Louis Blues defeated the Seattle Kraken in the season opener. The Kraken's regular season debut was history-making: Jessica Campbell became the league's first female full-time coach. M.L.B.: The Dodgers and Phillies, who entered baseball's postseason as the National League's two best teams, are both on the brink of elimination after losses to the Padres and the Mets. N.F.L.: The Jets fired their coach, Robert Saleh, just five games into the season. The franchise looks in disarray. W.N.B.A.: The Lynx advanced to the finals after an 88-77 win over the Sun in Game 5 of their semifinal series. Next up: the Liberty. ARTS AND IDEAS A placenta graft helped restore Marcella Townsend's face after a propane explosion. Kendrick Brinson for The New York Times Most placentas are disposed of after a baby is born. But hospitals may be throwing away a medical miracle: Researchers say placenta tissue, which is rich in stem cells and collagen, can heal burns and wounds. Placenta grafts encourage rapid skin and tissue regrowth, without the risk of being rejected by the recipient's immune system. Read more about this emerging field. More on culture Qantas, the Australian airline, apologized after one of its flights showed an R-rated film with nudity on every screen, with no way for passengers to turn it off. A Dutch museum displayed two empty beer cans that were actually hand-painted works of art. They looked so real that a mechanic threw them away. The pussy-bow blouse has become a wardrobe essential for women in American politics, CNN reports. Limited Too is coming back. The brand will offer adult clothing for women who want to relive their preteen days in the '90s, The Cut reports. Nutter Butter, the cookie sandwich brand, is releasing promotional videos that are going viral on social media. See them. What is the sound of a teardrop? You can hear it at MoMA. On late night, Seth Meyers joked about Woodward's reporting on Trump calls to Putin: "That's how you know they're tight. Adult men never call each other." THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Linda Xiao for The New York Times Take comfort with quick and crispy vegetable-filled pancakes. Explore how exercise can help your gut. Get ahead on holiday gifts. (Yes, already.) Browse the best Prime Day deals under $50. GAMES Here is today's Spelling Bee. Yesterday's pangram was wheezing. And here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku, Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. —David Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for the Morning newsletter from The New York Times, or as part of your New York Times account. To stop receiving The Morning, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018