Monthly Archives: July 2024

For the first hour and 20 minutes of Thursday nights presidential debate, Joe Biden and Donald Trump gracefully and thoughtfully debated the days critical issues. Having fulfilled their democratic obligationsTrump by honestly describing his policy proposals, Biden by effectively stringing together several sentences at oncethe candidates took a deserved respite to talk about golf.

Moderator Dana Bash asked the candidates about their ages (78 for Trump, 81 for Biden). Trump, after bragging about his performance on cognitive and fitness tests, brought his answer to the links.

I just won two club championshipsnot even senior, the former president said, as recreational golfers all over the world pointed at their TVs like that Leonardo DiCaprio meme. Two regular club championships. To do that, you have to be quite smart, and you have to be able to hit the ball a long way. He doesnt do it. He cant hit a ball 50 yards. He challenged me to a golf match; he cant hit a ball 50 yards.

Biden replied: Id be happy to have a driving contest. I got my handicap when I was vice president down to a six. By the way, I told you before, Im happy to play golf with you if you carry your own bag. Think you can do it? Trump was incredulous: Thats the biggest liethat he was a six handicapof all. (In golf, a lower handicap is better. It represents, more or less, how many strokes over par a player can be expected to shoot in a given round. Anything in the single digits is good, and anything close to zero is great.)

Biden then said, I was an eight handicap. Eight. He tried to keep talking but could not get the words out, so its not clear if he was ultimately claiming to be a six or an eight handicap.

Ive seen your swing, Trump said. I know your swing. Lets not act like children.

Who would win this golf match in hell? First, a little fact check: As it concerns their respective golf abilities, both candidates for president were absolutely, utterly full of shit, though Biden was at least factually close to the pin in describing his own handicap. Most recently, his official handicap index maintained with the United States Golf Association was a 6.7, but he has not listed a score since 2018.

Trumps history of cheating in golf and lying about his exploits is old hat. It is the subject of an entire book and countless testimonials. Over the years, Trumps playing partners have described seeing all the usual manners of golf cheating: taking mulligans in ostensibly competitive matches, moving his ball to a more favorable lie, throwing it out of a bunker and onto the grass. He does it all. Rick Reilly, the author of the book about Trumps golf fabrications, told Vox in 2019 that Trump cheats like a mafia accountant, adding: He kicks the ball so much that caddies call him Pel.

These arecommon ways in which golfers deflate their own scores, and in doing them, Trump isnt different than any typical rich asshole who loves golf. But he diverges from a bargain-basement country club member because he owns numerous golf clubs and uses his status to attribute club championships to himself. Every golf club puts on a championship every year to crown the best player at the club. Reilly described Trump racking up club championships by buying a club, setting up a match between himself and the prior champion, and declaring himself the winner of that match. Nobody other than Melania Trump would be on hand to serve as a witness, and even if Trump won fair and square, it wouldnt be the same as winning a club championship.

Is Trump actually good at golf? Its hard to say, in part because good is a moving target for all amateurs. Trump is an unathletic-looking 78-year-old, and most of his thousands of golf rounds have occurred out of public view. Its easy to find a video, though, of Trump hitting a brutal shank on an extremely straightforward pitch shot from right in front of the green in 2023. All golfers hit horrible shots, but the one caught on video was a level of bad that would be quite unusual for the best player at a club. Trump reports an excellent 2.5 handicap with the USGA, which I find completely implausible. It is what golfers would call a vanity handicap, the product of fudged scorekeeping and nobody in Trumps world trying to stop him. (He has only posted two scores since his 2016 election, usually keeping his totals off the internet.)

However, many of the best golfers in the world have attested that Trump is a pretty good player. Theres some partisan bias at play there; you probably dont play with Trump unless youre a fan of Trump, like U.S. Open champion and big-time Trump guy Bryson DeChambeau, or all-time majors leader Jack Nicklaus. The Golden Bear has said Trump is the best player of the several presidents with whom hes teed it up. But Nicklaus is also a Trump sycophant who lacks the courage of his Trumpist convictions. And no human in the history of the world has had better access to high-level facilities and instruction than Donald Trump, so his not being a pretty decent player would be astonishing.

Biden does not have the same long history of bragging about how good he is at golf. His handicap when he was vice president was 6.7, so not far off the six and eight that he alternately claimed as he argued with Trump. But the idea that Biden is currently any good at golf is, uh, questionable. He does not play regularly as Trump did in his White House days. Bidens swing as of late 2022 looked just fine for a senior, but I dont think the president is in his golfing heyday.

The presidents campaign staff are obsessed with finding opportunities to make him look spry, limber, and energetic. To that end, hes had a handful of photo ops riding his bike. Unlike both Trump and Barack Obama, hes had few or none on the golf course. (In 2012, Biden and Obama played with John Boehner and John Kasich, who later joked that Biden exaggerated his ability.) When Bidens campaign unveiled a five-minute video of Biden playing golf in Michigan, it did not actually show him swinging a clubonly putting, briefly, at the end of the video. If anyone thought it looked good, wed have all seen more.

So to answer the most important question of a fine night for America: I do not believe that Biden would currently beat Trump in a golf match. I also do not believe that Trump could be even remotely competitive in an officially scored match with the best player at any of his clubs. But at least both Biden and Trump have done something relatable in hamming up their golf abilities for public consumption.

Slate wants to help.Submit your questions here. Its anonymous! No question is too dumbor too existential.

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Presidential debate: An unfortunate reality check about the night's weirdest Trump-Biden exchange. - Slate

A number of people have expressed concerns about President Joe Bidens performance during his Thursday presidential debate with former President Donald Trump. Unfortunately, I think at least some of them might be letting surface issues (e.g., Biden initially appearing to lack energy) get in their way of developing a more accurate and complete perception of Bidens debate performance.

In particular, Biden pretty consistently answered the questions actually asked by the moderators arguably an indicator of cognitive flexibility and adaptiveness and made a number of true statements in the process.

By contrast, while Trump may have come across to some people as more polished in his delivery, he frequently didnt answer the moderators questions, despite the moderators explicitly prompting him frequently to refocus. Trumps persistence in not answering the moderators questions and focusing instead on irrelevant issues may be an indicator of a lack of cognitive flexibility and adaptiveness. Additionally, Trumps persistence in making false and misleading statements repeating familiar ones while also creating new ones was on full display.

If I had to vote today, I would much rather choose the candidate who, while perhaps at times appearing less physically energetic, was able to focus and shift that focus as called for in the situation rather than the candidate who, threats against our democratic republic aside, often seemed unable to perform those basic cognitive tasks.

James Carney, Evanston

I am an 85-year-old veteran of the Air Force (1962-65). I am also a father to three sons and a grandfather of three. I can confirm that we grandpas have bad days every now and then, and President Joe Biden just had one.

But I also know that for a liar and cheat, every day is a bad day.

My vote for commander in chief is still for honorable servant Grandpa Joe rather than convicted felon Uncle Donald.

Glenn Shipley, Chicago

President Joe Biden may not have performed well on this one debate night, but hes been performing well for the past 3 1/2 years, adding jobs, kindness and dignity to the Office of the President of the United States on the world stage. Yes, his voice was low while Trump boomed his lies. And now, it seems the Democrats, in their panic, will publicly throw him under the bus instead of sticking together and having faith in whats been accomplished.

Only Republicans will mystifyingly band together to support of a convicted felon, a man held liable for sexual abuse, a liar and a threat to democracy, who ended a two-century run of peacefully passing on the presidential office with an attack on the U.S. Capitol and democracy itself.

I pray that letter writer Jerry Hanson (There are millions of us, June 22) is right and there indeed are millions and millions of us who show up to vote and support our democracy.

Sandra Lurie, Highland Park

Well, we witnessed the very sorry state that we now find ourselves in after watching the debate. How can it be that here in the United States of America, we cannot field a multiple of extraordinary people who have exceptional intelligence, integrity and common sense? Do we need to force-feed a substantial change to our political system and process? The debate was an extreme embarrassment in front of the entire world.

It was most obvious that President Joe Biden no longer has the mental acuity to serve our country in any capacity, let alone the presidency. Former President Donald Trump has proved he no longer has the level of fear/respect that he once had on the world stage. Additionally, at best, he will be only tolerated by our allies and disregarded by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and others. While he proved in his first term that he has an ability to make decisions beneficial for our country, his lack of credibility renders him unworthy to hold the office.

Why, then, do we have party zealots defending and supporting these individuals? What is the rationale? Is there no one who can step up and command respect? Is the political system so filled with political landmines that taking an opposing position is too risky for ones political future?

Where are the true leaders? Isnt there a multiple of highly qualified people available? Are there not any true statesmen and stateswomen with proven ability to be worthy of the office? Is the system broken? Is it possible that we can find new ways and means for a nomination process that will provide we the people with many great candidates whom we could be very proud of and who would have great respect throughout the world?

In the continued absence of having great choices, we will remain in a very sad state.

Dave Roberts, Frankfort

Thursday evenings prime TV event was not a debate. Viewers watched two adversaries positioned in two different spheres. One, a buffoon, hurled insults and untruths, focused as always on self-aggrandizement and acting like a spoiled youngster. The other haltingly and gropingly attempted to defend his record and preview his future plans for the country. At least the latter has a laudable record and sound plans for a second term; good, capable people around him; and a strong moral compass. The other has a criminal record and no clearly articulated, reasonable plans for a second term as president, and a good number of those who surrounded him in his first term are in jail or under indictment. He has no moral compass in his personal or public life.

For me, the choice in the upcoming election is clear. Televised political debates should not be the measure by which citizens weigh their options and cast their votes.

Madeleine Felix, Evanston

Regarding the editorial As America sank into the couch, Joe Biden and Donald Trump combined for a depressing farce. Enough.: I agree it was awful, but the Tribune Editorial Board continues to do the same thing all major outlets do give Donald Trump a pass. Sure, the board says slightly negative things, such as, Trump was mostly just himself, energetically narcissistic, cavalier with truths, cruel of tone, bereft of empathy. The editorial board knows thats what his followers like about him, right?

What the editorial board should have said was: Trump was himself, spewing lie after lie about his administration, attacking America with falsehoods, making wild, evidence-free claims about Joe Biden and his supporters and denigrating the U.S. with every sentence. In short, being the pathological liar that he is.

But major media outlets, including the Tribune, wont tell the truth about Trump, for whatever reason, and it may lead to the downfall of our great country.

Martin A. Pierce, St. Charles

What we witnessed during the first presidential debate was the erosion of our democracy. President Joe Biden performed ineptly, and Donald Trump delivered one lie after another. The lies won out!

Sam Solomon, Deerfield

Despite a disappointing debate performance, accentuated by a pronounced feeble manner and weak voice, President Joe Biden still demonstrated that experience, integrity and a grasp of issues that affect all Americans eclipse the views of one in service of himself.

Donald Trump was undeniably more vigorous, but vitality alone is not a measure of reassurance when it comes to protecting the sovereignty of our nation. Trumps widely known character flaws usually detract attention from his ignorance about matters crucial to effective governance. Not this time. His nescience was on full display.

The contrast in competing visions couldnt have been more clear-cut, but this election isnt just about dissimilar ideologies. It is about the very survival of the republic. So, voters must decide if they want an ill-informed president who favors dismantling the Constitution or one hell-bent on doing whatever is necessary to protect it.

Jim Paladino, Tampa, Florida

The Thursday debate between President Joe Biden and Donald Trump provided new and terrifying insight into Trumps foreign policy perspectives. He asserted that had he been president instead of Biden, the wars in Ukraine and Israel would never have taken place. So how, then, might that have come about?

It takes little imagination to see how Trump could have averted the war in Ukraine: In keeping with his own well-demonstrated proclivities, once the Russians began with their saber rattling and their assertions that ethnic Russians in Ukraine were being abused, Trump most certainly would have made it known to Ukrainian President VolodymyrZelenskyy that the United States had no interest in the affairs of his country, nor would he provide any monetary or military support for his defense efforts.

Under those circumstances, Ukraine might have been able to hold off the Russian army for a short while, but eventually, Trumps friend Russian President Vladimir Putin would undoubtedly have prevailed. Moreover, the United States would have saved billions of dollars.

We have no idea where Putins ambitions might take Russia after his takeover of Ukraine, perhaps Poland and the Baltic states, but those countries are members of NATO and are therefore part of a mutual defense agreement that includes the United States. That would have provided a perfect time for Trump to move ahead with his long-held plan to withdraw our country from NATO and leave Europe to fend for itself.

It is still unclear how Trump could have averted the war between Israel and Hamas. Perhaps he will clarify that one in a later debate.

George Honig, Chicago

It is Thursday at 9:21 p.m. while I write this, and I have been watching the presidential debate from its start. Im frustrated. One of the contestants is talking policy and offering provable facts while the other is doing nothing but complain, even saying that the country is falling apart. And he has not offered any proven policy statements. Just complaints.

Lordy, lordy.

Bernard Biernacki, Aurora

If the Democrats do as the Tribune Editorial Board is calling for and replace Joe Biden, they lose incumbency, party cohesion and the presidency. Chicago is again host to a chaotic Democratic open convention with no clear leader.

Why not call for convicted felon Donald Trump to step down for the good of the country? You know the answer; he wont.

Biden is not incompetent. He will win again. The country will be led well through 2028, as it has been since 2020. And way better than a criminal demagogue.

Tony Quintanilla, Chicago

I am unconcerned about what some think were shortcomings in President Joe Bidens debate performance that were far more about presentation than content, the latter being more important.

The presidency is not a no notes job, and one cant repeat the greatest hits of rally speeches, no matter how well-rehearsed, for four years and call it governance.

Donald Trump, as always, was a walking make-work project for fact-checkers.

Curt Fredrikson, Mokena, Illinois

President Joe Biden missed many opportunities to deliver haymakers against Donald Trump during the debate. Every time Trump brought up the border, the response should have been that the bipartisan border deal, championed by conservative Oklahoma U.S. Sen. James Lankford, was scuttled by MAGA Republicans so Trump could use it as a campaign issue. When the economy was the topic, Bidens easy answer was to point out that Trump had several infrastructure weeks, but the Biden administration passed an actual infrastructure bill.

Trumps contention that somehow we are a failing country is laughable. All Biden had to ask in return is: If thats true, why do people from the world over wish to come here? Why do they send their children here for college?

Biden stumbled badly; there is no denying that fact. Because of that, I believe Trump will cancel the September debate. He wont need it.

Until the debate, I was not overly concerned about Bidens age. It is now obvious to me that his age will be the focus for millions of voters.

Biden claims to have always put the country first, and his record of service bears that out.

I take no pleasure in saying it, but if that still holds true, he should withdraw from the race and release his delegates. The Democratic Party has a strong bench of young, vigorous men and women, ready to serve. A brokered convention would be interesting, to say the least, and it would yield the best candidate to defeat the authoritarian fascist candidate that is Trump.

If the polls are accurate, Biden versus Trump is the contest most of the country does not want.

It is time for the Democrats to prove they are the adults in the room.

Len Levy, Glenview

Granted, President Joe Biden was not feeling his best on Thursday. He had a cold, and hes dealing with major world issues while trying to make life better for us Americans at the same time. Hes got a lot on his mind, and he got some statistics wrong. I have trouble remembering stats, too, so I try to avoid them.

Still, Biden provided many truths over Donald Trumps lies. If we look beyond his confusion over statistics, Biden still looked like the better man and the wise elder statesman that he is.

Linda Morton, Harvard

JoeBidendoes not need to defeat Donald Trump. The American people need to defeat Donald Trump.

Joe Artabasy, Glencoe

As I watched the debate, my heart sank. This president appeared to be a doddering old man. His rival appeared to be a blathering liar. What to do? Move to Canada? I hear that they have great health care!

The future looks bleak to this senior citizen.

Carole Bogaard, Oak Lawn

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Letters: Between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, here's who actually paid attention during the debate - Chicago Tribune

The day after President Biden melted down in Thursdays prime-time debate, Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia stood beside former President Donald J. Trump on a farm in Chesapeake, gushing.

This is the best Trump rally ever!

In the past, when it suited him, Mr. Youngkin kept his distance from Mr. Trump and his unpredictable behavior.

Not now. Not with all this winning afoot.

Hello, Virginia, Mr. Trump cooed as he took the stage before thousands of his supporters in what Republicans increasingly see as a winnable state. Did anybody watch a thing called the debate? He roared: That was a big one.

On the surface, the rally in Chesapeake was a quick-turn victory lap after the debate and before the 2024 race hits a higher gear.

Democrats are in a lot of trouble, so I feel pretty good today, said Jason Alter, 35, a dentist from Miami.

But beneath the jubilation, there was a low-grade panic stirring. It was the kind of panic that one sometimes feels when everything in life seems to be going a little too well.

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At Trumps Post-Debate Rally, Unease Among the Faithful - The New York Times

Donald J. Trumps top advisers are planning to drastically scale back and simplify the official platform of the Republican Party, according to a memo sent to the partys platform committee that was reviewed by The New York Times.

The memo signed by Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles, the former presidents two lead advisers described their efforts to pare down the platform to ensure our policy commitments to the American people are clear, concise and easily digestible. It dismissed past platforms as needlessly textbook-long documents shaped by special interest influence that had left the party and its nominee open to attacks from Democrats.

Publishing an unnecessarily verbose treatise will provide more fuel for our opponents fire of misinformation and misrepresentation to voters, the memo read. It is with that recognition that we will present a streamlined platform in line with President Trumps principled and popular vision for Americas future.

The memo was sent on Thursday ahead of the G.O.P.s gathering in Milwaukee next month, where it will first vote on its platform and then hold its national convention to select a presidential nominee.

The decision to cut the size of the platform sharply the most recent one adopted by the party, in 2016, ran nearly 60 pages is likely to prompt skirmishes among some conservatives and party activists who have spent years haggling over the documents language. One person close to the process who was granted anonymity to speak about the planning said the new platform could be half the size of the one in 2016.

Anti-abortion activists, in particular, have been gearing up for a fight in case the Trump team seeks to dilute or delete longstanding language in order to make Mr. Trump appear more moderate on the issue.

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Memo Reveals Trump's Plan to Slash the Size of the G.O.P. Platform - The New York Times

Last week I had the time of my life at the Tony Awards introducing a song from Suffs, the Broadway musical I co-produced about the suffragists who won women the right to vote. I was thrilled when the show took home the awards for best original score and best book.

From Suffs to Hamilton, I love theater about politics. But not the other way around. Too often we approach pivotal moments like this weeks debate between President Biden and Donald Trump like drama critics. Were picking a president, not the best actor.

I am the only person to have debated both men (Mr. Trump in 2016 and, in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary race, Mr. Biden). I know the excruciating pressure of walking onto that stage and that it is nearly impossible to focus on substance when Mr. Trump is involved. In our three debates in 2016, he unleashed a blizzard of interruptions, insults and lies that overwhelmed the moderators and did a disservice to the voters who tuned in to learn about our visions for the country including a record 84 million viewers for our first debate.

It is a waste of time to try to refute Mr. Trumps arguments like in a normal debate. Its nearly impossible to identify what his arguments even are. He starts with nonsense and then digresses into blather. This has gotten only worse in the years since we debated. I was not surprised that after a recent meeting, several chief executives said that Mr. Trump, as one journalist described it, could not keep a straight thought and was all over the map. Yet expectations for him are so low that if he doesnt literally light himself on fire on Thursday evening, some will say he was downright presidential.

Mr. Trump may rant and rave in part because he wants to avoid giving straight answers about his unpopular positions, like restrictions on abortion, giving tax breaks to billionaires and selling out our planet to big oil companies in return for campaign donations. He interrupts and bullies he even stalked me around the stage at one point because he wants to appear dominant and throw his opponent off balance.

These ploys will fall flat if Mr. Biden is as direct and forceful as he was when engaging Republican hecklers at the State of the Union address in March. The president also has facts and truth on his side. He led Americas comeback from a historic health and economic crisis, with more than 15 million jobs created so far, incomes for working families rising, inflation slowing and investments in clean energy and advanced manufacturing soaring. Hell win if that story comes through.

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Opinion | Hillary Clinton: I've Debated Trump and Biden. Here's What I'm Watching For. - The New York Times

I watched the Biden-Trump debate alone in a Lisbon hotel room, and it made me weep. I cannot remember a more heartbreaking moment in American presidential campaign politics in my lifetime, precisely because of what it revealed: Joe Biden, a good man and a good president, has no business running for re-election. And Donald Trump, a malicious man and a petty president, has learned nothing and forgotten nothing. He is the same fire hose of lies he always was, obsessed with his grievances nowhere close to what it will take for America to lead in the 21st century.

The Biden family and political team must gather quickly and have the hardest of conversations with the president, a conversation of love and clarity and resolve. To give America the greatest shot possible of deterring the Trump threat in November, the president has to come forward and declare that he will not be running for re-election and is releasing all of his delegates for the Democratic National Convention.

The Republican Party, if its leaders had an ounce of integrity, would demand the same, but it wont, because they dont. That makes it all the more important that Democrats put the countrys interests first and announce that a public process will begin for different Democratic candidates to compete for the nomination town halls, debates, meetings with donors, you name it. Yes, it could be chaotic and messy when the Democratic convention starts on Aug. 19 in Chicago, but I think the Trump threat is sufficiently grave that delegates could quickly rally around a consensus nominee.

If Vice President Kamala Harris wants to compete, she should. But voters deserve an open process in search of a Democratic presidential nominee who can unite not only the party but also the country, by offering something neither man on that Atlanta stage did on Thursday night: a compelling description of where the world is right now and a compelling vision for what America can and must do to keep leading it morally, economically and diplomatically.

Because this is no ordinary hinge of history we are at. We are at the start of the biggest technological disruptions and the biggest climate disruption in human history. We are at the dawn of an artificial intelligence revolution that is going to change EVERYTHING FOR EVERYONE how we work, how we learn, how we teach, how we trade, how we invent, how we collaborate, how we fight wars, how we commit crimes and how we fight crimes. Maybe I missed it, but I did not hear the phrase artificial intelligence mentioned by either man at the debate.

If there was ever a time that the world needed an America at its best, led by its best, it is now for great dangers and opportunities are now upon us. A younger Biden could have been that leader, but time has finally caught up with him. And that was painfully and inescapably obvious on Thursday.

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Opinion | Joe Biden Is a Good Man and a Good President. He Must Bow Out of the Race. - The New York Times

(NewsNation) The presidential campaign enters Independence Day weekend with no letup in the conversation and speculation about whether President Joe Biden should continue his reelection bid, while former President Donald Trump will learn whether the Supreme Court will uphold or wipe away the charges that he conspired to overthrow the 2020 election.

President Bidens family is urging him to stay in the race, a source familiar with the matter told NewsNation. The source said that first lady Jill Biden and son Hunter were the strongest in pushing the president not to withdraw during discussions at Camp David on Sunday.

There is also a lot of anger by the family directed at the campaign staff who were deeply involved in the debate preparation, the source confirmed. They did him a disservice, is how the source summarized the familys feelings.

Responding to that report, Biden campaign spokesperson Kevin Munoz told NewsNation: The aides who prepped the President have been with him for years, often decades, seeing him through victories and challenges. He maintains strong confidence in them.

There are ongoing discussions about Biden doing some type of press event later this week to answer the criticism of his performance, the source said. The presidents official schedule has him returning to the White House Monday night.

The man in charge of Bidens debate preparation, former White House chief of staff Ron Klain, said hes 100% certain that Biden will stay in the race.

He is the choice of the Democratic voters, Klain told The New York Times. We are seeing record levels of support from grass-roots donors. We had a bad debate night. But you win campaigns by fighting, not quitting, in the face of adversity, he said.

No prominent Democratic officeholder has publicly called on Biden to quit the race, but one longtime Biden Senate colleague has.

I think the president should step aside and let the convention pick a new candidate, said former Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin, who served with Biden for more than two decades in the Senate. He has a great legacy, and now its time to pass the torch, Harkin told The Washington Post.

A handful of major news organizations have called on Biden to quit the race, including The New York Times, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Chicago Tribune, The New Yorker and The Economist. The Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal editorial boards said that Biden should seriously consider bowing out, but neither explicitly called for him to withdraw.

While the money poured in, public doubt grew. In a CBS News/YouGov poll released Sunday, 45% of Democratic registered voters surveyed said Biden should step aside, while 55% said he should continue running.

The survey of 1,130 registered voters taken last Friday and Saturday has a 4.2% margin of error.

The presidents debate performance did not hurt the campaigns fundraising effort. In a Sunday email, the campaign said it raised more than $33 million since the Thursday debate $13 million of that from first-time grassroots donors. The email boasted that Thursday was our best grassroots fundraising day ever, while Friday was the second best.

Former President Donald Trump was off the trail most of the weekend but shared his thoughts on the expected Monday ruling from the Supreme Court on presidential immunity.

Without Presidential Immunity, a President of the United States literally could not function! Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.

It is a BIG decision, an important decision, a decision which can affect the Success or Failure of our Country for decades to come. We want a GREAT Country, not a weak, withering, and ineffective one. STRONG PRESIDENTIAL IMMUNITY IS A MUST!

A senior Trump adviser says the former president will travel from Mar-A-Lago to his golf club in Bedminster, N.J. on Monday. As of Sunday night, Trump had no public events on his schedule this week.

Trump wants the court to dismiss the charges filed in Washington, D.C. that he repeatedly spread false claims about the 2020 presidential election, tried to discount legitimate votes and helped plan the January 6 attempt to stop the vote certification by Congress.

Since Thursdays debate, some of those believed to be on the shortlist to become Trumps running mate have lavishly praised his performance something one observer says they must do.

The ones that wallflower arent going to get picked. This is the moment. This is a key moment for them, Republican strategist Ron Bonjean said of Trumps would-be running mates. Its a real test on whether they rise to the occasion and they defend Trump and go on the attack, he told The Hill.

One of those vice-presidential hopefuls, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, is taking a double negative approach to his praise by saying how unimportant the running mate may be in the campaign.

Hes winning he can win this election by himself, so hes got the luxury of picking someone who can help him govern, and thats gonna lead to a good choice, Burgum told Fox News.

Also: a memo from two Trump advisers calls for a streamlined Republican party platform for Trump to present to the delegates at the partys convention in Milwaukee.

The platform is an opportunity to make our vision clear, and to lay out a framework for policy-making while rejecting any special interest influence that seeks to make public policy stray from our clear and straightforward objectives, stated the memo, signed by Trump advisers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles, obtained by NPR, The New York Times and other news organizations.

Still to be determined: What the GOP platform will say about abortion. Democrats have promised to make abortion rights a major campaign topic up and down the ballot.

While the Trump and Biden campaigns await the Supreme Courts ruling on presidential immunity, occasional Trump adviser Steve Bannon wont be around to comment. Hes scheduled to report to the low-security federal prison in Danbury, Conn., Monday to serve a four-month sentence for contempt of Congress.

Bannon refused to obey a subpoena from the House committee that investigated the January 6, 2020, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

NewsNation producer Kevin Bohn, The Hill and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Biden reportedly won't quit the race, while Trump awaits Supreme Court immunity ruling - NewsNation Now

Voters Perceptions of Biden and Alternative Democratic Candidates

Bidens debate performance has led to significant debate among his supporters over whether he should step down as the Democratic nominee.

When asked if they have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of the following people, 44% of voters have a favorable view of Joe Biden, while 44% say they have a favorable view of Donald Trump.

Many potential alternative Democratic candidates are still unknown by a majority of voters, including Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, Senator Amy Klobuchar, and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.

Among those who a majority of voters have heard of, Vice President Kamala Harris has a -7-point approval rating, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg has a +2-point approval rating, Senator Cory Booker has a +6-point approval rating, and California Governor Gavin Newsom has a -9-point approval rating.

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In Post-Debate Poll, Voters Think Biden Is Too Old to Be President Yet Alternative Candidates Perform Similarly ... - Data For Progress