| | | | In an interview aired Thursday morning on "Fox & Friends," President Trump, once again, waded into the ongoing culture war between himself and the NFL.
"I think they are afraid of their players, you want to know the truth," Trump said of the owners of professional football teams. "And I think it's disgraceful."
Trump went on to add that ratings are down for the NFL and stadiums are empty due to the negative backlash against the national anthem protests. (Trump's claim about poor ratings is not entirely accurate.)
Those comments marked the sixth straight day in which Trump has attacked the NFL -- whether in an interview with the media or via Twitter. For a President whose attention span hops from one topic to another like a kid in a candy store, that level of message discipline (and commitment) is somewhat remarkable.
Why is Trump so focused on the NFL? Because he believes strongly that his base supports him in this fight. And that even people who might not have voted for him will take his side against rich, entitled and, yes, largely black pro athletes.
Trump is all about influencing news cycles and changing them when they don't benefit him. Russia, health care and Luther Strange's loss in the Alabama Senate runoff are all bad stories for him. The NFL, he believes, is not.
So he makes sure to throw out a quote -- or 10 -- on the NFL every day. If that quote carries some racially freighted language -- largely white owners being "afraid" of largely black players -- all the better.
Whatever you think of Trump, don't underestimate his savvy when it comes to fighting the fights he wants to fight on the ground he wants to fight them. That's exactly what he is doing by continuing to give the NFL anthem story life.
-- Chris | |  | Former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama hung out Thursday at the Presidents Cup golf competition, held in Jersey City, New Jersey. Looks pretty fun. Getty captured all the photos, which Buzzfeed rounded up in this lovely post titled "Everything Is Fine For These Three Happy Guys On A Golf Trip." Bush also 'grammed a pic.
CAPTION CONTEST: Send your best caption for this photo to chris.cillizza@cnn.com and saba.hamedy@cnn.com. We'll share our favorites in tomorrow's edition. | | CNN's Ryan Struyk writes:
The verdict is in: Americans didn't like Trump's threat to "totally destroy" North Korea. A broad two-thirds of Americans surveyed in a new Quinnipiac poll -- which came out today -- say Trump's ultimatum isn't in the best interests of the United States. Even a third of Republicans -- an unusually high number -- say it's not in America's best interests. Meanwhile, the number of Americans who believe the United States will be able to take care of the situation with North Korea through diplomacy only has sunk from 64% to just 50% in the last month. The low numbers come as a majority of the public says they don't have confidence in Trump to handle the crisis. | | | Chris has been waiting seven years for a new Wolf Parade album. It's finally here! | | Disaster relief efforts in Puerto Rico continue in the wake of Hurricane Maria. On Thursday, food, water and other supplies arrived to its main Port of San Juan. However, "a shortage of truckers and the island's devastated infrastructure are making it tough to move aid to where it's needed most," officials told CNN. How many supplies? "At least 10,000 containers'" worth. CNN reported: "Part of the reason for the distribution backlog is that only 20% of truck drivers have reported back to work since Hurricane Maria swept through, according to a representative for Puerto Rican Gov. Ricardo Rosselló.
On top of that, a diesel fuel shortage and a tangle of blocked roads mean the distribution of supplies is extremely challenging. Even contacting drivers is a problem because cell towers are still down."
Check out this article from CNN's Impact Your World for more on how you can help victims of Hurricane Maria. | | CNN's Daniella Diaz writes:
Rep. Steve Scalise, the House Republican whip who was shot in June at a congressional baseball team practice, returned to Capitol Hill on Thursday for the first time since being seriously wounded.
"I am definitely a living example that miracles really do happen," Scalise said, with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy at his side. Scalise thanked God and his wife as well as the Capitol Police officers and doctors who saved his life.
Read Daniella's full story here. | | Gabrielle Giffords, who survived an assassination attempt in 2011 that led to her resignation from Congress, will stump in Virginia for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ralph Northam, The Washington Post reported Thursday.
Per the article: Giffords' "political action committee, Americans for Responsible Solutions, also announced Thursday that it would spend $150,000 on digital ads and mailers to persuade voters to support Northam in his race against Republican Ed Gillespie."
Next week, "Giffords and her husband, former astronaut Mark Kelly, will attend two roundtables, greet Northam volunteers at a field office and attend an evening reception for Northam supporters, according to officials at her PAC." | | | This GIF is from a clip of the standing ovation for Scalise upon his return to the Hill. We hope you enjoy the rest of your Thursday, and please tell people you know to subscribe to The Point. | | We'd love to share our other newsletters with you. Follow this link for daily coverage of the world's top stories, savvy market insights, an insider's look into the media, and more. Our authors for The Point are Chris Cillizza and Saba Hamedy. Send your tips and thoughts via email to Chris or Saba. Follow on Twitter: Chris and Saba. | | | Get the Nightcap, a comprehensive summary of the most important political news, delivered to your inbox daily. | | | | | |
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