Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team’s latest reporting and analysis from the campaign trail, the White House and Capitol Hill.
In today’s edition, political reporter Allan Smith explores how Democrats are leaning into football to connect with voters. Plus, senior political reporter Jonathan Allen
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Democrats add football to their election-year playbook
By Allan Smith
With the NFL season officially kicking off tonight, Democrats see an unexpected opening to make gains with voters this fall.
Embracing football marks something of a shift for a party that had been growing steadily more critical of the game — particularly on player safety. But starting with the presidential ticket, Democrats are playing up their gridiron bona fides.
When Vice President Kamala Harris introduced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her new running mate at their first rally together, she called him “coach.” One of the first stops on the campaign’s pre-convention bus tour was to a town in Pennsylvania where Walz spoke to a high school football team. And at the convention itself in Chicago last month, Walz received his own pep rally when a parade of his former players took the stage wearing their old jerseys.
The Harris campaign is also launching a new TV ad tying former President Donald Trump to Project 2025 that will air during Saturday’s Michigan-Texas college football game and Sunday’s Atlanta Falcons-Pittsburgh Steelers NFL matchup.
It’s an effort that extends down the ballot, too. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, a former NFL linebacker who is challenging Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, has promoted his football ties extensively in the campaign, including during a speech before the Democratic convention.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a rising star in the party who played football at Johns Hopkins University, suited up for a University of Maryland practice in July. And prominent Democrats like Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro routinely include football metaphors and references in interviews and on the stump.
“Football opens doors that are completely nonpolitical and every Texan understands,” Allred said of the role the game plays in his campaign, adding, “It’s a language that we speak here in Texas pretty fluently.”
The debate mission for both campaigns: Define Harris
By Jonathan Allen
It’s hard to say that there’s a lot riding on the next presidential debate after the last one cost President Joe Biden his candidacy. And yet, as Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump get ready to debate each other in Philadelphia on Tuesday, the risks are real for both of them.
Right now, they’re locked in a tight race, and recent history suggests that will continue until Election Day. The likeliest outcome from the ABC News-hosted showdown is a relative draw that leaves the race unchanged. After all, there’s little Trump can do to change how voters view him nearly a decade into his tenure on the national political stage.
But polls show perceptions of Harris, who’s been the Democratic standard-bearer for only about six weeks, are less hardened. There’s room for the debate to help or harm her.
There’s an opportunity for Trump to take the upper hand — or get knocked back on his heels. He will surely come ready to throw punches, as he always does. Harris hasn’t been in an adversarial setting since she became the Democrats’ pick to replace Biden at the top of their ticket.
Whatever happens Tuesday night, some voters will form fuller opinions of Harris based on the results. So, the mission for both campaigns is to define her.
Trump wants voters to see a more liberal version of Biden. Harris wants them to see a younger and more agile one.
Either way, all eyes will be on Harris.
🗞️ Today’s top stories
- ⚖️ Hunter Biden trials: Hunter Biden pleaded guilty to all the charges in the federal tax case against him, a surprise move that avoids a potentially embarrassing trial for the president’s son. Read more →
- ⚖️ Trump trials: U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan said she would not let the 2024 election determine the schedule of Trump’s election inference case, saying it would be “an exercise in futility” to set a trial date at this point given pending appellate issues. Read more →
- 🏫 Back to school: College students’ return to campus also marks the return of pro-Palestinian protests, bringing an issue that has divided Democrats back into the spotlight. Read more →
- 🌍 Pressing the White House: Families of American hostages are pushing the Biden administration to bypass Israel and negotiate a deal directly with Hamas. Read more →
- 🏃 Biden’s home stretch: JoeBiden is aiming to use his final months in office to cement his legacy, with overseas trips and visits to Republican parts of the country. Meanwhile, he is preparing to announce that he will formally block Nippon Steel’s proposed $14.9 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel. Read more →
- 🔁 Retweet: Trump said he plans to adopt billionaire Elon Musk’s plan for a government efficiency commission to cut federal spending if elected, adding that Musk has agreed to lead the commission “if he has the time.” Read more →
- 💰 Cash dash: Harris’ political operation raised more than $300 million in August — more than twice as much as Trump’s operation in the same period. Read more →
- ✅ Taking sides: Former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., announced that she will vote for Harris for president. Read more →
That’s all from the Politics Desk for now. If you have feedback — likes or dislikes — email us at politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com
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