Trump falls back on grievances as he slides in the polls: From the Politics Desk

Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team’s latest reporting and analysis from the campaign trail, the White House and Capitol Hill.

In today’s edition, senior national politics reporters Matt Dixon and Jonathan Allen examine how Donald Trump is laying the groundwork for excuses if he loses the presidential election. Plus, politics reporter Allan Smith has a deep dive into the contentious relationship between two leading Pennsylvania Democrats.

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Trump ramps up false attacks on election integrity as he slides in the polls

By Matt Dixon and Jonathan Allen

As he peers out at a new political reality, with Vice President Kamala Harris having reversed Democrats’ slide in the race for the White House, former President Donald Trump is rolling out pre-emptive excuses for a possible second defeat. Most are demonstrably false.

Trump has said in recent days that President Joe Biden’s exit from the race, prompted by Democratic concerns that he would lose, is unconstitutional. It is not. The Constitution is silent on party nominations.

He and his allies have accused Harris of generating fake pictures of crowds through the use of artificial intelligence as a means of boosting perceptions of her electoral strength. Her audiences are real.

On Thursday, Trump claimed in a Truth Social post that Judge Juan Merchan is using a partial gag order to prevent him from talking to reporters in the midst of a campaign. The narrow order allows him to speak to the media so long as he doesn’t attack the families of the officers of the court.

For instance, Trump held a news conference at his Bedminster, N.J., golf club today after holding one at Mar-a-Lago last week. 

Trump’s renewed focus on building a false case that Democrats are trying to cheat him — almost four years after his effort to overturn the 2020 election results ended with his supporters storming the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to disrupt the certification of the Electoral College votes — speaks to his insecurities, according to people familiar with his behavior, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid retaliation from the most powerful figure in the Republican Party. 

Those insecurities aren’t about election integrity but rather about his chances of winning — and his frustration at not being the center of the national political discussion at all times, these people said. Some Republicans worry that he has once again become distracted from issues important to voters, including inflation and immigration, as he pursues grievances that don’t resonate with swing voters.

“He can’t ever be a loser,” one former senior Trump adviser said of the former president’s push to cast the election as unfair. “He’s just going to do anything he can that he knows gives him attention,” the former adviser said, explaining that Trump views domination of media coverage as a sign of his political strength.

Read more from Matt and Jon →

Inside the rift that could define the future of Pennsylvania politics

By Allan Smith

John Fetterman was angry.

The Democratic senator from Pennsylvania was readying to speak at a disaster response press conference in Bucks County on July 16, 2023, just hours after flooding in Upper Makefield, Pennsylvania, that ultimately killed seven people. Local officials spoke for a few minutes to offer an initial update for the assembled press. Then, Gov. Josh Shapiro provided information on what his administration was doing to respond to the emergency.

After a few minutes, Shapiro tossed the microphone back to the local responders — not Fetterman. Moments later, the event wrapped without Fetterman ever speaking.

Already deeply skeptical of Shapiro, Fetterman swore off appearing at events alongside the governor going forward, as three sources familiar with the incident told NBC News.

The episode highlighted what has become an increasingly volatile relationship between Pennsylvania’s two most ambitious elected officials. It’s a Democratic Party rivalry that is suddenly spilling out into full view and has the potential to shape state politics — and maybe even the national political scene — for years to come.

Earlier this month, as Harris was wrapping up her search for a running mate and was considering Shapiro among her final choices, Politico reported that Fetterman aides told Harris’ team the senator had concerns about Shapiro.

Days later, Fetterman sat stone-faced with his arms crossed as Shapiro delivered a rousing speech at the Philadelphia rally where Harris introduced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her No. 2. Seated among a delegation of Pennsylvania politicians right in front of the press section, the 6-foot-8 Fetterman stood out as a lone member who did not join in the clapping and cheering for Shapiro. 

“For most PA politicos, it’s pretty well known that the two clashed,” one Pennsylvania Democrat said. “It was obvious that those two were always on the collision course and the only thing that kept them apart was that they were going for different types of offices.”

“It almost feels like our dirty laundry is being let out to air,” this person added.

Multiple people said the feud appears to be much more about Fetterman training his ire at Shapiro than the other way around, particularly as the senator has taken public steps to express his displeasure while Shapiro has not.

Two unconnected Pennsylvania Democrats separately compared the ordeal to a popular meme from the hit TV show “Mad Men,” in which one person standing in an elevator criticizes Don Draper, the series’ main character, who responds, “I don’t think about you at all.” 

Read more from Allan’s exclusive report →

That’s all from the Politics Desk for now. If you have feedback — likes or dislikes — email us at politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com

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