memeorandum: Statement From Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder (U.S. Department of Defense)

12:50 PM ET, September 29, 2024

Top Items:

Stephanie Murray / Arizona Republic:

Jeff Flake endorses Kamala Harris for president: ‘I know of her character’ — Former Republican Sen. Jeff Flake is endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris because of his conservative values — not in spite of them — he said Saturday in an interview announcing his support for the Democratic presidential nominee.

Discussion: The Hill, Washington Examiner, NBC News, ABC News, Mediaite and New Jersey Online

Washington Post:

Trump falsely attacks Harris as ‘mentally impaired’ and ‘mentally disabled,’ prompting criticism — The remarks drew a rebuke from a group that advocates for people with disabilities. — Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump criticized Vice President Kamala Harris's mental capacity Saturday …

Discussion: The Daily Beast, Washington Examiner, Axios, Reuters, Raw Story, Rolling Stone and Mediaite

Tyler Pager / Washington Post:

Harris team quietly courts big-name GOP endorsements — Anti-Trump conservatives are serving as emissaries to bring prominent Republicans on board, hoping to influence rank-and-file voters. — As former congresswoman Liz Cheney repeatedly and publicly spoke out over the last year …

Discussion: The Daily Beast and New Jersey Online

David Frum / The Atlantic:

J. D. Vance's Thin Skin Makes Him Vulnerable — Kamala Harris used Donald Trump's psychic weaknesses against him in their televised debate on September 10. Can Governor Tim Walz do the same to Senator J. D. Vance when they meet on Tuesday? — Watch what happens when Vance is asked …

Discussion: New York Times, No More Mister Nice Blog, Washington Examiner and Associated Press

David Bauder / Associated Press:
CBS News says it will be up to Vance and Walz to fact-check each other in veep debate

Discussion: The Hill, CBS News, CNN, Mother Jones, PolitiFact, Mercury News, Plain Dealer, The Gateway Pundit, Washington Post and Raw Story

Katie Herchenroeder / Vanity Fair:
Tim Walz Expected To Bring Receipts About JD Vance's Anti-Abortion Stances To VP Debate

Discussion: ABC News, Los Angeles Times, Washington Examiner, The Guardian, USA Today, Associated Press, Axios, Business Insider, Boston Herald and Washington Post

U.S. Department of Defense:

Statement From Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder — Secretary Austin has been receiving updates from and providing guidance to his team throughout the weekend on the latest developments in the Middle East. He and DoD leaders remain focused on the protection of U.S. citizens …

Discussion: Axios and Bloomberg

Thomas Zimmer / Democracy Americana:

How Project 2025 Became Toxic and Exposed the Right's Toxicity — On September 22, NBC News published its latest national poll. The headline results: Kamala Harris's favorability has soared since July and she now also leads Trump head-to-head, a significant shift compared to two months ago …

Sarah Rumpf-Whitten / Fox News:

Vance not allowed to campaign in Pittsburgh culinary landmark — despite Harris event at same restaurant chain — The vice presidential nominee met supporters outside instead after the restaurant said it wasn't told in advance about the campaign stop — Vice presidential candidate …

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, The Daily Caller, Townhall, Breitbart, Mediaite and The Gateway Pundit

Mike Bedigan / The Independent:
JD Vance suffers latest campaign fail after being denied entry into restaurant

Discussion: RedState, Crooks and Liars, Yahoo News, Joe.My.God., Raw Story and The Gateway Pundit

Washington Post:
Vance appears at event hosted by hard-right Christian nationalist

Discussion: RNS, Raw Story, The 19th, HuffPost and New York Times

Paul Kirby / BBC:

Far right in Austria heads for unprecedented election victory — Austria's far-right Freedom Party is heading for an unprecedented general election victory under leader Herbert Kickl, projections say. — The projections, based on initial results, give Kickl's party 29.2% …

Discussion: Reuters, Bloomberg, Politico, The Guardian, The Gateway Pundit, Al Jazeera and New York Times

Daniel Dale / CNN:

Fact check: To attack Harris, Trump falsely describes new stats on immigrants and homicide — Former President Donald Trump is wildly distorting new statistics on immigration and crime to attack Vice President Kamala Harris. — Trump falsely claimed Friday and Saturday that the statistics …

Discussion: Joe.My.God., The Daily Caller, Fox News and RedState

Avery Lotz / Axios:

“You've been a good friend”: Biden honors Jimmy Carter ahead of 100th birthday … - In a message endorsing Biden's 2020 presidential campaign, Carter called the president his “first and most effective supporter in the Senate” and “my loyal and dedicated friend.”

Discussion: CBS News

Casey Parks / Washington Post:

Her trans daughter made the volleyball team. Then an armed officer showed up. — Jessica Norton eased her minivan out of the driveway, and she told herself she'd done what any mother would. Her daughter Elizabeth had wanted to play high school volleyball, and Norton had let her.

NBC News:

Poll: Democrats' advantage with Latino voters continues to shrink — Harris leads Trump nationally among Latinos, 54% to 40%, but Democrats' edge is at its lowest level in the last four presidential cycles. — Vice President Kamala Harris is leading former President Donald Trump among Latino voters.

Discussion: Arizona PBS, RedState, New York Post and Fox News

Siobhan Hughes / Wall Street Journal:

Wealthy GOP Candidates Face Rough Homecomings — Senate hopeful David McCormick says he is a seventh-generation Pennsylvanian, while Democrats call him ‘Connecticut Dave’ — SCRANTON, Pa.— David McCormick faces several challenges in flipping a Senate seat in Pennsylvania.

The Guardian:

Leonard Leo-linked group attacking efforts to educate judges on climate — Rightwing US thinktank claimed in report that non-profit holding trainings is ‘corruptly influencing the courts’ — A rightwing organization is attacking efforts to educate judges about the climate crisis.

Alex Morales / Bloomberg:

UK MP Quits Labour Slamming ‘Staggering Hypocrisy’ Under Starmer — Duffield says sleaze, nepotism, avarice are ‘off the scale’ — Resignation exposes rifts in Labour months after election win — A Member of Parliament quit the UK's governing Labour Party, unleashing a deeply personal attack …