New York-based Correspondent Logan Church with the latest from the election campaign in the US.
Morning all, it’s almost one month to election day. Early voting is underway in some states. I’m packing my bags. It’s going to be a wild few weeks. Here’s some of the political moments this past week that caught my eye.
JD Vance (allegedly) breaking the fourth wall - and it was hilarious
Usually no one gives a toss about Vice Presidential debates here, but a lot of people tuned in to see Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Ohio Senator JD Vance meet on the debate stage for the first time.
Walz certainly made an energetic entrance to the national stage when he was named as Kamala Harris’ running mate, and made his opponent, Vance, seem... well... weird.
I think it’s fair to say though that Vance won the debate this week – if only from a style perspective.
Walz was reportedly nervous ahead of the debate, perhaps not helped by the fact that he hasn’t had much practice facing questions from seasoned journalists – unlike Vance who has been regularly sitting down for interviews.
Just as Harris’s facial expressions when Donald Trump started making stuff up (like "they are eating the dogs, they are eating the pets") entertained millions at their own debate, it seemed Vance learnt a thing of two – making eyes directly down the camera at several points through the debate. It’s what us thespians call a "fourth wall break".
Many online compared it to Jim Halpert from The Office.
Disappointingly, it turned out JD Vance didn’t do it on purpose – saying he was just trying to keep track of when he could speak.
Entertaining, nevertheless.
Melania Trump is releasing a book called... Melania
The former first lady and supermodel, Melania Trump, is about to release a new book, creatively called Melania.
This week she has been doing the media rounds promoting it.
But not every news network has been able to score an interview – this from CNN:
"In an email to CNN, Skyhorse Publishing sent a document labelled, 'Confidentiality and Nondisclosure Agreement' that laid out strict terms for an interview and use of material from the book, titled Melania, due to publish on October 8. On top of that, the agreement stipulated that 'CNN shall pay a licensing fee of two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000)'."
That’s just over NZ$405,000.
For those wondering, it is not normal practice for a news network to pay for an interview to promote a book.
What’s in the book, you ask?
Well, it turns out that while her husband’s party is increasingly anti reproductive rights, Melania Trump disagrees.
"Why should anyone other than the woman herself have the power to determine what she does with her own body? A woman’s fundamental right of individual liberty, to her own life, grants her the authority to terminate her pregnancy if she wishes," she said in her book, as reported by The Guardian.
"Restricting a woman’s right to choose whether to terminate an unwanted pregnancy is the same as denying her control over her own body. I have carried this belief with me throughout my entire adult life."
Melania Trump rarely shares political views on anything, so it will be interesting to get an insight as to her beliefs, especially given the quiet influence she has in the MAGA camp.
Regardless of the content, you’ll have to not judge the book by the cover – which doesn’t stand out.
Thoughts? I kind of think the font is suspiciously similar to the 1News font...
Donald Trump returns to Butler, Elon Musk to attend
Tomorrow, former President Donald Trump is set to return to Butler, Pennsylvania, to hold a rally at the same site where he was almost assassinated in July.
He will be joined by Elon Musk, who has endorsed Trump, as well as the family of Corey Comperatore, the firefighter who was killed by the bullets aimed at the former President.
"We're going to go back and finish our speech," Trump said at a recent rally.
You can imagine that security at the outdoor showground will be tight.
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