🎯 Axios PM: Trump's fumbles

Plus: Constitution for sale | Friday, September 06, 2024

Open in app View in browser   Presented By Amazon   Axios PM By Mike Allen · Sep 06, 2024 Happy Friday! Today's newsletter, edited by Sam Baker, is 545 words, a 2-min. read. Thanks to Sheryl Miller for copy editing.     1 big thing: Trump's unforced errors mount   Former President Trump speaks during a press conference at Trump Tower today. Photo: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images With less than two months until Election Day, some Republicans fear that former President Trump's public appearances are growing more erratic and less focused on a substantive argument against Vice President Harris, Axios' Zachary Basu writes. 🎤 The latest: Trump recounted, denied and mocked various sexual harassment allegations against him during a rambling news conference today. Speaking after a court hearing in the sexual abuse case brought by writer E. Jean Carroll, Trump brought up separate allegations by a woman named Jessica Leeds, who has said Trump molested her on an airplane in the late 1970s. "Frankly — I know you're going to say it's a terrible thing to say — but it couldn't have happened, it didn't happen, and she would not have been the chosen one. She would not have been the chosen one," Trump said. 👶 Barely 24 hours earlier, Trump fumbled a question about how he would address the high costs of child care if reelected. "As much as child care is talked about as being expensive, it's, relatively speaking, not very expensive," compared to the dollar value of new tariffs on imports, Trump said. The Trump campaign has struggled consistently with family-related issues — from J.D. Vance's comments about "childless cat ladies" to Trump's murky positions on state abortion bans and surprise proposal to federally fund IVF treatments. And his critics pounced on yesterday's comments as well.     2. 🤠 Texas' green-energy groundswell   Illustration: Natalie Peeples/Axios   Texas — the oil and gas capital of the U.S. — is also quickly becoming a leader in renewable energy, Axios' Ben Geman reports. ☀️ Texas has passed California as the state with the most power-generating capacity from big solar projects. It's long been No. 1 in wind power, and now it's second in battery storage. 🔌 What's next: The state's oil giants, including Exxon and Chevron, are investing in lower-carbon business lines, including carbon capture and hydrogen. And the state is a hotbed for climate tech startups who now rub shoulders with incumbent energy companies. Go deeper.     A message from Amazon Amazon helps small businesses save time and money     Tamika started her family business out of her living room in Madison, Alabama. When it took off she turned to Amazon to help with shipping and logistics. Key number: Fulfillment by Amazon costs 70% less on average than comparable two-day shipping options. See more.     3. Catch me up   Data: Bureau of Labor Statistics; Chart: Axios Visuals 🏦 The job market lost steam this summer, new data confirmed today, reinforcing expectations that the Fed will cut interest rates soon. Go deeper. ⚖️ The judge in Trump's hush-money case delayed his sentencing until after the election "to avoid any appearance — however unwarranted" of political motivations. Go deeper. 🗳️ Former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney will vote for Vice President Harris this year, his daughter, former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), said. Go deeper.     4. 📜 Constitution for sale   This 1787 copy of the U.S. Constitution will be put up for auction on Sept. 28 at Brunk Auctions in Asheville, N.C. Photo: Brunk Auctions/AP One lucky bidder will soon get the extremely rare chance to own a copy of the U.S. Constitution. It's one of about 100 copies that were printed in 1787, after the Constitutional Convention, and sent out to the 13 colonies to review as they decided whether to ratify it. The document was found about 10 years ago, accompanied by a letter from George Washington asking for ratification. 🇺🇸 It'll go to auction Sept. 28 in Asheville, N.C. There are very few privately held copies of the Constitution, making it hard to estimate how much this one might ultimately cost. A copy that was used for internal debate by the founders sold for $43 million in 2021. Go deeper.     A message from Amazon "Amazon helped us take our business to the next level"     Kyle started Pawstruck to provide healthy and affordable dog treats. He turned to Amazon to take his products national. The strategy: Kyle uses Fulfillment by Amazon, which costs 70% less on average than comparable two-day shipping options, to help fuel growth. See more.   Are you a fan of this email format? 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