1/ Trump asked the judge overseeing his election interference trial involving falsified business records to postpone his sentencing until after the presidential election in November, arguing that the Sept. 18 sentencing date advances what he claims is “naked election-interference objectives.” Judge Juan Merchan already delayed Trump’s sentencing once, at Trump’s request, following the Supreme Court’s decision on presidential immunity. Trump’s request for a delay comes one day after Merchan declined – for the third time – to recuse himself from the case and criticized Trump and his defense lawyers for raising “inaccurate and unsubstantiated claims.” In denying Trump’s motion, Judge Juan Merchan wrote, “this court now reiterates for the third time, that which should already be clear – innuendo and mischaracterization do not a conflict create.” Trump was found guilty by a jury on May 30 on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to Michael Cohen’s $130,000 hush money payment to Stormy Daniels to avert a sex scandal before the 2016 U.S. election. Trump faces up to four years in prison. (ABC News / CNN / The Hill / Politico / New York Times / Associated Press / Reuters / Politico / CNN)

2/ The Arizona Supreme Court ruled that the Republican Legislature can refer to fetuses as “unborn human beings” in the informational pamphlet sent to voters to help inform their choice on an abortion rights ballot measure to enshrine abortion access to the state constitution. The secretary of state’s office, however, said “unborn human being” would not appear on the ballot itself. (Associated Press / KJZZ / Axios)

3/ The Biden administration will save Americans $6 billion as a result of the first Medicare drug price negotiations. The new prices take effect in 2026, and the discounts range between 38% and 79% on the medication’s list price for the 10 drugs selected in initial round of negotiations. Those who are enrolled in Medicare Part D will save around $1.5 billion in out-of-pocket costs. (Associated Press / CBS News / Politico / Bloomberg / Washington Post)

4/ The Consumer Price Index eased for the fourth month in a row, setting up the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates in September. Inflation was 2.9% in July on a yearly basis – down from 3% in June and the first time inflation has slipped below 3% since 2021. Fed officials have held borrowing costs at 5.3% – the highest level in more than two decades – to slow demand and bring price increases under control. (Wall Street Journal / Associated Press / Bloomberg / New York Times / Axios)

5/ Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tried to meet with Kamala Harris to discuss a cabinet job in her administration in exchange for him dropping out of the race and endorsing her. Harris, however, rebuffed the meeting from the Los Angeles man, who launched an independent campaign for president after discovering a dead worm in his brain and confessed to leaving a dead bear cub in Central Park in 2014 because he thought it would be “amusing.” The effort comes weeks after Kennedy and Trump met during the Republican National Convention, where the two discussed a possible role for Kennedy in a potential Trump administration in exchange for an endorsement. (Washington Post / New York Times / CNN)

poll/ 68% of voters are enthusiastic about the Harris-Trump race. Before Biden dropped out, enthusiasm never topped 50%. Among Democrats, 85% are enthusiastic about their nominee (from 46% in June), while 71% of Republicans are enthusiastic for Trump (identical to June). (Monmouth University Poll)

✏️ Notables.

  1. Trump Allies Fear He’s Sabotaging His Own Campaign. “Trump has been in a self-destructive spiral since the moment Democrats replaced Joe Biden with Kamala Harris. Trump’s descent began when he made a racist claim at a July 31 conference for Black journalists, saying that Harris changed her identity for political gain (‘Now she wants to be known as Black,’ Trump claimed). At a rally in Georgia a few days later, Trump ranted for nearly 10 minutes about the state’s popular Republican governor, Brian Kemp, whom Trump blamed for his 2020 loss to Biden. ‘Little Brian, little Brian Kemp. Bad guy,’ Trump fumed. On Truth Social, Trump floated unhinged, evidence-free claims, such as his theories that Biden might crash the Democratic National Convention to take the nomination back and that Harris and Democrats are running a psyop by creating AI videos and images of the vice president’s packed rallies. ‘It’s nuts,’ a Trump friend told me.” (Vanity Fair)

  2. Republicans tell Trump to focus on issues, not “crowd sizes.” “Reports from across Capitol Hill quote GOP advisors and officials from all corners begging Trump to stop fantasizing about President Joe Biden rejoining the race or falsely claiming crowds at Harris rallies are AI-generated. Fox News pundits like Sean Hannity and even Jesse Watters are imploring Trump to stop ‘talking about [the] nationality or background” of his opponent and tell himself ‘it’s not about her, it’s about her policies.’” (Salon)

  3. Hidden-camera video shows Project 2025 co-author discussing his secret work preparing for a second Trump term. “The former president knows that Project 2025 is unpopular. But he can’t distance himself from its contents or its authors.” (CNN / Washington Post)

  4. JD Vance once agreed that “the whole purpose of the postmenopausal female” is to take care of children. During an April 2020 appearance on “The Portal” podcast, host Eric Weinstein also claimed that grandparents helping to raise children is a “weird, unadvertised feature of marrying an Indian woman.” Vance also agreed, explaining how his mother-in-law, a biology professor in California, took a sabbatical from her job and moved to Ohio to help look after his newborn son. (WCPT / New Republic / TMZ)

  • 📅 The WTFJHT Calendar: Now until then.

  • 🫏 Aug. 19-22: Democratic National Convention.
    ⛔️ Sept. 2: Labor Day – No WTFJHT.
    📺 Sept. 4: Fox News presidential debate (maybe?)
    📺 Sept. 10: ABC News presidential debate (possibly?)
    ⚖️ Sept. 18: Trump is sentenced.
    📺 Sept. 25: NBC News presidential debate (perhaps?)
    📺 Sept. 25: CBS News vice presidential debate
    📆 Oct. 6: Last day to register to vote in some states.
    ⛔️ Oct. 14: Indigenous Peoples’ Day – No WTFJHT.
    🗳️ Nov. 5: Presidential Election.
  • ✅ Get election ready: Register to vote, update your address, or request an absentee ballot at Vote.org, TurboVote.org, RocktheVote.org, or VoteFromAbroad.org.

  • 📈 The WTFJHT Election Poll Tracking Tracker ™️

  • Harris 49% – Trump 47% (New York Times)
    Harris 46% – Trump 43% (538)
    Harris 46% – Trump 43% (Nate Silver)
    Harris 46% – Trump 44% (The Economist)
    Harris 48% – Trump 47% (RealClearPolitics)
    Harris 53% – Trump 44% (Election Betting Odds)