memeorandum: Donald Trump's threat to imprison Hillary Clinton is a threat to democracy (Zack Beauchamp/Vox)

3:20 PM ET, October 10, 2016

Top Items:

John Bresnahan / Politico:

Ryan abandons Trump — Speaker Paul Ryan told House Republicans on a conference call Monday morning that he's done defending Donald Trump and will focus on maintaining his party's increasingly imperiled House majority, according to sources on the call. — The message amounted to a concession …

Discussion: TheBlaze.com, Infowars, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, Independent Journal Review, Guardian and Balloon Juice

Alan Fram / Associated Press:

The Latest: Ryan Said to Avoid Question on Voting for Trump — The Latest on the U.S. presidential race (all times EDT): — Hillary Clinton's campaign says it's “pretty stunning” that House Speaker Paul Ryan told fellow Republicans he won't campaign for GOP nominee Donald Trump.

Discussion: Politico and The Right Scoop

New York Times:

House Speaker Won't Defend Donald Trump, Upsetting G.O.P. Hard-Liners — House Speaker Paul D. Ryan dealt a hammer blow to Donald J. Trump's presidential candidacy Monday, dashing any remaining semblance of party unity and inviting fierce backlash from his own caucus by announcing that he would no longer defend Mr. Trump's candidacy.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, ThinkProgress, Vox, New York Magazine, Daily Kos, Politicus USA, Fox News Insider, Business Insider, CBS New York, The Week, The Federalist, The Gateway Pundit and CBS Dallas, more at Mediagazer »

Claude Brodesser-Akner / New Jersey Online:

Mike Pence cancels N.J. Trump fundraiser scheduled for Monday in Ocean County — TRENTON — Donald Trump's running mate, Mike Pence, has canceled his planned visit to New Jersey scheduled for Monday, several GOP sources tell NJ Advance Media. — Pence, the governor of Indiana …

Discussion: New Urban Legends, Talking Points Memo, Politico, NBC News, The Week and Mediaite

Nolan D. McCaskill / Politico:

Kellyanne Conway throws down the gauntlet to Paul Ryan — Donald Trump's campaign manager challenged House Speaker Paul Ryan on Monday not to dump her boss. — “I certainly hope Speaker Ryan keeps his word and his endorsement of Donald Trump,” Kellyanne Conway said on “CBS This Morning” …

Discussion: Daily Kos

John Bresnahan / Politico:
Sources: Ryan discussed revoking Trump endorsement

Discussion: ABC News, Political Insider blog and Vox

Kate Nocera / BuzzFeed:
Paul Ryan Tells House Republicans: Do What's Best For You When It Comes To Trump

Discussion: alan.com

Jonathan V. Last / Weekly Standard:
The Debate's Biggest Loser Was the GOP

Discussion: RedState, Political Wire and The Moderate Voice

Louis Nelson / Politico:
Pence: ‘Trump showed that he is a big man’ with debate apology

Discussion: ABC News

New York Times:
Donald Trump Vows Retaliation as Republicans Abandon Him

Discussion: Weekly Standard, Yahoo, Mother Jones, Washington Post, Arkansas Blog, Arkansas Times, Hullabaloo and The Week

Rosie Gray / BuzzFeed:
Trump Goes Full Breitbart

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, Washington Post, NBC News and Mediaite

Jacob Pramuk / CNBC:
Paul Ryan tells House GOP he won't defend Trump in wake of video scandal

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, Mediaite, The Week and The Resurgent

Tom LoBianco / CNN:
Pence: I never considered leaving Trump ticket

Discussion: New York Times, Washington Post, Daily Kos, NPR, The Stranger …, Politicus USA, Business Insider, WTVR-TV, The Resurgent, Washington Monthly, Joe.My.God., ThinkProgress, The Daily Caller, NBC News, Indianapolis Star and The Right Scoop

Ezra Klein / Vox:
Donald Trump confirmed our worst fears about the kind of president he would be

Discussion: New York Magazine and Washington Post

Washington Post:

Trump's debate plan to seat Bill Clinton's accusers in family box was thwarted — ST. LOUIS — Donald Trump's campaign sought to intimidate Hillary Clinton and embarrass her husband by seating women who have accused former president Bill Clinton of sexual abuse in the Trump family's box …

MJ Lee / CNN:

Donald Trump's mission: Make Clinton's life hell for the next month — WARNING: This story contains graphic language. — St. Louis (CNN)Donald Trump issued an unmistakable threat to Hillary Clinton Sunday night: I am willing to cross any line to make the next 30 days of your life hell.

Discussion: Washington Post, The American Spectator and New York Times

Joel B. Pollak / Breitbart:

Melania Trump Trolls Clintons with ‘Pussy Bow’ Blouse at Debate — Melania Trump, wife of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, wore a Gucci blouse to the second presidential debate that is called a “pussy bow.” — The potential First Lady's wardrobe choice came …

Discussion: John Hawkins' Right Wing News, Full Feed, Mediaite and Joe.My.God.

Callum Borchers / Washington Post:

Juanita Broaddrick's other debate-night claim could be trouble for Breitbart News — Seated next to Donald Trump at a pre-debate campaign event Sunday night, Juanita Broaddrick repeated her charge that Bill Clinton raped her in 1978 — an accusation she has contradicted under oath and which the former president denies.

Discussion: Political Insider blog, ThinkProgress and Balloon Juice

Zack Beauchamp / Vox:

Donald Trump's threat to imprison Hillary Clinton is a threat to democracy — There is no way to sugarcoat this: At Sunday night's presidential debate, Donald Trump threatened to throw Hillary Clinton in jail if he wins the presidency. This — threatening to jail one's political opponents — is how democratic norms die.

Discussion: Washington Post, ThinkProgress, RedState and Vogue

Sarah Westwood / Washington Examiner:
Emails: Firm that hired Abedin called Chelsea Clinton a ‘spoiled brat kid’

Discussion: RedState, The Daily Caller and Washington Free Beacon

A.M. / Economist:
Donald Trump threatens to lock up Hillary Clinton

Discussion: Washington Post and Instapundit

Associated Press:
Trump Ally Paid Sexual Assault Victim Critical of Clinton

Discussion: ABC News, Vox, Raw Story, Media Matters for America and Politico

Hadas Gold / Politico:
Who paid for Bill Clinton's accusers to travel to the debate?

Discussion: RedState, The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Caller, Talking Points Memo, Breitbart and AOL

Carrie Dann / NBC News:

Poll: After Trump Tape Revelation, Clinton's Lead Up to Double Digits — NBC/WSJ poll: Clinton holds major lead 7:03 — As Donald Trump's campaign reels over tapes of the presidential candidate's sexually aggressive comments about women in 2005, the Republican nominee now trails Hillary Clinton …

Discussion: RedState, Mediaite, Talking Points Memo, The Moderate Voice, alan.com, Independent Journal Review, Guardian, The Daily Caller, Suburban Guerrilla …, Business Insider, AOL, Patterico's Pontifications and The Resurgent

Janet Hook / Wall Street Journal:
Hillary Clinton's Lead Jumped After Lewd Video, Before Debate, in WSJ Poll

Discussion: Vox, Mother Jones, Hot Air and Washington Post

NBC News:
Poll: More Voters Say Trump Doesn't Respect Women After Lewd Tape Surfaces

Discussion: Washington Post, Politico, The Daily Caller and NBC News

Josh Gerstein / Politico:

GOP ex-prosecutors slam Trump over threat to ‘jail’ Clinton — Donald Trump's debate-night vow to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Hillary Clinton's email setup and put her “in jail” provoked a sharp blowback from former U.S. prosecutors, who said Trump's view of the Justice Department serving …

Discussion: ABC News, Mashable and Talking Points Memo

Ari Melber / NBC News:
Trump's Pledge to ‘Jail’ Clinton Unprecedented

Discussion: Raw Story, NBC News, The Huffington Post, Media Matters for America, Occupy Democrats, Media Matters for America, CNBC, twitchy.com, Politico, Talking Points Memo, Mashable and Scripting News

Alex Griswold / Mediaite:
Trump Campaign Manager: Statement About Putting Hillary in Jail Was a ‘Quip’

Discussion: BuzzFeed, Political Insider blog and Daily Kos

Associated Press:
Trump's 'You'd Be in Jail' Debate Jab at Clinton Condemned

Discussion: ABC News and Politico

Gregory Krieg / CNN:
Trump threatens to jail Clinton if he wins election

Discussion: New York Magazine, Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, Above the Law, Washington Free Beacon, Fortune, Raw Story, ThinkProgress, Political Insider blog, KTLA, Daily Kos, Mashable and twitchy.com

Sarah B. Boxer / Yahoo:

Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Trump, Kaepernick and her lifelong love of the law — They don't call her the “Notorious RBG” for nothing. — In “My Own Words,” a new compilation of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's writings over the course her lifetime, the vim and vigor that she is famous for expressing …

Discussion: Vox, Talking Points Memo, The Daily Caller, Business Insider, Mashable, Washington Free Beacon, Mediaite, The Week, Heat Street and Independent Journal Review

John McCormack / Weekly Standard:

Jeff Sessions: Behavior Described by Trump in ‘Grab Them by the P—y’ Tape Isn't Sexual Assault — Two days after the videotape of Donald Trump's now-infamous 2005 lewd conversation was released, the Trump team remains divided over the most serious question arising from the tape: Is Trump talking about sexual assault?

Business Wire:

Some Tax Facts for Donald Trump — OMAHA, Neb.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Answering a question last night about his $916 million income tax loss carryforward in 1995, Donald Trump stated that “Warren Buffett took a massive deduction.” Mr. Trump says he knows more about taxes than any other human.

Discussion: Politico and Business Insider

Jacob Pramuk / CNBC:
Warren Buffett fires back at Donald Trump's comments about his taxes

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and Arkansas Blog, Arkansas Times

Brian Stelter / CNNMoney:

Second Clinton-Trump debate sees big ratings drop compared to first — The second Clinton-Trump debate had about 20% fewer viewers than the first face-off did. — Why the drop-off? The “Sunday Night Football” game was definitely a factor. There is speculation that the ugly …

Discussion: Mediaite and FiveThirtyEight

Cynthia Littleton / Variety:
TV Ratings: Early Numbers Show Significant Drop From First Presidential Debate

Discussion: Reuters, Forbes, The Daily Caller and Hot Air

Erick Erickson / The Resurgent:

If I Die Before You Wake... In April I went into the hospital and stayed there a week. Subsequently, I have gone back numerous times. In fact, I have spent more time in the hospital this year than all the rest of my life combined. My lungs were filling with clots and I could barely breath.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway

Chrissie.Thompsonfink / Cincinnati.com:

Which vote can they defend? Ohio GOP chair, wife watch debate — In a bitter debate filled with tension and insult, Hillary Clinton declared that Donald Trump's vulgar comments about women prove his unsuitability to be president. He promised she would “be in jail” if he were president.