Welcome to The Lid, your afternoon dose of the 2016 ethos… Anthony Weiner is in the news again today, which means once again that the nation is observing yet another iteration of “Giggling Headline Writers Appreciation Day.”
THE LID: AUGUST 29, 2016
From Carrie Dann and Andrew Rafferty
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‘16 from 30,000: The political world got a bit distracted today by the revelation that Huma Abedin is separating from her husband Anthony Weiner after reports that the former New York pol had been involved in yet another sexting scandal. But don’t miss one of the other big stories that started over the weekend and spilled into today. After the cousin of basketball star Dwyane Wade was shot and killed while pushing a stroller in Chicago, Trump weighed in on Twitter, writing “Dwayne Wade's cousin was just shot and killed walking her baby in Chicago. Just what I have been saying. African-Americans will VOTE TRUMP!” (He later corrected the spelling of the player’s name and expressed condolences for his family’s loss). Then came news that Trump plans to address African American issues at an event this weekend in Detroit. And then this morning, Trump continued to predict that he’ll shore up support among minorities, tweeting “Look how bad it is getting! How much more crime, how many more shootings, will it take for African-Americans and Latinos to vote Trump=SAFE!” What Trump’s not mentioning: His poll numbers with both minority groups are historically low. Last week’s NBC|SurveyMonkey poll showed Trump at just eight percent with African Americans and 22 percent with Hispanics. And our NBC/WSJ poll showed an even more dismal number with black voters, with Trump getting just one percent of their support. That’s a heck of a hole to climb out of, and there’s no evidence that Trump’s efforts to paint all of black America as crime-ridden will do anything to win over any minority voters. And note that one of Trump’s top African-American advisers, Pastor Mark Burns, spent part of Monday tweeting controversial memes – including one of Hillary Clinton in blackface – implying that Clinton has employed stereotypes about voters of color to fool them into voting for her.
POPPING ON NBC POLITICS
NBC’s Benjy Sarlin notes: Trump’s new TV ad cites two contradictory tax plans, at least one of which he doesn’t support.
Alex Seitz-Wald looks at the Sanders proxy war in Florida between Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Tim Canova.
The Clinton camp is dismissing Trump’s demand that she release more health records.
Ahead of his primary, John McCain told NBC’s Kelly O’Donnell that “the people of Arizona know me.”
Huma Abedin announced that she is separating from her husband, Anthony Weiner, after news of a new sexting scandal.
By the way, Donald Trump had contributed to Weiner’s political campaigns.
And in NBC’s First Read: This week’s primary-palooza.
FOR THE RECORD…
“Lets get together. I’m a big wheel in this town.”
- Anthony Weiner, to a sexting partner, according to the New York Post
TOMORROW’S SKED
It’s primary day in Arizona and Florida!
Tim Kaine campaigns in Pennsylvania
Mike Pence is in Georgia and North Carolina.
