Welcome to The Lid, your afternoon dose of the 2016 ethos… Clinton supporter Ed Rendell says that Donald Trump’s past comments about women will hurt Trump’s campaign because “there are probably more ugly women in America than attractive women.” We understand that he is now being vetted as Clinton’s potential Secretary of the Department of Stop Stop Stop You’re REALLY Not Helping Here, Buddy.
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‘16 from 30,000
Donald Trump again dominated headlines this afternoon by doing something very unorthodox for a presumptive nominee: Releasing a list of the potential Supreme Court justices he could appoint to replace the late Antonin Scalia. Naming potential replacements a full eight months before *potentially* becoming president is a predictably Trumpian move when it comes to breaking with convention, but the list itself is pretty - well - conventional. We’re not talking Judge Judy or Chief Justice Phil Robertson here, folks. All 11 of his potential picks serve on federal appeals courts or state supreme courts and can boast of consistent judicial records. They’re all they’re all listed as experts affiliated with the conservative Federalist Society. And so far the list has gotten mostly accolades from the conservative intellectual class.
The list might not have the wow factor outside of Washington that we might have come to expect from a candidate who floated Oprah as a VP pick as recently as last year. But within the conservative circles that have been most hesitant to embrace Trump, the move is one reassuring sign of ideological stability from a notoriously changeable candidate. As Trump tries to convince traditional conservatives (and donors, by the way) that he wouldn’t jeopardize their most sacred goals, this was one of the most definitive early moves he could have made.
POPPING ON NBC POLITICS
- One of us went through Trump’s personal financial disclosure document.
- Trump released the names of 11 potential Supreme Court nominees.
- He also met with Henry Kissinger in New York today.
- And he wants his tax returns from his potential VPs, though he is not releasing his while under audit, NBC’s Katy Tur reports.
- Former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld is being considered to be Gary Johnson’s running mate for the Libertarian Party.
- And from First Read: Will Democrats ever come together?
FOR THE RECORD…
"There are probably more ugly women in America than attractive women. People take that stuff personally.”
-- Former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, as quoted by the Washington Post.
TOMORROW’S SKED
Donald Trump will appear with Chris Christie at a fundraiser in Lawrence Township, NJ.
Hillary Clinton is fundraising near Chicago.
