memeorandum: Jon Tester launches his first TV ad in crucial Montana Senate race (Sahil Kapur/NBC News)

8:35 AM ET, November 7, 2023

Top Items:

Erica Orden / Politico:

'I'm not a windmill person': Trump takes the witness stand and doesn't break character — In a series of outbursts while testifying, Trump assailed the judge who is overseeing his civil fraud case. — NEW YORK — Testimony by former President Donald Trump quickly descended into bitter sniping Monday …

NBC News:

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds says Trump can't win in 2024 as she endorses Ron DeSantis — Reynolds and DeSantis spoke about the state of the 2024 race and what led to the Iowa governor's endorsement in a joint interview with NBC News. — DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds touted Ron …

Brett Bachman / The Daily Beast:

Trump Forgets What Years He Was President While on the Stand in NY Trial — WHOOPS! — Donald Trump forgot what years he served as president while on the stand in his New York fraud trial Monday. He claimed at one point that he did not pay attention to his company's financial statements …

Discussion: The Mirror, Political Wire, New Republic and Raw Story

NBC News:

Jan. 6 riot was ‘culmination’ of Trump conspiracies to overturn 2020 election, special counsel says in new filing — The special counsel's office called Trump's motion a “meritless effort” to evade allegations that he was responsible for the attack on the Capitol.

Discussion: CNBC and The Messenger

Aaron Blake / Washington Post:

3 early takeaways from Trump's testimony — Donald Trump's many legal problems led to a historic scene Monday: a former president testifying under oath in his own civil fraud trial in New York. — New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) is suing Trump and others, including his two adult sons, seeking $250 million.

Matthew Chapman / Raw Story:

'He's a child' Trump is imploding because he thinks 'rules don't apply to him': biographer — Former President Donald Trump had a bad day on the witness stand at his civil fraud trial in New York, snapping at state attorneys and offering contradictory stories about his company's dubious property valuations …

Discussion: NBC News and CBS News

Alan Feuer / New York Times:
Prosecutors Assail Trump's Bid to Have Federal Election Case Dismissed

Discussion: The Messenger, CBS News, The Hill, Raw Story, Washington Examiner, Political Wire, Civil Discourse … and The Post Millennial

Matthew Chapman / Raw Story:
Trump kids' blame claims don't match with fraud case facts: reporter

Discussion: Fox News and Semafor

Ruth Marcus / Washington Post:
Trump doesn't just want to win. He wants revenge.

Discussion: Washington Examiner, The Atlantic, Salon, The Bulwark, Associated Press, ABC News, New York Times, One America News Network, PoliticusUSA, Breitbart, Raw Story and Mediaite

Washington Post:
Trump belief that 2020 election was stolen is not a defense, DOJ says

Discussion: CNN, The Messenger and Raw Story

Marianne LeVine / Washington Post:
Grievances, insults, tangents: Trump brings his 2024 campaign into the courtroom

Discussion: Raw Story, Daily Caller News Foundation, Daily Kos, Insider, USA Today, Breitbart, Washington Times, The Gateway Pundit, Los Angeles Times, The Messenger and Bernard Goldberg's Commentary

Matthew Chapman / Raw Story:
If Trump loses fraud case he'll spin it as a personal decision to leave NYC: ex-associate

Discussion: Washington Times, The Daily Caller, Breitbart, KARK-TV, Reuters, The Messenger and NBC News

Jake Traylor / NBC News:
Sarah Huckabee Sanders is set to endorse Trump at his Florida rally this week

Discussion: Politico, The Hill, Fox News, HuffPost, KARK-TV, Political Wire, The Messenger and KLRT-TV

Politico:

Playbook: Four big Election Day questions — Presented by With help from Eli Okun and Garrett Ross — DRIVING THE DAY — COACH BAGGAGE — Senate Republicans are set to discuss a possible resolution to Sen. TOMMY TUBERVILLE's blockade of military promotions this afternoon, and …

Discussion: Washington Post, HuffPost, The Daily Beast and CNN

Politico:

Biden's stumbles spark concerns about ad strategy and surrogate operation — The campaign says it's not revamping its approach amid stagnant polls and fear-filled Democrats. — In late August, Joe Biden's reelection campaign announced a massive ad buy to run on television and online in key battleground states.

Discussion: Wall Street Journal and New York Times

Tal Axelrod / ABC News:

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear hopes to show Democrats can win even if Biden is unpopular — The results could offer a clue to 2024, some local strategists said. — Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear respond to a question during the Gubernatorial Forum in Louisville, Ky., Sept. 20, 2023.

Discussion: New York Post, Fox News, The Atlantic, New York Times and Bloomberg

Washington Post:
Some Democrats worry Biden's team is ignoring political warning signs

Brian Schwartz / CNBC:
Biden primary challenger Dean Phillips sees little support from past home state donors in Minnesota

Discussion: Raw Story, Washington Post, New York Times, Politico, Political Wire and The Messenger

Wall Street Journal:

Capitol Hill Targets Legacy Preferences for College Admissions — Bipartisan bill comes amid scrutiny of diversity and fairness after Supreme Court decision — WASHINGTON—Senators are taking fresh aim at legacy and donor preferences for admission to college, as advantages given …

Discussion: Washington Post

Politico:

Dems see a big upside to Johnson's conservative funding push — The new speaker has leaned into the right flank's spending crusade, giving House Democrats plenty of election messaging on cuts to education, Amtrak, LGBTQ policies and abortion rights. — House Democrats were already attacking …

Tesnim Zekeria / Popular Information:

Criminalizing dissent — Sixty-one activists appeared before Fulton County Court yesterday on racketeering charges related to their protest of Atlanta's new “Public Safety Training Center,” commonly known as Cop City. The arraignment comes after the Georgia Attorney General's Office alleged …

Walter Russell Mead / Wall Street Journal:

Iran Might Have Miscalculated in Gaza — It had an interest in dividing Israel from Arab states. So far that hasn't happened. — Most news and commentary describes the war in Gaza as the latest brutal episode in the conflict between Israelis and Arabs.

Discussion: National Review

Jillian Frankel / NBC News:

5 candidates qualify for the Miami GOP debate, with Doug Burgum missing out — Donald Trump is skipping another debate, but Chris Christie, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy and Tim Scott will be onstage Wednesday night. — Five candidates will be on the stage Wednesday night …

Discussion: USA Today, The Hill, NPR, UPI, New York Times, Politico, Washington Post, Bloomberg, The Daily Caller, Deadline, CBS News, The Messenger and Must Read Alaska

Ed Morrissey / HotAir:

‘Wanna Kill All You Little Crackers’: Nashville Trans Shooter Manifesto Leaked? Update: Confirmed — Has the long-buried “manifesto” of the Nashville transgender mass murderer finally leaked? More than seven months after the massacre of six people inside The Covenant School …

Sahil Kapur / NBC News:

Jon Tester launches his first TV ad in crucial Montana Senate race — First on NBC News: The Montana Democrat makes his re-election pitch to voters in his conservative state, which will shape the battle for the Senate majority. — Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., is launching the first TV ad …

Discussion: The Messenger and Washington Examiner

Alexandra Hutzler / ABC News:

Netanyahu to ABC's Muir: ‘No cease-fire’ without release of hostages — He spoke exclusively with “World News Tonight” anchor David Muir. — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks with ABC World News Tonight anchor David Muir, Nov. 6, 2023. — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu …

Discussion: Semafor, Axios, Fox News, Associated Press, The Messenger, UPI, NBC 7 San Diego, The Hill, Newsbusters, RTÉ, New York Post, The Guardian, Reuters, Politico, NPR and Breitbart

Chris Geidner / Law Dork:

Biden administration urges SCOTUS to hear trans care cases, strike down bans — The Biden administration on Monday urged the U.S. Supreme Court to take up cases over transgender health care bans, arguing that Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming medical care for minors violates …