Welcome to the online version of From the policy deskevening bulletin that brings you the latest reporting and analysis from the campaign trail, the White House and Capitol Hill from the NBC News Politics team.
In today’s edition, we examine Donald Trump making baseless claims of “election interference” as he himself faces federal charges. Plus, senior national political reporter Jonathan Allen explains why Trump has been giving up major media opportunities in the final weeks of the race.
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Trump labels everything “election meddling” as he faces federal charges
Former President Donald Trump has never stopped promoting lies that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him. Now he is increasingly focused on preemptive claims that the 2024 election was rigged to prevent him from returning to the White House. Vaughn Hillyard reports.
This year, Trump and his campaign have cited more than a dozen examples of what Americans call election meddling to claim that the upcoming election was unfairly manipulated. But as general election voting began across the country, the campaign offered no evidence of actual fraud and no concrete allegations of potentially illegal efforts by Americans to interfere with this fall’s election process.
The latest instance comes after a judge oversaw a federal election meddling case in Washington released the redacted document from special counsel Jack Smith.
“The Democratic Party is guilty of the worst election meddling in American history,” Trump wrote on social media on Wednesday. He called the release “another blatant attempt by the Harris-Biden regime to INTERFERE IN THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.”
On Thursday, Trump called the release of the petition a month before Election Day “weaponizing the government.”
as Ryan J. Reilly, Ken Dilanian and Daniel Barnes recordit’s true that the Justice Department typically observes an unofficial 60-day “quiet period” before an election, meaning they refrain from taking discretionary actions that might appear to influence voters. The new disclosures from the special prosecutor’s office were made in an ongoing criminal case ordered by federal judge Tanya Chutka.
Smith was unaware that Chutka would decide whether to release the document or the timing of its release, two sources familiar with the matter, who were not authorized to speak publicly, told NBC News.
Others compared the October Surprise document to that of then-FBI Director James Comey statements About Hillary Clinton’s emails in October 2016, in favor of Trump a month later. But the scenarios are completely different.
In 2016, the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made disparaging comments about a presidential candidate who, as a result of their investigation, did not commit criminal acts. In 2024, a special prosecutor who secured three separate indictments against the former president from different federal grand juries released information in an ongoing criminal case ordered by a federal judge.
Other recent examples of Trump’s baseless “election interference” claim include: the Secret Service telling his campaign it didn’t have enough resources to secure an outdoor rally; saying without proof that Google manipulated its systems to reveal “bad stories” about him and “good stories” about Vice President Kamala Harris; and accuses Democrats of intending to use a decades-old law that allows Americans living abroad to vote by mail for “fraudulent” purposes.
Why is Trump avoiding major media moments in the last stretch?
By Jonathan Allen
In an unusual twist, former President Donald Trump is stepping away from the mainstream media spotlight in the final weeks of the campaign.
Trump chose not to sit for a traditional presidential candidate interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes.” He said he would not debate Vice President Kamala Harris again. Currently, there is nothing on its public schedule that would attract tens or hundreds of millions of viewers.
Of course, Trump is giving up some opportunities in a crucial race before Election Day. But it’s safe to say that anyone in America who owns a television, radio, smartphone, newspaper, or stone carving knows who Trump is. With rock-bottom approval ratings and a penchant for divisive rhetoric, he risks alienating swing voters rather than attracting them when his audience is large and ideologically diverse. Rallies, advertisements and interviews with friendly media outlets aimed at strengthening his base are safer places for him.
Moreover, some independent voters are still making up their minds about Harris. Trump’s team has reason to believe that focusing on him will hurt him more than help him.
Or, as one GOP strategist told NBC News, “Whoever it’s about is going to lose.”
If Trump feels like he’s failing again, he may decide he wants to make himself more accessible to a larger television audience, even if it means risking more adversarial interviews.
The same goes for Harris, who is very selective in his interactions with mainstream media outlets.
But for now, Trump has little to gain and much to lose from further exposure.
🗞️ The best stories of the day
- 🚒 Stay out of it: After endorsing Joe Biden in 2020, the International Association of Fire Fighters has announced it will not endorse a presidential candidate this year. More →
- 🔀 In the hallway: Former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., is preparing campaign with Harris Known as the birthplace of the Republican Party, Ripon, Wisconsin. The Harris campaign is also rolling out new digital ads featuring the former Trump supporter as part of its efforts to court GOP voters. More →
- 👉 No more Mr. Midwest Nice guy: After confronting Tim Walz, JD Vance returned to the campaign trail, shedding the Midwestern intricacies that permeated their discussions. More →
- 🏠 It’s complicated: During the debate, Vance argued that undocumented immigrants have driven up housing costs, but economists say it’s not that simple. More →
- 🩺 Cotton Plan: Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., told NBC News that if Trump wins the White House and the GOP takes control of Congress, Republicans should combine health care overhaul with a major tax bill. More →
- ✍️ Supporting the former boss: More than 300 national security experts, including former Trump administration officials, signed the letter endorsing the former president. More →
- 📺 On air: Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., is launching a $10 million ad buy in a Senate race where Democrats are looking increasingly competitive. More →
- 🎤 Downvote discussion: Hung Cao, a Republican, said during a debate in the Virginia Senate that drag queens and people who tolerate them are “not the people we want” in the military. More →
- ✏️ Back to School: Biden’s student loan forgiveness program can move forward after a judge granted an injunction against the program. More →
- ⚖️ Colorado ruling: A former Colorado state official who promoted conspiracy theories about the 2020 election has been sentenced to nine years in prison on charges including official misconduct related to the Mesa County voting system security breach. More →
- Follow live updates from the campaign trail →
That’s all for the Policy Desk for now. If you have feedback – like it or not – send us an email politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com
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