How TV Made Donald Trump a Political Star, Anthony Weiner Under Investigation, Charlotte's Curfew Passes and More

Donald Trump once said that he believed television has a detrimental effect on politics. But what he once saw as a problem for the political process is precisely what turned him into the non-politician success case in the the 2016 run for the White House.

No other candidate in history has mastered, nor manipulated, the medium. The Republican presidential nominee has had more airtime than any other candidate and has been able to command coverage for his businesses as well. Look no further than last Friday's "press conference" in which the candidate took 30 seconds to finally concede that President Obama was born in the United States, yet he received 45 minutes of coverage at his brand new hotel in Washington, D.C.

Top Stories

Trump Once Said TV Ruined Politics. Then it Made Him a Star: "In 1980, in one of his first big TV interviews, Donald Trump was asked whether television was ruining politics. 'It’s hurt the process very much,' Trump told NBC’s Rona Barrett. 'Abraham Lincoln would probably not be electable today because of television. He was not a handsome man, and he did not smile at all. He would not be considered to be a prime candidate for the presidency — and that’s a shame, isn’t it?'" (The Washington Post)

U.S. Attorney Investigating Weiner Sexting Allegations: "Prosecutors in the office of US Attorney Preet Bharara have issued a subpoena for Anthony Weiner's cell phone and other records, according to law enforcement officials. The FBI and the New York Police Department have opened preliminary investigations of allegations that the former New York Democratic congressman exchanged sexually explicit text messages with a purportedly underage girl." (CNN)

Peaceful Protests Continue as Charlotte's Curfew Passes: "After a second night of violent protests over a police-involved shooting, police chief Kerr Putney allowed the victim's family to view video of the incident but said he would not release footage to the public. The city announced it would impose a city-wide curfew from midnight to 6 a.m. 'The curfew will be in effect each day until the end of the State of Emergency is declared or until the official proclamation is revoked,' the city's Twitter feed reported." (USA Today)

Palmer Luckey: The Facebook Near Billionaire Secretly Funding Trump’s Meme Machine: "A Silicon Valley titan is putting money behind an unofficial Donald Trump group dedicated to 'sh*tposting' and circulating internet memes maligning Hillary Clinton. Oculus founder Palmer Luckey financially backed a pro-Trump political organization called Nimble America, a self-described 'social welfare 501(c)4 non-profit' in support of the Republican nominee." (The Daily Beast)

From the Twitterverse

Maybe it's a good thing that Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson won't be on the debate stage:

On the Radar

• Neither Donald Trump nor Hillary Clinton have public events as they prepare for Monday's debate.
• Tim Kaine will attend a rally in Houston.
• Chelsea Clinton will be campaigning in Flint, Michigan.

Today's Numbers

• 45 days until Election Day 2016.
• Donald Trump received $1.6 million from Secret Service.
• Why a rogue trader doesn't have to pay back $5.5 billion.
• About that iOS 10's iTunes app.

Quote of the Day

Republican Representative Robert Pittenger of North Carolina on the protests in North Carolina after police killed a black man.

"They hate white people, because white people are successful and they're not."

Allen McDuffee is a politics and policy reporter, investigative journalist, blogger and podcast host. He has written for The Atlantic, Wired and The Washington Post. Follow him on Twitter: @AllenMcDuffee

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr Commons