The Hill's 12:30 Report — Trump’s post-debate fallout

Presented by Electronic Payments Coalition — Speaker Johnson's dilemma

View Online  12:30 REPORT PRESENTED BY Happy Thursday, folks! Four civilians walked in space this morning, and the video (see below) is seriously worth watching. Here's what else is happening: Republicans are frustrated with Trump's debate performance. The big question is how much Tuesday's debate will move the needle. House Republicans are regrouping after yanking a doomed funding plan. The Harris campaign is selling Taylor Swift-inspired friendship bracelets.   I'm Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what's coming up. Send tips, commentary, feedback and cookie recipes to cmartel@thehill.com. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here.   🗳 On The Campaign Trail The debate: Very mindful, very inquisitive, very ~D.Muir~: ©  AP Republicans are disappointed with former President Trump's debate performance this week, irritated by his inability to ignore the bait from Vice President Harris throughout the night.   Trump and his allies have accused ABC News moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis of fact-checking them unequally. They argue the moderators asked Trump follow-up questions but let Harris off the hook.   But The Hill's Alexander Bolton reports that Senate Republicans blame Trump for failing to ask Harris pointed questions and pin down her record. They're also worried that Trump's rants will be the main takeaway for undecided voters who tuned in on Tuesday night.   Anecdotally, I haven't been able to scroll through social media platforms for very long without seeing a joke about Trump and the unfounded conspiracy theory about migrants eating pets.   But how much damage did Trump do?:   🫲 On one hand, Republican pollster Frank Luntz predicted that Trump's debate performance will cost him the election. Read his reasoning 🫱 On the other hand, Politico's Charlie Mahtesian argues that's a dangerous perception to think one debate can hurt Trump's chances. Read his argument: 'The danger of underestimating Donald Trump'   For what it's worth: Former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suggested the debate could hurt Trump's support among independent voters.   This post-debate talk seems to be getting under Trump's skin: Trump ripped Fox News host Neil Cavuto for saying that Trump lost this week's debate. "Neil Cavuto, Fox's Lowest Rated Anchor, is one of the WORST on Television. I actually prefer the losers at CNN and MSDNC," Trump wrote on his Truth Social website Wednesday.   What about a second debate?: Trump allies are urging him to accept Harris's invitation for a second debate — and some Senate Republicans agree, report The Hill's Al Weaver and Alex Gangitano.   Harris is using the debate to troll Trump: Harris's campaign posted most of Tuesday's debate on the social platform X, referring to it as a new ad. "Our newest ad just dropped," captioned the debate video. See the Kamala HQ post ➤  SWIFTIES ARE IN THEIR VOTING ERA: As of 2 p.m. Wednesday, more than 337,000 people visited vote.gov after pop star Taylor Swift's post-debate endorsement of Harris.   Last night: While accepting an award at MTV's 2024 Video Music Awards, Swift urged people to register to vote. 📹 Watch her acceptance speech ➤  JOE WORE A 'TRUMP 2024' HAT — NO, REALLY: President Biden briefly wore a "Trump 2024" hat during a Sept. 11 visit to Shanksville, Pa. The White House said it was intended as a show of unity, but it has gone viral among Republicans.   📹 Watch the clip 📸 Photo of Biden wearing a Trump hat ➤  MORE CAMPAIGN TRAIL READS: 'Harris, After a Debate Success, Confronts a Battleground "Game of Inches"': The New York Times   'Trump stokes suspicions about assassination attempt, raising fears of more violence': The Washington Post   'Swinging Seniors: Older Voters Are Still Up for Grabs in 2024': "Americans aged 65 and older are evenly divided between Trump and Harris and may decide who wins the White House." The Wall Street Journal   '"Not his best": Trump's conspiracy-laced debate performance prompts concern from some allies': NBC News ⏱️ In Congress Clean it up, Mike: ©  GIPHY/It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is facing the same problem as his successors: Appeasing conservatives in his caucus while also trying to keep the gears running.   Former President Trump wants a controversial proposal included in the spending bill that would require voters show proof of citizenship when registering to vote. That plan had so much Republican opposition that Johnson had to yank the plan entirely, leaving Congress back to square one with a little more than two weeks until the deadline.   How does this end?: That's still unclear, but a growing number of House Republicans are expecting this month's government funding saga to end with a clean extension to avoid a shutdown. But what is still unclear is how Congress gets there.   "Privately, however, others are concluding that a bipartisan stopgap is inevitable, so it would be in the best interest to get it over with sooner rather than later."   Republicans, meet your rock. And now, your hard place.    Read Emily Brooks, Mychael Schnell and Aris Folley's reporting on what House Republicans are privately hoping will happen. ➤  MORE READS ON THE GOVERNMENT FUNDING SAGA: 'Speaker Mike Johnson's next steps on government funding fight could determine whether he gets to keep leading the House GOP': CNN 'Speaker Johnson threatens a government shutdown to boost Trump's election lies': USA Today Content from our sponsor: Electronic Payments Coalition Don't buy corporate mega-stores' hypocrisy Corporate mega-stores want backdoor price controls to save money on credit card services, but raised prices on essentials like eggs and milk. Learn how they flip-flop on government price controls.  🛰️ News this morning How cool!: "A four-person crew of civilians on board SpaceX's Polaris Dawn mission unlocked the hatch of their capsule and made history as the first group of non-government astronauts to conduct a spacewalk." (CNN)   📹 Watch the video of the civilian spacewalk 🐝 Internet Buzz 🍫 Celebrate: Today is National Chocolate Milkshake Day!   💙 Thankfully, this scary story has a happy ending: While rock star Jon Bon Jovi was reportedly filming a music video on a bridge in Nashville, he saw a distraught woman. He approached her and talked her off the ledge and onto solid ground. (The Washington Post)   💄 Swifties will have new bracelets to trade: The Harris-Walz campaign almost immediately sold out of Taylor Swift-inspired friendship bracelets. "Are you ready for it?" the listing reads for the bracelets. 🔎 See the listing for the bracelets 📆 On The Agenda The House and Senate are in. President Biden is in Washington, and Vice President Harris is in North Carolina today. (all times Eastern) 1:45 p.m.: A Senate judicial confirmation vote. 📆 Today's agenda 2:30 p.m.: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre briefs reporters. 💻 Livestream 3:40 p.m.: Harris campaigns in Charlotte. 💻 Livestream 5:30 p.m.: Former President Trump campaigns in Tucson, Ariz. 💻 Livestream 5:45 p.m.: Biden delivers remarks ahead of the 30th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act. 💻 Livestream 6:50 p.m.: Harris campaigns in Greensboro. 💻  Livestream 7 p.m.: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) campaigns in Grand Rapids, Mich.  💻 Livestream 👋 And Finally... Because you made it this far, here are some surfing dogs. Stay Engaged Send comments, story ideas and events for our radar to cmartel@thehill.com. A friend forward this to you? Subscribe here.   View past issues of 12:30 Report here and check out other newsletters from The Hill here. See you next time! 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