memeorandum: Pence calls rumors of him weighing dropping off the ticket ‘absolutely false’ (Louis Nelson/Politico)

12:40 PM ET, October 10, 2016

Top Items:

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 …

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: Mediaite, Political Insider blog and NPR

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, New York Times, Occupy Democrats and RedState

John Bresnahan / Politico:

Ryan to House lawmakers: I 'won't defend Trump' — Speaker Paul Ryan told House Republicans on a conference call Monday morning he is done defending Donald Trump and will focus on keeping an increasingly imperiled House majority, according to sources on the call.

Discussion: Occupy Democrats, AOL, Guardian and Balloon Juice

John Bresnahan / Politico:

Sources: Ryan discussed revoking Trump endorsement — ST. LOUIS — House Speaker Paul Ryan has discussed withdrawing his endorsement of Donald Trump, according to multiple sources familiar with the discussions within his inner circle. — Ryan (R-Wis.) has publicly and privately grown dismayed …

Discussion: ABC News, Political Insider blog, The Moderate Voice and Vox

Associated Press:

Trump Ally Paid Sexual Assault Victim Critical of Clinton — A sexual-assault victim who is critical of Hillary Clinton and who appeared alongside Donald Trump before Sunday night's debate was paid $2,500 by a political action committee founded by Trump ally Roger Stone.

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

Jonathan V. Last / Weekly Standard:

The Debate's Biggest Loser Was the GOP — Trump does just well enough to doom Republicans on November 8. — There is one important sense in which Donald Trump “won” the debate on Sunday night: He did not implode. He wasn't “good,” or attractive, or knowledgeable. He was coarse and whiny and unpleasant.

Discussion: RedState

Rosie Gray / BuzzFeed:
Trump Goes Full Breitbart

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

Dan Balz / Washington Post:
The answer is no: We haven't seen anything quite like this

Discussion: The Resurgent, Political Wire, WNCT-TV, Washington Free Beacon and Need To Know Network

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

Discussion: Mother Jones, Washington Post, Weekly Standard, Hullabaloo and The Week

Shane Goldmacher / Politico:
UGLIEST DEBATE EVER

Discussion: ABC News, WCTX-TV and John Hawkins' Right Wing News

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

Discussion: RedState, The Gateway Pundit, Breitbart, The Daily Caller, Talking Points Memo, AOL, New York Times and New York Magazine

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:
At Second Debate, Donald Trump Was the Perfect Republican

Discussion: Politico, CNN, CBS New York, Vox, Independent Journal Review and BizPac Review, more at Mediagazer »

Daniella Diaz / CNN:
Trump looms behind Clinton at the debate

Discussion: Associated Press and Daily Kos

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

Nolan D. McCaskill / Politico:
Kellyanne Conway throws down the gauntlet to Paul Ryan

Discussion: Daily Kos

Jordyn Phelps / ABC News:
Flashback: Donald Trump Called Bill Clinton's Accusers ‘Terrible’ and ‘Unattractive’ and Former President ‘Terrific’

Discussion: Associated Press, Politico, The Cook Political Report, Mediaite, Law News, New York Magazine, Washington Post and The Week

Ezra Klein / Vox:
Notes on the garbage fire that is American politics

Andrew Kaczynski / CNN:
Donald Trump used to make light of Bill Clinton's sex scandals. Now they're his main weapon.

Discussion: Guardian, Media Matters for America, Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, Mediaite, NBC News, New York Magazine, ThinkProgress, Occupy Democrats, Media Matters for America, Mashable, RedState and Vox

Ari Melber / NBC News:

Trump's Pledge to ‘Jail’ Clinton Unprecedented — Trump: ‘I am Going to Instruct My Attorney General to Get a Special Prosecutor’ 0:58 — Donald Trump's pledge Sunday night that he would order his attorney general to investigate Hillary Clinton, and his quip that she should “be in jail …

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

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, Joe.My.God. and Mediaite

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: ThinkProgress, Washington Post, RedState and Vogue

Will Jordan / YouGov US Opinion Center News:
Post-debate poll: Clinton 47%, Trump 42%

Discussion: Hot Air, Scared Monkeys, FiveThirtyEight, The Week, Politicus USA, Rasmussen Reports, Business Insider, Daily Kos and CBS News

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

Discussion: ABC News and Politico

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

Discussion: Political Insider blog, Media Matters for America and Daily Kos

CNN:
Clinton wins debate, but Trump exceeds expectations

Discussion: Politicus USA, Raw Story, Arkansas Blog, Arkansas Times and Associated Press

Andrew Prokop / Vox:
Polls suggest Hillary Clinton won the 2nd presidential debate

Discussion: New York Magazine, CNBC, AOL, CBS New York, Townhall.com, Washington Monthly, Business Insider and Independent Journal Review

Madeline Conway / Politico: CNN poll: 57 percent of viewers say Clinton won the debate

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: Talking Points Memo, Politico, NBC News, The Week and Mediaite

Louis Nelson / Politico:
Pence calls rumors of him weighing dropping off the ticket ‘absolutely false’

Discussion: ThinkProgress, ABC News and The Daily Caller

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

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

NBC News:

Poll: More Voters Say Trump Doesn't Respect Women After Lewd Tape Surfaces — After a 2005 recording of Donald Trump making lewd comments about women emerged on Friday, 63 percent of likely voters said they do not think the Republican nominee respects women, according to the latest NBC News|

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

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.

Discussion: Washington Post, Mother Jones, TheStreet.com, Raw Story, Atlanta Black Star, www.wnyc.org, ThinkProgress and Mashable, more at Mediagazer »

Cynthia Littleton / Variety:

TV Ratings: Early Numbers Show Significant Drop From First Presidential Debate … Viewership of Sunday's second presidential debate fell significantly in major markets from the turnout for Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton's first meeting on Sept. 26. — In Nielsen's overnight metered markets …

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

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?

Discussion: Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, Forbes, New York Times and Mediaite