memeorandum: ‘This belongs in the Smithsonian’: Inside the meme video operation that swallowed Ron DeSantis' campaign (David Weigel/Semafor)

10:45 AM ET, August 1, 2023

Top Items:

Biden Shores Up Democratic Support, but Faces Tight Race Against Trump — A New York Times/Siena College poll found that President Biden is on stronger footing than he was a year ago — but he is neck-and-neck in a possible rematch against Donald Trump. — President Biden is heading …

Discussion: HotAir, Fox News, The Hill, New York Post, Hopium Chronicles, Mediaite, National Review, No More Mister Nice Blog, NBC News, Lawyers, Guns & Money, RedState, Townhall, IJR, Washington Post and Raw Story

Shia Kapos / Politico:

No Labels to GOP donors: We are your anti-Trump alternative — The bipartisan group sees an opportunity with donors who are disaffected with the leading candidates. — The centrist group No Labels has targeted Republican donors disaffected with Donald Trump, pitching its unity ticket …

Discussion: Resolute Square, The Daily Caller, New York Times and Raw Story

Ronald Brownstein / CNN:

Even Trump's indictments haven't shattered the deadlock between the parties. Here's why — Former President Donald Trump's mounting legal jeopardy is raising a stark political question: can anything break the sustained electoral stalemate that has left the country divided almost exactly …

New York Times:
Cross-Tabs: July 2023 Times/Siena Poll of the 2024 Race and National Issues

Discussion: Washington Examiner, The Hill, The Messenger, Mock Paper Scissors, Rolling Stone, Just The News, Talking Points Memo and NBC News

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
Trump has ‘my Kevin’ trapped. New data on Fox News viewers shows why.

Discussion: The Messenger, HuffPost, Breitbart, Mediaite, Raw Story, IJR and RedState

New York Times:

Trump PAC Down to $4 Million Cash on Hand After Legal Fees — The scramble to cover legal bills for former President Donald J. Trump and his associates has prompted what appears to be the largest refund in federal campaign finance history. — Former President Donald J. Trump's political action committee …

Discussion: Politico, The Guardian, Florida Politics, Wall Street Journal, New York Magazine, Forbes, PoliticusUSA, Vanity Fair, Bloomberg, The Daily Caller, CNN and CBS News

Roger Sollenberger / The Daily Beast:

Trump's New Legal Fund Is a Lean, Mean Grift Machine — Donald Trump's new legal fund is a clever way to get around campaign finance laws. — When allies of former President Donald Trump launched his new legal defense fund, they created a group with few restrictions on how much it can raise …

Discussion: Raw Story, Associated Press, PoliticusUSA, Daily Kos and CNN

Jose Pagliery / The Daily Beast:

Trump's Rape Trial Testimony Is Already Coming Back to Haunt Him — The Manhattan DA wants to use Trump's deposition in the E. Jean Carroll rape lawsuit to show how desperate he was to keep sexual allegations against him secret. — The Manhattan district attorney seeking to jail Donald Trump …

Discussion: Raw Story

David Weigel / Semafor:

‘This belongs in the Smithsonian’: Inside the meme video operation that swallowed Ron DeSantis' campaign — The Scoop — Senior aides to Ron DeSantis oversaw the campaign's high-risk strategy of laundering incendiary videos produced by their staff through allied anonymous Twitter accounts …

Discussion: Insider, Talking Points Memo, Florida Politics, New York Post, Rolling Stone and Political Dictionary

Conrad Hoyt / Washington Examiner:

Memphis police arrest gunman outside Jewish school and prevent ‘potential mass shooting’ — Memphis police officers prevented a “potential mass shooting” when they shot and detained a gunman attempting to enter a Jewish school in the city on Monday, the department's police chief said.

Discussion: CNN, New York Daily News, Fox News, Crooks and Liars, NBC News, One America News Network, Associated Press, CBS News, The Hill and The Messenger

Washington Free Beacon:

House Democrat Says Hunter Biden Called His Father During Business Meetings — Joe Biden claimed he ‘never discussed business’ with Hunter — Hunter Biden often called his father, Joe Biden, on speakerphone during business meetings, a Democratic lawmaker said Monday …

United States House Committee on Oversight …:
Comer Statement on Devon Archer's Testimony

CNN:
Former business partner says Hunter Biden sold ‘illusion’ of access to Joe Biden, source says

Sara Moniuszko / CBS News:

Leprosy could be endemic in Central Florida, CDC says. What to know about the disease. — Leprosy — also known as Hansen's disease — is becoming endemic in the southeastern United States, rising evidence from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows.

Discussion: Forbes, Breitbart, WFLA-TV and New York Post

Olafimihan Oshin / The Hill:
Leprosy cases surging in Central Florida: CDC

Discussion: The Capitolist and Metro.co.uk

Natalie Allison / Politico:

DeSantis' latest comments slammed by anti-abortion group as ‘unacceptable’ — The rebuke from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America is a tough one for the governor, who signed major abortion restrictions into law. — The nation's leading anti-abortion group on Monday called Gov. Ron DeSantis' failure …

Discussion: The Messenger, Florida's Voice, SBA Pro-Life America, The Hill, Daily Kos, The Daily Caller, Washington Examiner, NBC News, Associated Press, The Daily Signal, Talking Points Memo, Florida Politics, The Guardian and Political Wire

NBC News:
Beer, barbecue and a bus: Inside Ron DeSantis' awkward comeback effort

Discussion: The Hill, Balloon Juice, Florida Times Union, HuffPost, Puck, CBS News, Forbes, Political Wire and USA Today

Matt Young / The Daily Beast:

Ex-Trump Doc Detained at Rodeo While Assisting on ‘Chaotic’ Medical Emergency — The office of Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX) was quick to assert that the former White House doctor had not been drinking. — Former White House doctor and current U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX) …

Discussion: Raw Story

Patrick Svitek / The Texas Tribune:
U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson “briefly detained” by officers at rodeo near Amarillo

Discussion: The Messenger and Political Wire

Al Weaver / The Hill:

Katie Britt recovering at home after ‘sudden onset of numbness’ in face, condition not life-threatening — Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) announced on Monday night that the senator is receiving outpatient care after experiencing a “sudden onset of numbness” in her face and is expected to need “several weeks” of recovery.

Discussion: The Messenger, Fox News, CNN, The Gateway Pundit, al.com, Associated Press and TheBlaze

Tom Lavelle / Center for Countering Digital Hate:

Letters from the lawyers: Musk threatens CCDH with brazen attempt to silence honest criticism. — Last week we got a letter from Elon Musk's X. Corp threatening CCDH with legal action over our work, exposing the proliferation of hate and lies on Twitter since he became the owner.

New York Times:

Man Fatally Stabbed in Confrontation as He Danced at a Gas Station — O'Shae Sibley, 28, was vogueing when men attacked him with gay slurs and told him to stop. A hate crimes task force is investigating. — O'Shae Sibley was at a Brooklyn gas station with friends late Saturday night …

Discussion: HuffPost, New York Daily News, New York Post, The Messenger and Raw Story

Jon Haworth / ABC News:

Team USA teen cyclist killed by car in training accident just days before world championships — The investigation is ongoing and criminal charges could be pursued. — An up-and-coming teen American cyclist who was a member of the U.S. National Team was struck and killed by a car …

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money, Washington Post, NPR, New York Daily News and The Messenger

Judd Legum / Popular Information:

Meet the “scholars” who created Florida's new Black history curriculum — Judd Legum, Tesnim Zekeria, and Rebecca Crosby — To comply with the Stop WOKE Act, a 2022 law championed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R), the state needed to create a new curriculum for Black history.

Discussion: Raw Story and Fox News

Gabriel Sherman / Vanity Fair:

Could Jared and Ivanka Return to the Trump Campaign Fold? — The couple has publicly steered clear of politics, but some recent sightings have Trumpworld buzzing. “If he's president again,” says a former administration official, “Jared needs to protect his turf.”

Discussion: The Guardian, Insider, Raw Story and UPROXX

Brett Samuels / The Hill:

Harris takes center stage for White House with Biden on vacation — With President Biden in Delaware for a week-long vacation, Vice President Harris is taking center stage for the White House. — Harris began her jam-packed week by sitting down with ABC News for a one-on-one interview.

Discussion: Wall Street Journal and Breitbart