Microphone malfunction: Trump waits on stage for 18 minutes during ‘technical difficulties’  —  Donald Trump's rally in Detroit hit a snag on Friday night when the audio stopped working and the Republican presidential nominee passed the time walking around on the stage for about 18 minutes waiting for a fix.

New evidence unsealed of how Trump's Jan. 6, 2021 rally was funded  —  Bart Jansen Josh Meyer Aysha BagchiUSA TODAY  —  WASHINGTON - A trove of new records released in the federal election-interference case against former President Donald Trump described how money was spent on Trump's …

Split-Ticket Voters Buoy Democrats in Key Senate Races  —  In the battleground state of Arizona and other important pockets of the country, polling suggests that voters backing the former president are eschewing Republican Senate candidates.  —  On matters of substance and style …

Harris mocks pro-life protesters ‘at the wrong rally’ hours before Catholic charity dinner snub  —  Harris responded to commotion in the audience at her Wisconsin rally  —  Vice President Kamala Harris didn't hold back on pro-life protesters as she talked to her supporters about expanding abortion rights …

America's gullibility crisis … In the last few weeks alone:  — MAGA influencers breathlessly spread the false claim that Vice President Kamala Harris used a teleprompter during her Univision town hall, which the X algorithm then promoted in its trending topics as fact.

Exclusive: Pro-Trump group funded by Musk struggles with outreach targets, inflation of doorknocking figures  —  The political action committee funded by billionaire Elon Musk to help re-elect former U.S. President Donald Trump is struggling in some swing states to meet doorknocking goals …

Defense contractor Raytheon to pay almost $1B for defrauding DOD  —  Raytheon Co., part of parent defense contractor RTX, will pay more than $950 million to resolve Justice Department allegations that it defrauded the Defense Department (DOD) and paid bribes to a government official in Qatar to get business in the country.

Trump Too ‘Exhausted’ to Do Interviews With Unfriendly Outlets  —  Could Donald Trump — the man who memorably branded Jeb Bush “low energy,” claimed Hillary Clinton lacked the “stamina” to be president, and spent much of the current race hounding “Sleepy Joe” — finally have tuckered himself out?

3 ways you can push back against election misinformation  —  Election Day 2024 is quickly approaching and misinformation about candidates, issues and election processes poses a major issue, recognized by state election boards, elected officials and advocates.

Cher endorses Harris, Walz: ‘She is fighting for all of us’  —  Singer Cher shared her endorsement of Vice President Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), on social media Friday night, saying she's been a follower of Harris's for years.  —  “I have followed Kamala Harris since …

JD Vance's Most Recent Comment About His Wife Having Three Kids Is Going Viral Because People Think It's Really, Really Creepy  —  “I've never heard a man refer to his kids as my wife's children.  That's insane.”  —  Michaela Bramwell— BuzzFeed  —  JD Vance is on my timeline yet again …

Trump Thinks the Border Got Him Elected in 2016.  He's Convinced It Will Do So Again.  —  Voters rank the economy and high cost of living as their top issue.  Donald J. Trump believes immigration “beats out the economy,” and he's made it his closing message.

Harris and Liz Cheney Will Team Up for a Pitch to Blue-Wall Suburbs  —  The vice president and her top Republican surrogate will appear together for “moderated conversations” in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Detroit and Milwaukee.  —  Vice President Kamala Harris will travel through several …

Tom Hanks, this coffee is too cheap!  —  Welcome to POLITICO's West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration and Harris campaign.  —  We here at West Wing Playbook take our work very seriously.  Each day we ask ourselves: How can we serve our readers?

Pluralistic: Blue states should play “constitutional hardball” (18 Oct 2024)  — Blue states should play “constitutional hardball”: Scooping up medical professionals, teachers, doctors and anyone with a trans kid.  — Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.  — This day in history: 2004, 2014, 2019, 2023

Secretary of State Pete Buttigieg?  Here's who could be in Harris' Cabinet.  —  If Kamala Harris wins the election, she will likely approach the task of filling out her Cabinet and West Wing much like she did when she took over Joe Biden's campaign operation this summer.

Democrats eye voting rights bill as first priority in House majority  —  FREEPORT, N.Y. — A top House Democrat said this week that if the party wins the majority, its first priority in the next Congress will be election integrity — an issue that's been front-and-center throughout a campaign …

Ted Cruz really could lose  —  No Democrat has won a statewide race in Texas in decades.  But conditions are friendlier than ever.  —  There's a reason no Democrat has accomplished a statewide victory in Texas since 1994.  —  Pulling off such an upset would require a uniquely talented politician running an almost perfect campaign.