memeorandum: Anti-Trump Republican Evan McMullin to launch independent bid for presidency (Louis Nelson/Politico)

12:00 PM ET, August 8, 2016

Top Items:

McKay Coppins / BuzzFeed:

Anti-Trump Republican Launching Independent Presidential Bid — Key players in the GOP's anti-Trump movement are preparing to launch an independent presidential campaign for Evan McMullin — a CIA veteran and the chief policy director of the House Republican conference — sources close to the effort told BuzzFeed News.

Shushannah Walshe / ABC News:

Former CIA Agent to Launch Independent Presidential Bid — Evan McMullin, a 40-year-old former CIA counterterror operative who is now the chief policy director of the House Republican Conference, will run for president as a third-party conservative alternative to Donald Trump, the group backing the candidate told ABC News today.

Discussion: The New Civil Rights Movement and The Week

Louis Nelson / Politico:

Anti-Trump Republican Evan McMullin to launch independent bid for presidency — Evan McMullin, the former chief policy director for Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives, will offer discontented members of his party an option this November by launching an independent, conservative bid for president.

Discussion: CNBC, Daily Kos, twitchy.com, Hot Air, Raw Story, Independent Journal Review and The Week

Jesse Byrnes / The Hill:

CIA veteran expected to announce challenge to Trump — Evan McMullin, a Central Intelligence Agency veteran and former chief policy director of the House Republican Conference, is expected to announce an independent presidential bid on Monday, according to multiple reports.

Discussion: John Hawkins' Right Wing News, BizPac Review, Guardian and The New Civil Rights Movement

Patrick Svitek / The Texas Tribune:

George P. Bush, a Trump Holdout, Urges Support For Nominee … Land Commissioner George P. Bush, who has not endorsed Donald Trump, is now asking Texas Republicans to support the party's presidential nominee. — Addressing state GOP activists Saturday, Bush said it was time to put aside …

Discussion: NBC News, Red Alert Politics, Hot Air, The Resurgent, Talking Points Memo, Politico, CNN, Politicus USA, New York Magazine, Independent Journal Review, The Week, Post On Politics and BizPac Review

Abby Phillip / Washington Post:

George W. Bush administration official announces support for Clinton over Trump — Lezlee Westine, a former aide to President George W. Bush, will support Hillary Clinton for president. — Westine, who served as the Bush administration's White House Director of Public Liaison and deputy assistant …

Discussion: Politico and Occupy Democrats

Kathleen Gray / Detroit Free Press:
Former Gov. Milliken endorses Clinton over Trump

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and NBC News

Cyra Master / The Hill:
George P. Bush tells GOP to support Trump: report

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit and RedState

Andrea Peyser / New York Post:

I can no longer justify calling myself a Trump supporter — MORE FROM: — That's all folks! I'm out. — Embracing the presidential aspirations of Donald Trump was, from the start, an exercise in magical thinking. In my heart, I wanted the smack-talking, hair-challenged …

Discussion: Raw Story and The Week

Bloomberg:

Trump to Propose Moratorium on New Financial Regulations — In a speech Monday in Detroit, the Republican presidential nominee will also call for a repeal of the estate tax. — kevcirilli — JenniferJJacobs — Donald Trump will propose a temporary moratorium on new financial regulations …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, ThinkProgress, Washington Post, New York Times, Daily Kos, Patterico's Pontifications, The Daily Caller, Business Insider, No More Mister Nice Blog and The Week

Brian Stelter / CNNMoney:

Drudge Report misleads readers with Hillary Clinton photo — From the looks of Matt Drudge's home page, Hillary Clinton is so sick, she needs help getting up a flight of stairs. — But looks can be deceiving. The Drudge Report, one of the most widely read sites on the web …

Discussion: Infowars

Kyle Olson / The American Mirror:
SHOCK PHOTO: Multiple staffers help unstable Hillary up stairs

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, RedState, Breitbart, BizPac Review, Independent Journal Review, Media Matters for America, Mediaite, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, Questions and Observations and twitchy.com

Wall Street Journal:

Donald Trump Tries a Campaign Reboot — As the GOP nominee slumps in polls, he plans an economic speech in Detroit — Donald Trump is trying to quickly reset his presidential campaign to address worsening poll numbers and growing isolation from influential members of the Republican Party.

Ashley Parker / New York Times:

Donald Trump's Diet: He'll Have Fries With That — President Obama is so disciplined that his wife has teased that he eats precisely seven lightly salted almonds each night. — George W. Bush was an exercise buff, obsessed with staying trim by mountain biking and clearing brush at his ranch in Crawford, Tex.

Discussion: The Week

Philip Bump / Washington Post:

The new Post-ABC poll shows just how badly Donald Trump blew his convention — Conventions are not complicated things. They are a few nights' worth of free media attention, during which each political party can make its best case to voters for the general election.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Resurgent, Electoral-vote.com, Little Green Footballs, Daily Wire and New York Magazine

Harry Enten / FiveThirtyEight:
Election Update: Clinton's Post-Convention Bump Is Showing No Signs Of Fading

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money

Gabriel Debenedetti / Politico:

Trump fundraising sets off Clinton camp alarms — NEW YORK — Taken aback by the size of Donald Trump's July fundraising haul, Hillary Clinton's campaign is quickly working to beef up its efforts to raise campaign cash before the fall — sending the candidate, running mate Tim Kaine …

Anne Kim / Washington Monthly:

Why Trump Peddles Fear while Hillary Preaches Hope — Los Angeles is a sprawling megalopolis of 10 million people whose violent youth culture has been legendary in pop culture, myth and media. In the past, this reputation was for good cause. In 1990 alone, nearly 500 L.A. teenagers died …

Discussion: Booman Tribune

Pew Research Center:

Many Americans Hear Politics From the Pulpit — More say their clergy have spoken out about issues than about specific presidential candidates — As the calendar turned from spring to summer and the political season transitioned from the primaries to the general election campaign …

Discussion: The Atlantic, New York Times and Washington Post

Richard L. Hasen / The Atlantic:

Republicans Are Not Attacking Democracy — Has the Republican Party engaged in “a coordinated attack on democracy,” by restricting voting rules, opening the campaign-money spigot, blocking progressive local laws and consumer protections, engaging in partisan gerrymandering …

Frank Lavin / CNN:

Reagan Republican: Trump is the emperor with no clothes — A former government official in Republican administrations since the presidency of Ronald Reagan, Frank Lavin is the CEO of Export Now, a company that helps U.S. brands sell online in China. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his.

Discussion: Washington Times, Politicus USA and The Hill

Jim Hoft / The Gateway Pundit:

PHOTOS=> Hillary's Handler Carries DIAZEPAM Pen for Patients Who Experience Recurrent Seizures! — In recent bizarre events on the campaign trail a strange man was noticed at Hillary Clinton's side. — Via Mike Cernovich: … ** Danger and Play has much more.

Discussion: Mike Cernovich Presents … and Vox Popoli

Nicole Auerbach / USA Today:

Katie Ledecky wins gold in women's 400 free, breaks her own world record — RIO DE JANEIRO — At this point, all that's left for Katie Ledecky to chase is history. — So she does. — The 19-year-old swimming superstar entered these Olympics as the current world-record holder in the 400, 800 and 1,500 meter freestyles.

Discussion: Scared Monkeys, Independent Journal Review, New York Magazine and The Week