💡 Axios PM: Trump's alternate reality

Plus: Starbucks turnaround mission | Tuesday, August 13, 2024

Open in app View in browser   Presented By West Monroe   Axios PM By Mike Allen · Aug 13, 2024 Good afternoon. Today's newsletter, edited by Sam Baker, is 523 words, a 2-min. read. Thanks to Sheryl Miller for copy editing.     1 big thing: The alternate-reality campaign   Photo Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios. Photo: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images   In former President Trump's version of reality, Vice President Harris' crowds are AI-generated. He's leading in nearly all the "real" polls. And President Biden might reclaim his spot on the ticket at any moment. Spoiler: None of those things is true. Why it matters: Trump's advisers and allies worry he's spending so much time in an alternative reality that it's undermining his real-world campaign, Axios' Dave Lawler writes. 🔎 The big picture: As Harris' honeymoon continues, Trump has claimed anything favorable to her — from cheering crowds to her remarkable rise in the polls — is fake news. He's tripling down on claims of election fraud, including in front of donors who are desperate for a more policy-focused message. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) urged Trump on Fox News: "Stop questioning the size of her crowds and start questioning her position" on crime and immigration. The other side: "Kamala Harris is a weak, failed and dangerously liberal career politician trying to escape reality as she flip-flops on every ... policy position she's ever held," Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said. 🗳️ The bottom line: Before Biden dropped out, Trump seemed to believe the race was all but over. "I beat Biden," Trump told Elon Musk on X last night. Trump is now in a much different race — but he doesn't seem to have fully accepted that reality. Go deeper.     2. 🌯 ➡️ ☕ Starbucks nabs "hall of fame CEO"   Data: Yahoo Finance. Chart: Axios Visuals Starbucks shares soared today on news that the company poached Chipotle's extremely popular boss, Brian Niccol, as its new chair and CEO. Niccol is "a hall of fame restaurant CEO" who will use his savvy marketing lessons from Chipotle to "create brand buzz" at Starbucks, TD Cowen analyst Andrew Charles said in a research note. 🌯 Context: Niccol took the reins at Chipotle in 2018, when it was still reeling from an outbreak of foodborne illness. Sales more than doubled in the next five years, Axios Closer' co-author Nathan Bomey reports. Long wait times and supply chain issues have been dogging Starbucks, fueling a sales slowdown. Two hedge funds have also been pushing the chain to make a leadership change. Go deeper.     A message from West Monroe AI isn't the only game-changing trend in 2024     Leaders may be consumed with AI, but they can't afford to fall behind on other technology trends shaping the future of business. What you need to know: A new report from West Monroe explores synthetic data's potential, the techno-optimism vs. techlash debate and more. See what's ahead.     3. Catch me up   Data: Data: Nielsen, Sports Media Watch. (2020 Olympics were held in 2021.) Chart: Axios Visuals 📺 NBC's prime-time Olympics coverage reached an average of 30.6 million viewers, up 82% from the last Summer Games. NBC said it secured more advertisers for the Paris Games than the previous two Summer Olympics combined. Go deeper. 📧 Hackers targeting the Trump campaign gained access to adviser Roger Stone's personal email then used it to try to get to another senior campaign official, CNN reports. ⚖️ An Ohio police officer was indicted on several charges, including murder, in the fatal shooting of Ta'Kiya Young, a pregnant Black woman who was killed in a grocery store parking lot last August. Go deeper.     4. 🔭 "Double planet" on the horizon   Image: NASA Mars and Jupiter will appear so close to each other early tomorrow morning that they'll look like one planet, Axios' Kelly Tyko reports. They won't appear this close again until 2033. Your best chance to witness this rare phenomenon will be around 3 a.m. How to see it.     A message from West Monroe 🤖 It's not just AI: 5 tech trends defining the future     Yes, generative AI is still making headlines. But that's not the only trend shaping the future of business. Here's what else: The resurgence of cloud and infrastructure, the potential of synthetic data, and other under-the-radar trends are also making waves. Learn more in a new report.   Are you a fan of this email format? Your essential communications — to staff, clients and other stakeholders — can have the same style. Axios HQ, a powerful platform, will help you do it.   Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. Advertise with us. Axios, PO Box 101060, Arlington VA 22201   You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from Axios. To stop receiving this newsletter, unsubscribe or manage your email preferences.   Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now to get Axios in your inbox.   Follow Axios on social media: