Will Donald Trump Announce Soon? – The Joe Cunningham Show

The Joe Cunningham Show airs 3-4 p.m. every weekday on NewsTalk 96.5 KPEL. The daily show notes offer you a look into the topics of the day and the links to the top stories and Joe's own writings on the state of politics in Louisiana and around the country. Follow Joe on Twitter at @JoePCunningham and Like the Joe Cunningham Show on Facebook. You can also subscribe to the Joe Cuningham Show podcast on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, or Amazon.

Donald Trump Eyes September Campaign Announcement

The Washington Post is out with a story today proclaiming that former President Donald Trump is looking at making a presidential candidacy announcement in September. This comes after weeks of stories speculating on the field.

For nearly a year, a kitchen cabinet of Donald Trump confidants have told the former president not to announce his 2024 comeback candidacy before the midterms, arguing that he could be a drag on 2022 candidates and would be blamed if Republicans underperformed.

But Trump has continued to regularly push for an early announcement in private meetings, as potential 2024 rivals become more aggressive amid signs of weakening support among his base. Now an increasing number of allies are urging him to follow his instincts as a way to shore up his standing in the party and drive turnout to help the GOP take over the House and Senate next year.

The former president is now eyeing a September announcement, according to two Trump advisers, who like some others interviewed for this article spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private conversations. One confidant put the odds at “70-30 he announces before the midterms.” And others said he may still decide to announce sooner than September.

This is not a good idea. Instead, it is exactly what the Democrats and the media want. They would very much like for the midterms to be about Donald Trump rather than the economy, and Trump announcing his candidacy now does just that. Waiting until after the November midterms doesn't hurt his chances, but doing it before the midterms will put Republicans, who should be ready to walk into Congress, on the defensive instead.

The #Shes10 Story Is Verified, But There Are Major Questions

Yesterday, we learned that the story of a 10-year-old girl who traveled from Ohio to Indiana to get an abortion was, in fact, true. Conservatives were initially skeptical because there was only one source for the story and no matching police reports to back up a child being sexually abused. PJ Media did a lot of work in questioning the story, and they stand by it. Their editor, Paula Bolyard, asks the right questions.

Now that a suspect has been arrested, there are even more questions. For example, why did the Columbus Police Department sit on the report of the rape of a child for three weeks? According to the police report (obtained by Megan), a police report was generated on June 22 but the rapist was not arrested until July 12, one day after the story went national with appearances by Megan and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost on Fox News. Were they working the case or was there some other reason? The perpetrator may have actually been living with (or at least near) the victim until his arrest. We don’t know for sure, but the scene of the crime was Fuentes’s apartment and his lawyer told the judge at a hearing on Wednesday that Fuentes “had an address where he could live that was not at the same location as the 10-year-old,” according to The Columbus Dispatch. Note the use of the word “could”—the suspect could live separate from the victim but perhaps was not at the time of the arrest.

Only 18% Of Voters Want Biden To Run For Re-election

This is nothing short of an obituary for Joe Biden.

Just 18% of Americans say President Biden should run for reelection in 2024, according to the latest Yahoo News/YouGov poll — the lowest number to date. Nearly two-thirds (64%) say he should bow out.

And for the first time, more Democrats now say Biden should pass on a second term (41%) than say he should pursue one (35%).

The survey of 1,672 U.S. adults, which was conducted from July 8 to July 11, represents perhaps the starkest evidence to date of the president’s deteriorating position with voters — including those in his own party. Since late May, the number of Americans who say Biden should run for reelection has fallen by 7 points; among Democrats, that number has fallen by 8 points.

Meanwhile, when asked “who they would rather see as the Democratic nominee for president in 2024,” only about a quarter (27%) of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents now say Biden. Fewer say Vice President Kamala Harris (19%); most say either “someone else” (20%), they’re “not sure” (30%) or that they “wouldn’t vote” (4%).

Ouch.

Headlines Of The Day

• Buffalo Shooter Indicted on Federal Hate-Crime Charges (National Review)
• Majority of Hispanic Voters Disapprove of Joe Biden (RedState)
• Biden’s Talks With Israel’s Leader Show Split Over Iran (New York Times)
• Texas sues Biden administration for requiring abortions in medical emergencies (Washington Post)
• Missouri AG says FBI can’t audit concealed carry permits (Associated Press)

Tweet Of The Day