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Top Sanders Aide Defends DNC Chair in Wikileaks Controversy

Tad Devine, who served as the top strategist on Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign, came the defense of Democratic National Committee Chair Donna Brazile Tuesday after hacked emails showed what some read as improper coordination between Brazile and the Clinton campaign.

Brazile said the question in the email was for a normal upcoming appearance on CNN and said she would regularly contact both campaigns for guidance.

"Yes that is absolutely true," Devine said of Brazile's account of the matter in an email to NBC News. "She would get in touch all the time for guidance, so I can verify her recollection on this issue."

The email, allegedly stolen from Clinton Campaign chair John Podesta's personal account and posted WikiLeaks, showed Brazile communicating with a Clinton aide about a question CNN planned to ask her. Brazile was a paid CNN contributor, and many observers assumed the question was one CNN planned to ask Clinton in a joint town hall with Sanders and Clinton.

That would have been improper since Brazile was also the co-chair of the DNC and thus supposed to remain neutral. But both Brazile and CNN denied that she even had access to the town hall questions, let alone leaked them to the Clinton campaign. Devine agreed.

"I don't think she gave anybody the questions," he said. "I was in touch with her all the time."

The Clinton campaign has refused to authenticate the emails.

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Anna Brand

Catch Up On the Final Presidential Debate

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump traded barbs Wednesday night in Las Vegas in the third and final presidential debate.

Here's what you missed.

Sen. Barbara Boxer Says Donald Trump 'Can Go No Lower'

"Donald Trump goes so low," California Sen. Barbara Boxer told MSNBC's Thomas Roberts in response to reports that Trump may invite more Bill Clinton accusers to the final debate. Trump's confirmed guests include President Obama's half brother and the mother of an American killed at the 2012 Benghazi attack.

Boxer, who supports Clinton, accused Trump of trying to break the Democratic nominee's heart, politicizing Benghazi tragedy, and asking Russia to hack his opponent's emails instead of focusing on the American people.

"And bless Hillary Clinton, she's listened to Michelle Obama — You go low, we go high," Boxer said. She does not believe Clinton will be rattled by Trump's guest list because "she knows what's at stake."

"This man can go no lower, but he keeps doing it. We're going to have to open up the ground, it's getting so low."

Google Highlights Search Interest in Clinton, Trump

Ahead of the final presidential debate of the 2016 election, Google highlighted the share of searches Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have received over the past day.

New Trump Campaign Ad Hits Clinton On Immigration

The Trump campaign released an ad on Wednesday that slams Hillary Clinton on border policy.

Titled "Laura," the ad is a testimonial from a woman named Laura Wilkerson, whose teenage son was killed by an immigrant who entered the United States unlawfully.

"The man who murdered Joshua is an illegal alien and he should not have been here," Wilkerson said in the ad. "Hillary Clinton's border policy is going to allow people into the country just like the one that murdered my son."

Trump national policy director Stephen Miller echoed Wilkerson's sentiment and linked the death to President Obama's policies.

"Had our laws been enforced, Josh would be alive today," Miller said in a statement. "Mothers all over this country have lost their children because this Administration prioritizes special interests over the lives of Americans. Clinton has pledged to go even further than Obama on dismantling immigration law."

The ad is set to air in Florida, Iowa, Maine, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Michael Moore's 'October Surprise': A New Pro-Hillary Clinton Film

Just when it seemed like there have been enough "October surprises" this campaign season, liberal documentary filmmaker and rabble-rouser Michael Moore has emerged with a contribution of his own, a new 2016 campaign-themed documentary that debuted Tuesday in New York City.

The director revealed the secret project in a series of tweets on Tuesday, which culminated in a free screening of "Michael Moore in TrumpLand."

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Emmanuelle Saliba

Eminem Goes After Trump in New Song 'Campaign Speech'

Eminem is weighing in on the 2016 Election with his new song "Campaign Speech."

The nearly eight-minute long track touches on wide range of topics, referencing everything from Donald Trump to Colin Kaepernick to George Zimmerman.

The rapper doesn't address the current political environment until around the four-minute mark where he goes after Trump, "Consider me a dangerous man/ But you should be afraid of this dang candidate/ You say Trump don't kiss ass like a puppet?/ 'Cause he runs his campaign with his own cash for the funding?/ And that's what you wanted?/ A f****n' loose cannon who's blunt with his hand on the button/ Who doesn't have to answer to no one?/ Great idea!"

The rapper also takes aim at the candidate's supporters. "Run the faucet / I'm a dunk a bunch of Trump supporters underwater."

Katy Tur

Trump Camp Announces Additional Guests

The ex-fiancé of slain U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens, retired Navy SEAL and "Lone Survivor" Marcus Luttrell and four "Angel Moms" whose children were killed by undocumented immigrants will also be guests of Donald Trump's campaign at Wednesday's debate.

They are the latest additions after the campaign announced President Barack Obama's half brother, Malik, and Patricia Smith, the mother of a Benghazi victim, will also be in Las Vegas at the invitation of the Trump campaign.

Lydie Denier was engaged to Stevens in 1995 though the couple never married. She recently published a book blaming Clinton for Stevens death, which she has been promoting on right-wing radio and blogs. Rep. Trey Gowdy, the chairman of the House Select Committee on Benghazi, attended a book signing, according to her Twitter account.

Stevens' family has said they do not blame former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for the ambassador's 2012 death in Benghazi and have asked his passing not be politicized. "I feel a deep sorrow for the grief Chris's mother," Denier wrote in the book. "However, despite her wishes that Chris's name not be politicized, there is sadly, nothing she can do about this."

NBC News' Alex Seitz-Wald contributed to this report.

Christie's Approval Rating Hits a New All-Time Low — Again

Trump surrogate and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's approval rating has reached an all-time low.

A mere 21 percent of registered voters in the state approve of his job performance while an overwhelming 72 percent disapprove, according to a Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind poll released on Wednesday. Additionally, 65 percent currently hold an unfavorable opinion of Christie while 29 percent held a favorable view.

Dissatisfaction with the governor persists irrespective of political affiliation, gender, race, education and age. Even among Republicans, Christie garners a 52 percent disapproval rating.

Tim Kaine Previews What to Expect From Clinton at Tonight's Debate

UPPER ARLINGTON, Ohio — Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine predicted that Hillary Clinton will be "very strong" and "steady and calm" when she faces Donald Trump at the third and final general election debate in Las Vegas tonight.

"As wild as he will be, I think you will just see, there is one steady person ready to be president, with a backbone of steel and a compassionate heart and a good listening ear, and I think that's what we're going to see from Hillary Clinton tonight," Kaine said.

Kaine wondered whether Trump might mention his recent unsubstantiated claims that the election will be rigged at the debate tonight and said he hopes the moderator presses the candidate for specifics. Kaine also said those claims about a rigged election amp up the pressure on them to win by larger numbers. "We have to win so that when Donald Trump complains at the end oh it was so unfair, nobody will believe him because the margin is big," Kaine said. "The stakes are very high."

Hallie Jackson

Clinton and Trump's Plans for the Final Debate

Both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have been getting in last-minute preparation for tonight's debate, but there is perhaps more on the line for Trump as he trails Clinton in nearly every recent poll.

Trump plans to focus on foreign policy and Clinton's record in handling Iraq, Syria and Libya — in particular, the 2012 Benghazi attack. In an attempt to rattle Clinton, the Republican nominee has invited the mother of one of the Americans killed in the Benghazi attack: Pat Smith. Smith has publicly blamed Clinton for the death of her son Sean. Also on the Trump's "eyebrow raising guest list" is President Obama's half brother Malik.

Clinton's strategy is to stick to the issues and avoid getting testy with Trump. The Democratic nominee has invited Republican businesswoman Meg Whitman and outspoken Trump critic Mark Cuban as her guests for the debate.

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