Takeaway: A Party Dividing?; Trump Econ 101; Unanswered Questions

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Capital Brief: Trying Times For Trump & The Growing List Of GOP Defectors - JT   Potomac under 1 mb

“The bud of victory is always in the truth.”

-Benjamin Harrison

A PARTY DIVIDING?

Following one of his campaign’s worst weeks yet, Donald Trump claims he won’t change his strategy or alter his temperament even slightly. His Second Amendment comments were beyond the pale - overshadowing yet another headline on Hillary Clinton’s State Department emails and influence from the Clinton Foundation - and will likely cost him more party members and donors as some are now making their support of Hillary Clinton very public. The list continues to grow - this time including ME Senator Susan Collins saying she would not vote for Trump. In addition to Collins, and other high-profile former Bush Administration defections, a letter signed by 50 senior Republican national security officials warned that a Trump presidency would “risk our country’s national security and well-being.”  

TRUMP ECON 101

Amid protesters’ interruptions, Trump’s economic speech to the Detroit Economic Club was a mix of the good, the bad, and the ugly. The plan stitched together old ideas from the left and the right, including a large dose of tax cuts mixed with outdated protectionism, reformed conservative social policy and a deregulation plan that would make Wall Street cheer. Will the unusual mix of policy captivate those outside of Trump’s constituencies and stall his recent slide in the polls and recapture the momentum that led him to the nomination? Clinton is expected to lay out her rebuttal later this afternoon.

UNANSWERED QUESTIONS

It’s hard to dismiss the fact that Clinton is leading by double digits in most national polls and now with just 90 days until election day, Trump still has not spent a dime on television advertising, even as Clinton continues to flood the airwaves with more than $50 million in ad spending. It's not for lack of money as the Trump campaign raised $80 million in July and finished the month with $37 million cash-on-hand. We’re stymied that he hasn’t tried to make up any lost ground not even posting during the Olympics as Clinton drops $5.5 million on prime time ads.