Still free to subscribe to this nearly daily newsletter! Greg Mitchell is the author of fourteen books and director of five films for PBS since 2022. In a previous life, he was a longtime editor at the legendary Crawdaddy. His latest film “Woody Guthrie and The Ghost of Tom Joad Today” is now streaming everywhere via PBS.
Responses to Trump’s primetime “speech” last night:
Luckovich:
Telnaes:
Goris:
Lucian Truscott:
Trump didn’t look good tonight. He was whiny and out of sorts and he sped through the script like he just wanted to get to the end of it and take the elevator upstairs so he could start posting on Truth Social about what a great speech he had given and how he had had the largest television audience in American history.
It was a joke. His MAGA 30 percent, those who watched it or will hear about it on Fox News or right-wing podcasts, they’ll believe what he said. But not the rest of the American electorate. They’re tired of him. They didn’t tune in. They don’t believe his lies.
It didn’t work. He’s tired. He’s worn out. He fell asleep at a big military security conference he went to at the Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania yesterday. Tomorrow and Sunday he will play golf. He’s going to hold rallies. They’ll have to get the FBI to arrest people and haul them to the rallies in cuffs to fill the seats.
People are tired of his act. He didn’t light a fire under anyone tonight. He put people to sleep. Even your trusted correspondent fought to keep his eyes open, and he’s a pro.
This is some kind of ultimate, until the next ultimate:
White House Teleprompter Operator Bet on Trump Speeches, Kalshi Says
A White House teleprompter operator used his position to win around $100,000 by placing bets on the prediction market Kalshi about what President Trump would say in his speeches, the company said on Thursday.
And this, Carol Leonnig follow-up at Wash Post
CANCELLED: Vance earlier today cancelled plan to have military helicopter fly his son and him to his son’s golf lesson, sources tell us . It came after our story about Vance ordering up same chopper ride last week and @SecretService being “fed up,”
Music Pick
Tweedy and band on Kimmel show last night with strong version of a cut off his recent terrific triple album, “Out in the Dark”
From Tune to Toons
Telnaes again:
Anderson:
Bramhall:
Blitt:
Mackay:
Ohman:
Wuerker:
My new film Woody Guthrie and The Ghost of Tom Joad Today” is now streaming everywhere via PBS and airing over many stations.
Photo Finish
“The Eagle has landed,” on the Hudson off Piermont.
The Pinnochio toon says it all!
🦅 📸 ❤️