THE SHOW NOTES: Aftermath of the First Debate, Trump in Georgia, & What Happened to Prigozhin?
Welcome! Hunter Biden traveled to at least 13 countries with VP dad.
NEW: COVID and inflation plunged 68 million people into poverty in Asia.
CHINA: Has a Chinese Submarine Crashed in the Taiwan Strait? - Newsweek
HEADLINE: Biden Is in Danger of Losing in 2024 if He Doesn’t Embrace ‘The Squad,’ Progressive Democrat Warns - The Messenger
The Show Notes is my blueprint for radio but is only for subscribers. You can subscribe and listen here.
Three Takeaways From Last Night’s Debate
Nikki Haley may have won the night. She had the most memorable line when she criticized Vivek Ramaswamy in this clip by saying “You have no foreign policy experience and it shows.”
While I suspect Vivek Ramaswamy will see a bump from the “burn it down” crowd it is becoming increasingly obvious that he is Trump’s attack dog. He was the only candidate on stage to say Trump was the greatest President of the twenty-first century and repeated lines used by Barack Obama and Ted Cruz. He said climate change was fake but said the exact opposite just a few months ago.
Ron DeSantis had a solid night by staying above the fray and focusing on pocketbook issues. After months of questions about his ability to pivot, this was the performance he needed. It was noteworthy to me that most candidates on stage chose to attack Vivek while the Trump team continues to attack DeSantis. This suggests to me that Trump’s internal polling is picking up on something concerning about DeSantis.
Go read my full debate report here.
Trump in Georgia
Hours ahead of Trump’s scheduled arrest in Georgia, an Obama-appointed state judge has blocked a request from co-defendants Mark Meadows and Jeffrey Clark to have their cases transferred to federal court. The surprise move ensures Meadows and Clark will be arrested in Georgia before the Friday 12 PM deadline.
Out: Donald Trump has replaced his top Georgia attorney before turning himself in to the Fulton County jail. Steven Sadow will replace Drew Findling while Trump’s other Georgia attorney, Jennifer Little, is expected to remain on the case.
Russia
Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was allegedly killed when a surface-to-air missile (or something else) hit Prigozhin’s private plane on a trip from Moscow to St. Petersburg. Prigozhin and nine other people were listed on the flight records before the plane went down in Russia's Tver region on Wednesday.
Is he really dead: Not everyone is convinced that Prigozhin was indeed killed. In 2019 Prigozhin was briefly reported to have been killed when a plane crashed in the Congo before he reappeared days later. Prigozhin was known to carry multiple passports for body doubles and large sums of cash.
From The Guardian: “It’s been announced that a passenger by the name of Yevgeniy Prigozhin was onboard. But it is also known that multiple individuals have changed their name to Yevgeniy Prigozhin, as part of his efforts to obfuscate his travels. So until we know for certain that it’s the right Prigozhin, let’s not be surprised if he pops up shortly in a new video from Africa.”
Cleaning house: The same day Prigozhin’s plane went down, Russia announced the firing of Sergei Surovikin who formerly led Russia’s war in Ukraine but has not been publically seen since Prigozhin’s coup.
Why this matters: Following Wagner’s failed coup attempt, Prigozhin struck a deal with Putin on July 29th that precluded Prigozhin from facing prosecution. The Kremlin has remained eerily silent while Putin has not referenced Prigozhin by name.
Did the CIA know: Rumors are swirling that the CIA knew something was afoot hours before the incident occurred. A warning was sent to Americans in Russia-aligned Belarus to evacuate the country as soon as possible.
🔥 Trending news: