Donald Trump's Religious Rhetoric is 'Un-American,' Says Tim Kaine; Claims About Hillary's Health Debunked; and More

Here are some of the most interesting national stories we're following this afternoon.

Tim Kaine: Trump's religious rhetoric is "un-American": During a visit to the nation's oldest synagogue in Washington, D.C., Hillary Clinton's vice presidential running mate Tim Kaine was in attack-dog mode, calling Donald Trump's religious rhetoric "un-American." "Today, we're facing a presidential candidate who has no conception of religious liberty — or civil liberty for that matter. ... We don't need a president who will further divide us — we need one who will bring us together. And that's exactly what Hillary Clinton will do," said Kaine. (Patch)

Naked Donald Trump statue takes Manhattan: Talk about an overexposed candidate. A statue of a fully nude Donald Trump was unveiled Thursday in New York City's Union Square. Selfies ensued, anatomical jokes were made and the fun ended around 1:15 p.m. when the NYC Parks Department toppled the statue, which was created by anarchist art collective INDECLINE. (Photos and video on Patch)

Claims about Clinton's poor health fact checked: Knocking Clinton's perceived lack of "mental and physical stamina" to handle the rigors of being commander-in-chief has become part of Trump's playbook, and GOP operatives and conservative media members have claimed that the former first lady has seizures and vascular dementia, wears a defibrillator and needs help walking up stairs. The Washington Post checked the facts and gives the claims "Four Pinocchios." Meanwhile, Clinton's doctor says someone faked a letter, said to be written by the doctor, and documents that have been used to back up claims about the Democrat's physical condition. (The Washington Post) (Patch)

Trump doubles down in naming a combative true believer as campaign chief: At the lowest point of Donald Trump’s quest for the presidency, the Republican nominee might have brought in a political handyman to sand his edges. Instead, he put his campaign in the hands of a true believer who promises to amplify the GOP nominee’s nationalist message and reinforce his populist impulses. (The Washington Post)

Trump Adviser: Clinton Should Be Shot for Treason, Not Assassinated: "A New Hampshire Republican state Representative and a part of Donald Trump’s veterans support organization is under fire again for calling on Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to be killed by firing squad, according to an interview with a Massachusetts newspaper. 'This isn’t about being a Republican,' Al Baldasaro told Patch Wednesday. 'I was a veteran long before I was a Republican … I was speaking about equal treatment under the law.'" (Patch)

Swing State Polls: Hillary Clinton Ahead of Donald Trump in Colorado, Iowa and Virginia: "Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton is edging out Republican rival Donald Trump in three swing state polls released on Wednesday, putting her ahead in Colorado, Iowa and Virginia. Clinton holds the largest lead among Virginia voters, where she polls 12 points ahead of Trump, 50 percent to 38 percent, according to the new Quinnipiac University survey. She also leads the New York businessman 49 percent to 39 percent in Colorado, and 47 percent to 44 percent in Iowa." (Patch)

From the Twitterverse

Donald Trump's aide and attorney Michael Cohen apparently isn't aware of where the Republican nominee stands in the polls.

On the Radar

• Donald Trump will host a rally in Charlotte, North Carolina.
• Hillary Clinton will meet with law enforcement officials in New York City.
• Mike Pence is holding a town hall event in Manchester New Hampshire.
• Tim Kaine has no public events on his schedule, but is set to hold fundraising events in Wyoming.

Today's Numbers

• 82 days until Election Day 2016.
• The U.S. leads the Olympic medal count with 30 gold, 32 silver and 31 bronze.
• 61 percent of people in the U.S. agree racism against black Americans is widespread.
• $20 million is the cost for Target's new transgender bathroom policy.
• Hillary Clinton says she'll create 376,000 new jobs in Ohio under her economic plan.

Quote of the Day

Rudy Giuliani on Donald Trump and his campaign:

"A lot of people think he has no organization. Good. I like them to think that."

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr Commons