October 15, 2024
Trump Goes Off the Rails
Former President Donald Trump had a town hall event just outside of Philadelphia, PA, last night. That on its own wasn’t really noteworthy. Even a quick slip of the tongue near the beginning wasn’t too big of a deal, as he encouraged everyone to “get out on January 5th” (presumably accidentally combining November 5th with January 6th). And while somewhat uncouth, his attempt to compare his ear injury from the July assassination attempt to the death of the son of Gold Star parents Mary and Charles Strange, who were part of the program, wasn’t too off the wall.
However, things took a turn for the surreal about a half hour into the session. While fielding (pre-chosen) questions from the audience, and with South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem moderating, a man reportedly fainted. The event paused to make sure he was okay, and Trump called for some music — specifically a rendition of “Ave Maria” — to be played. Once that was resolved, he began answering another question when another medical incident interrupted the proceedings. Two more versions of “Ave Maria” were played during this break, and finally, Trump announced that he was done with questions (after providing rambling, meandering answers to only two), and called on staffers to just play more music. He then proceeded to sway and half-dance to the music for the next 40 minutes. And that was the end of the event.
Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign posted on eX-Twitter that Trump “acted confused when asked if they should end the event and play a walk off song”, with Harris herself reposting it along with a note of, “Hope he’s okay.” This all comes right after Harris posted her medical records over the weekend, challenging Trump to release his.
Harris Marches Into Hostile Territory
Yesterday, the Harris campaign announced one definite interview and another potential one in what could be described as potentially unfriendly areas. She will be sitting down with Fox News anchor Bret Baier on Wednesday evening at 6:00 P.M. This will be Harris’s first formal interview with the right-leaning network, with only three weeks to go until Election Day. This is seen as a play for conservative voters who have reservations about backing Trump.
Additionally, her campaign has been in discussions with popular podcaster Joe Rogan, whose audience leans heavily towards young men, in an effort to short up that demographic. Trump, for his part, has also indicated that he plans to go on Rogan’s podcast sometime before November 5, but also sharply criticized Fox News for their plans to speak with Harris, stating that they have “grown so weak and soft on the Democrats, constantly polluting the airwaves with unopposed Kamala Representatives, that it all doesn’t matter anymore.”
The US Military Walks Back LGBTQ+ Dishonorable Discharges
Taking a step away from the election, I’m pleased to report that more than 800 service members who were kicked out of the military under the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy were recently upgraded to receive honorable discharges. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the upgrades today after over a year of review by the Military Department Review Boards. The Boards directed 96.8% of the 851 cases they reviewed to have their records corrected.
“Don’t ask, don’t tell” was a controversial policy instituted during the Clinton administration which prohibited openly bisexual, gay, or lesbian individuals from serving in the military. The policy was repealed during the Obama administration in 2011. Service members who were discharged from service during that time due to their sexual orientation may have been denied access to veterans’ benefits, such as healthcare, home loans, and government jobs.
In announcing the correction, Austin stated, “We will continue to strive to do right by every American patriot who has honorably served their country.”
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