-You may have heard, but the GOPMAGA Convention is underway in Milwaukee. Don't be disappointed if you didn't totally know - ratings for the first two nights have been down from at least the 2016 Convention where Trump was a curiosity, and one report claimed the vast majority of viewers are over 55. Variety reports only 18 million viewed the first night of the convention - in contrast, Biden's NATO press conference drew over 24 million viewers, which made the presser one of the top-watched events of 2024.
-Given that the event has been handed off to adoration of Convicted Felon Ex-President Trump (R-apist), there is likely little curiosity about the event and even less star power to bring people to watch (the biggest entertainment name to appear so far has been self-described influencer and rapper Amber Rose. See?).
-One of the themes of the event, particularly after last Saturday's attempted assassination, was "unity" and "love" - yes, that was a word convention people at some in Trump's camp used. But despite fawning media headlines, there really hasn't been much love. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was thunderously booed during the actual nomination of Trump (which took place on Monday afternoon instead of on prime time when balloons could have been dropped and the arena would be filled a bit more). An appearance by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was interrupted by a heckling Rep. Matt Gaetz, who in turn was confronted by other Republicans about his punk bombing of McCarthy. There were plenty of attendees ready to rip and question Trump's VP pick, J.D. "Butt Hair" Vance (whose speech tonight will be the 'highlight' of the evening after failsons Don Jr. and Eric "Eric" and Kimberly Guilfoyle, whom Trump Sr. called Don Jr's wife twice in a speech even though they are not married, speak or screech or sweat or whatever they are going to do), and Trump himself has looked bored and woozy as Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley came to heel before Dear Leader.
-Another speaker tonight will be Peter Navarro, who will be heading to the hall after being released from prison after serving a four-month term for contempt of Congress. Because in MAGAGOP world, the only criminals are the illegal immigrants - except for the immigrants that Donald Trump and Butthair Vance married, of course ...
-Frankly, there have only been two dramatic moments so far. The first was yesterday evening when bankrupted former lawyer and Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani stumbled and fell into chairs without appearing to have tripped over anything. He picked himself up and did not seem to be hurt, but if you're looking for something interesting ... that's kind of been it.
-The second was the bandage Trump wore on his left ear. While MAGAGOP convention-goers started slapping large square materials over their ears (because OWN DA LIBZ?), questions are starting to be asked (though not by reporters) about the extent of Trump's injuries. Not one official medical report has been released - not even whether he went to a hospital - and one report claimed the only report that will be made about Trump's ear will come from ... Trump. So you KNOW it will be reliable.
-Meanwhile, President Biden continues to campaign, speaking before the NAACP with yet another well-delivered and well-received speech before an enthusiastic and embracing crowd. Continuing to build on polling that, despite the best efforts of news media to put the thumb on the scale against Biden, shows Biden building momentum and competitiveness, Biden is readying three new proposals to add to the Democratic platform of his plans for a second term: a series of measures designed to limit rent increases (including tax penalties on landlords); a still-being-developed plan to reform the Supreme Court (including 18-year term limits and a more stringent ethics package but stopping short of expansion); and a Constitutional amendment to prevent the President from having a get-out-of-jail-free card that this SCOTUS hopes to give Trump. And, Biden continues to campaign because he is staying in the race.
-That last bit is still being worked on by the media, particularly the Biden-hostile New York Times, who ran a story attributing former impeachment manager and CA Senate candidate Rep. Adam Schiff claiming he told Democratic donors on the East coast that he was "afraid" a Biden-led candidacy would lead to a Republican sweep. Schiff has not confirmed the report (though he also did not deny it), and a second Democratic Senate candidate, NJ's Andy Kim, also expressed continued concerns about what a Biden campaign might turn into (though, again, no public evidence is showing their concerns have validity). Unless Biden says he is reconsidering being in the race, he should be treated as the candidate - and all other reports are, essentially, gossip.
-Wrapping up today's update, Democratic Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey was convicted by a jury on all counts connected to what has been described as a "politics for payoffs" scheme. Shockingly, a politician was convicted without a judge stepping in to create legal immunity for the crimes. Even more shockingly, all Democrats in the Senate - including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer - have called on Menendez to resign as a result of the conviction. (In case anyone wants you to believe that, y'know, both parties are the same and all politics are the same ...)
-More Friday where Trump will have spoken (in theory) and, hopefully, some non-political news to report!
-On this date in 1936, the Spanish Civil War began. On this date in 1945, the Potsdam Conference took place between Harry Truman, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin. On this date in 1975, American astronauts and Soviet cosmonauts met at the Skylab space station. And on this date in 2014, a Russian missile shot down a Malaysian Airlines flight in Ukraine, killing 298.
-Debuts on this date: the air conditioner (1902), Elmer Fudd (1937), Disneyland (1955), NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959), YELLOW SUBMARINE (1968), the International Criminal Court (1998).
-Happy Birthday to John Jacob Astor, Erle Stanley Gardner, James Cagney, Art Linkletter, Lou Boudreau, Phyllis Diller, Juan Antonio Samaranch, Toni Stone, Vince Guaraldi, Hal Riney, Johnny "Red" Kerr, Diahann Carroll, Donald Sutherland, Spencer Davis, Daryle Lamonica, Connie Hawkins, Don Kessinger, Camilla Parker Bowles, Ron Asheton, Geezer Butler, Charlie Steiner, Phoebe Snow, Lucie Arnaz, David Hasselhoff, Nicolette Larson, Angela Merkel, J. Michael Straczynski, Bryan Trottier, Scott Norwood, John Ventimiglia, Alex Winter, Donyell Marshall, Luke Bryan, and Moussa Dembele.
-Rest in Peace/Rest in Power to Adam Smith, Dorothea Dix, Raoul Wallenberg, Billie Holiday, John Coltrane, Dizzy Dean, Katherine Graham, Mickey Spillane, Walter Cronkite, Elaine Stritch, and John Lewis.
-Feed the Worms: THE APPRENTICE producer Mark Burnett entered Earth on this date. Inveterate racist who could hit the baseball Ty Cobb bought it on this date.
-Tsar Nicholas and his family were executed by Bolsheviks on this date. You decide if they Rest in Peace or Feed the Worms.