Democrats ramp up efforts to tie Trump to Hitler

Democrats including presidential nominee Kamala Harris and 2016 candidate Hillary Clinton are accusing their Republican opponent of being a Hitler-esque fascist. Spurred by a curiously thin report from the Atlantic claiming that former president Donald Trump disrespected the memory of a fallen soldier and praised Adolf Hitler and his generals, Harris held a press conference on Wednesday in front of her Washington, DC residence in which she warned Trump is “increasingly unhinged and unstable.” During a CNN town hall later that evening, Harris answered in the affirmative when she was asked if she believes Trump is a fascist. Meanwhile, Clinton likened the upcoming Sunday Trump rally at Madison Square Garden to an event held by Nazis at the same venue in 1939. Of course, MSG is also frequented by less divisive attractions, such as Billy Joel, the New York Knicks and Elton John.

Republicans have come out in droves against the Atlantic article, written by the notoriously dubious Jeffrey Goldberg, pointing out that the paper is owned by Laurene Powell Jobs, a longtime friend and donor to Harris and that most of the claims were attributed to a single anonymous source. General John Kelly later went public and claimed to have heard Trump’s comments about Hitler, but numerous other sources rejected the claim, including General Keith Kellogg, White House official Nick Ayers and former chief of staff Mark Meadows. Vanessa Guillén’s family lawyer and her sister also denied that Trump mistreated their family or Guillén’s memory. The Trump campaign followed up with an ad featuring an Auschwitz survivor stating that Harris comparing Trump to Hitler is the “worst thing” he’s ever heard. Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell argued that such rhetoric is what leads to assassination attempts against Trump.

The amped-up efforts from the Democrats come as some internally are panicking over the possibility that Harris could lose the race. Some strategists told the Hill that they are worried about the “vibes” and fear that the election is slipping away from them. The New York Post ran a similar article wherein Democrats sarcastically theorized that some of Harris’s staff were secretly working for Trump because of how poorly they’ve been managing the campaign. “Her press operation is that of a first-time congressional candidate running as a sacrificial lamb,” one Democrat asserted.

They have good reason to be concerned. The last iteration of the New York Times/Siena poll ahead of the election found worrying trends for Harris. An earlier version of the poll in October had Harris up three points over Trump; now the pair are tied. CNN data reporter Harry Enten cautioned that Trump was capable of even winning the popular vote.

-Amber Duke

On our radar

McCONNELL JUICES NEVADA Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s political action committee, Senate Leadership Fund, dumped $6.2 million into the Nevada Senate race between Republican Sam Brown and Democrat Jacky Rosen. Early vote numbers in the state have been promising for the GOP. 

UNENDORSED The Washington Post and LA Times will not endorse a candidate in the presidential election for the first time in decades. Editorial staff say they were waved away from publishing endorsements of Vice President Kamala Harris at the behest of their billionaire owners, Jeff Bezos and Patrick Soon-Shiong, respectively. 

MODEL ACCUSES TRUMP Former model Stacey Williams claimed in a “Survivors for Harris” campaign call that former president Donald Trump groped her in the 1990s. Williams was allegedly introduced to Trump by her boyfriend at the time: the now-deceased sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

What to expect from Trump’s Joe Rogan interview

Joe Rogan is probably the only person to have interviewed Alex Jones, Luke Bryan, Elon Musk and Edward Snowden on his podcast, which is one of the largest in the world.

His next guest may be his biggest yet: former president Donald Trump taped an episode today for the Joe Rogan Experience, which is set to be released imminently.

The interview, which could come close to breaking the internet, was no guarantee even as recently as a few weeks ago. Rogan has taken some digs at Trump before, previously saying in 2022 that he is “not a Trump supporter in any way, shape or form. I’ve had the opportunity to have him on my show more than once, I’ve said no every time.”

During his interviews, Rogan touches on subjects ranging from alien life to drugs to professional fighting, and much more. Trump, who has made the rounds on podcasts ranging from Theo Von’s This Past Weekend to Bussin’ with the Boys, will be well-prepared for what it takes to sit down for around three hours with Rogan.

Both Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are on a podcast blitz, appearing on shows that their potential voters frequent rather than making voters go to them. Over the years, Rogan has hosted politicians of both parties, including Senator Bernie Sanders, whom he voted for in 2020, and Republican representatives Wesley Hunt and Dan Crenshaw.

Trump isn’t alone in getting in on the fun; his running mate, Senator J.D. Vance, recently sat down with comedian Tim Dillon, himself a frequent Rogan guest. Harris, it seems, has rebuffed entreaties to do Rogan’s show, despite making an unusual campaign stop in Texas in the homestretch.

–Matthew Foldi

Election night in DC: soireé or flee? 

Will Election Day cause America to erupt in another spasm of violence? The nation’s capital is bracing itself for the possibility. “The Election Is Looming — and These Washingtonians Are Running Scared,” declares a Politico piece, which reports how “all kinds of people are scouting conveniently timed vacations.” Businesses are set to board up on Connecticut Avenue and elsewhere downtown. Overseas, America’s soft-handed European allies are anticipating the worst (when don’t they?): the Times of London commissioned a poll showing that a quarter of Americans fear civil war after the election.

Not everyone in the city is clutching their pearls, however. Dirty Water, a sports bar on H Street NE that is under new management, has opted to walk headfirst into the political controversy. “After watching a pizza shop known for feeding the homeless be accused of racism for a hilarious dessert ad and a U St bar attacked for the audacity of including both political parties in their logo, we think it’s probably best to pass on the edgy election night graphics we had planned,” they write in an Instagram post.

“That being said, we’re rooting for Trump and we plan on spraying champagne when we win. If that’s not your vibe, we kindly suggest you take in election night somewhere less fun.”

Some patrons are less than pleased with the bars decision to get off the fence, “Lmao no serious Boston fan should ever step foot in this moldy ass place,” reads one comment. Others are more enthused: “Dirty water isn’t for dirty libs. Let’s goooo”

Do you have plans for election night? Email cockburn@thespectator.com to invite Cockburn to your party.

–Cockburn