[What A Day]([link removed])
Wednesday, October 2, 2024
BY MATT BERG & CROOKED MEDIA
[link removed]
- CBS News moderator Margaret Brennan, [intervening during a fight]([link removed]) over immigration at the VP debate
Donald Trump keeps warning that we’re on the brink of World War III, as the situation in the Middle East becomes more perilous by the day. American officials and experts aren’t so sure.
- Tensions in the Middle East reached new highs after Iran [fired nearly 200 rockets]([link removed]) at Israel on Tuesday, retaliation for Israel’s assassinations of [top militant leaders]([link removed]) backed by Iran. Israel is expected to strike back soon, and several Israeli soldiers [were killed]([link removed]) while fighting Hezbollah militants in Lebanon today. Former President Donald Trump is trying to politicize the moment: President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are “leading us to the brink of World War III,” Trump [said at a rally]([link removed]) after Iran’s rocket attack.
- As with most of Trump’s claims, this just isn’t true, according to officials and experts: “Trump’s WWIII comments are attention-seeking, lazy and ill-informed (shocking, I know),” a senior Biden administration official who works on foreign policy texted What A Day. Natasha Hall, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, echoed that analysis, saying that a so-called World War III “would involve far more actors than we have seen in this regional escalation” plus direct involvement from the United States.
- Trump often touts his foreign policy record as president, saying that he was tougher on Iran and boasts of a comparatively peaceful Middle East. But as [Pod Save The World]([link removed]) explains today, Iran fired missiles directly at U.S. troops in 2020, causing more than 100 American soldiers to suffer from traumatic brain injuries — or, as Trump calls them, [“headaches.”]([link removed]) He also [pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal]([link removed]), [moved the U.S. embassy]([link removed]) to Jerusalem, and recognized the occupied Golan Heights [as Israeli territory]([link removed]), angering scores of countries. His running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), voted against the last [supplemental funding bill]([link removed]) for Israel, which included billions for the country’s missile defense systems.
So yeah, World War III isn’t on the horizon. But wider fighting contained to the Middle East does seem possible, and many are blaming the White House for failing to rein in Israel’s continued escalation of violence.
- “The Biden administration has been calling for de-escalation, but to be frank, its efforts to achieve that have seen it ignored [and] humiliated,” Charles Lister, director of the countering terrorism and extremism program at the Middle East Institute, told What A Day. The White House says it will support Israel’s upcoming retaliation, but “Israel has to articulate a medium- and long-term strategy to the U.S.,” said the administration official.
- It’s true that Biden and Harris haven’t been willing to force a ceasefire, [approving billions of dollars in weapons]([link removed]) for Israel to use in its war in Gaza, where the death toll has now exceeded 40,000. But Trump would almost certainly embolden Israel further. He [alienated Palestinians]([link removed]) as he tried to negotiate peace in the region, and Netanyahu believed that, with Trump in office, he could “beat the Palestinian cause into submission,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) told the [Washington Post]([link removed]).
Kamala Harris has [signaled that she won’t change]([link removed]) current U.S. policy toward Israel if elected. But Donald Trump, who says that he’s the “[best friend that Israel has ever had,]([link removed])” would surely have a cabinet full of officials who see Gaza as nothing more than valuable [“waterfront property.”]([link removed])
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan made public one of special counsel Jack Smith’s filings on his investigation into Donald Trump’s alleged efforts to overthrow the 2020 election. [The 165-page document is spicy]([link removed]).
A few highlights from the document, [per Politico’s Kyle Cheney]([link removed]): When he lost, Trump “launched a series of increasingly desperate plans to overturn the legitimate election results in seven states that he had lost,” Trump benched his legal team and put attorney Rudy Guliani in charge because he was cool with lying about the results. “Rudy tried to text a Michigan GOP leader a proposed resolution declaring the election in dispute — but he sent it to a wrong number,” Cheney writes. On January 5, 2021, MAGA strategist Steve Bannon on his podcast predicted that “all hell is going to break loose” the next day. He had spoken to Trump two hours before the podcast.
The election subversion case [won’t be heard until after]([link removed]) November 5, but Team Trump [still isn’t happy]([link removed]) about the document. And as a reminder: During Tuesday night’s veep debate, Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) refused to say whether Trump lost the election. Say your nightly prayers for democracy.
Join Pod Save America next Sunday, October 6th, at their LAST show of the year in their biggest venue yet: the Met Philadelphia! It’s your last chance to come to a show before the election, so don’t miss the opportunity to see the guys at their most anxious. They'll be joined by guest host, friend of the show Symone Sanders Townsend of MSNBC, and incredible guest, the delightful Senator Bob Casey. Get your tickets now at [crooked.com/events]([link removed]-). And for a limited time, we’re giving 15% off all non-VIP tickets with code PODSAVE15.
[link removed]-
Kamala Harris traveled to Georgia today to speak about Hurricane Helene disaster relief efforts, [announcing several measures]([link removed]) the federal government is taking to help communities affected. The White House today also [approved the deployment of 1,000 Army soldiers]([link removed]) to North Carolina to help with delivering supplies like food, water, and medicine.
There was no clear winner in Tuesday night’s veep debate between JD Vance and Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN), [according to a snap poll]([link removed]). Democrats largely thought Walz won, while Republicans thought Vance came out on top. Helpful! Instructive!
Federal prosecutors [may bring more charges]([link removed]) against New York City Mayor Eric Adams after he was indicted on corruption charges last week, they said during a court appearance today. Adams pleaded not guilty to the existing charges last week, but we’re certainly eager to hear what other alleged crimes he had cooking!
The Biden administration is [backing dockworkers]([link removed]) currently striking across the country, pressuring their employers to secure a better labor deal. On its second day, the strike is affecting food and automobile shipments, which could affect the economy ahead of the November election.
[link removed]
Everyone loved cereal as a kid. But then you grow up and realize cereal has too much sugar. Enter [Magic Spoon]([link removed]).
Magic Spoon is a nostalgically delicious cereal that tastes just like my childhood favorites but with a ton of protein and none of the sugar! Each serving is loaded with 13g of protein, 5g net carbs, and ZERO sugar to keep you fueled up anytime of day. Return to your childhood with classic flavors like Fruity, Cocoa, Frosted, and Peanut Butter!
And if you’re already a Magic Spoon fan, I have BIG NEWS! Magic Spoon has turned their super popular cereal into high-protein Treats. Magic Spoon Treats are crispy, crunchy, airy, and taste just like those classic crunchy cereal bars—and they’re an easy way to get 11 grams of protein on-the-go! Treats come in classic flavors like Marshmallow, Chocolate Peanut Butter, and more.
Magic Spoon is so confident in their product, it’s backed with a 100% happiness guarantee: if you don’t like it for any reason, they'll refund your money, no questions asked.
Get $5 OFF your next order of cereal or Treats at [magicspoon.com/CROOKEDNEWSLETTER]([link removed]). Or look for Magic Spoon in your nearest grocery store. Happy Spooning!
Welcome Corps, a group that helps resettle people fleeing LGBT crackdowns around the world, [has linked]([link removed]) 1,800 refugees with 3,500 sponsors since launching last year. Another 100,000 more people have applied to become sponsors.
[What A Day]([link removed])
[You Survived Today. See You Thursday.]([link removed])
[link removed]
© Crooked Media 2024. All Rights Reserved.
If you want to manage which emails you receive from Crooked Media, [update your preferences here]([link removed]). If you prefer to opt out of all Crooked Media communications, you may [unsubscribe]([link removed]).
[Share this newsletter]([link removed])
7162 Beverly Blvd #212, Los Angeles, CA, 90036
[Twitter]([link removed])
[Facebook]([link removed])
[Instagram]([link removed])
