Location, location, location.
Trump’s recent indictment in Georgia may seem similar to his federal indictment for 2020 election interference, but the location of his latest indictment shouldn’t be ignored — especially if Trump is the GOP nominee.
The allegations once again put the spotlight on Georgia, a key state on the path to the White House and one where Trump and the GOP have suffered a string of political losses in recent years.
So it’s no surprise that Republican operatives are telling NBC News’ Garrett Haake, Katherine Doyle, Kristen Welker and Alex Tabet that this new indictment could only add to the party’s struggles in the Peach State.
And Trump’s combative posture means there will be more to come — he’s planning to continue to re-litigate the 2020 election, this time with “A Large, Complex, Detailed but irrefutable REPORT on the Presidential Election Fraud” he says he’ll release at a Monday press conference in New Jersey.
In other campaign news …
Trump talk: A new Associated Press/NORC poll finds 63% of Republicans want Trump to run again, and 74% say they would support him next year if he is the GOP nominee. But the same survey finds a majority of Americans — 53% — saying they would definitely not support him in Nov. 2024. The survey, which was conducted before Trump’s indictment in Georgia, finds Americans divided along party lines over Trump’s federal indictment for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Sliding into Trump’s DMs: A newly unsealed warrant shows that federal prosecutors sought to access Trump’s Twitter account and direct messages in their election interference probe.
Ron Protect-us: Politico reports that Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ security spending by the state of Florida jumped from almost $6 million to more than $9 million over the last two fiscal years.
Republicans for Ukraine: A new group is spending $2 million on an ad campaign aimed at urging Republicans to support funding for Ukraine aid.
Also-endorsed: Maryland Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen is endorsing Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks in the state’s race to replace the retiring Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin.
Finances undisclosed: The New York Times reports that embattled New York Republican Rep. George Santos didn’t file his financial disclosure form by the Aug. 13 deadline.
A win for Harris County: A Texas judge blocked a new state law that would have eliminated the Harris County elections administrator, calling it unconstitutional. But the state attorney general’s office is appealing the decision.
Heating up in Kentucky: The Kentucky gubernatorial nominees just released two new ads. One from Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron criticizes Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s veto of restrictions on transgender youth and argues he “sided with transgender protesters over protecting kids.” Beshear’s new ad features law enforcement defending his record on crime, calling him “the best governor for law enforcement.”
