Donald Trump Expresses 'Regret'; Clinton Foundation to Halt Foreign Donations with Hillary Win; Naked Donald Trump and More

Donald Trump said at a campaign event Thursday night that he regretted his poorly chosen words in the past, but he fell short of offering a full apology, saying, "But one thing; I can promise you this: I will always tell you the truth." Trump's words came just after announcing new top staff for his struggling campaign who are charged with gaining the confidence of voters while maintaining Trump's authenticity.

"Sometimes in the heat of debate, and speaking on a multitude of issues, you don't choose the right words or you say the wrong thing. I have done that," Trump said, speaking from a teleprompter.

He added: "And believe it or not, I regret it. I do regret it, particularly where it may have caused personal pain. Too much is at stake for us to be consumed with these issues. But one thing; I can promise you this: I will always tell you the truth.”

Top Stories

Trump, speaking after campaign shake-up, expresses regret over causing ‘personal pain’: "Donald Trump on Thursday expressed regret over causing 'personal pain' through ill-chosen words he has used 'in the heat of debate,' an unexpected and uncharacteristic declaration of remorse for a candidate whose public persona is defined by his combative and bombastic style." (The Washington Post)

If Hillary Clinton Wins, Foundation Will Stop Accepting Foreign Donations: "Facing criticism for some of the donations given to his family’s philanthropy, Bill Clinton said on Thursday that the Clinton Foundation would no longer accept foreign or corporate money and that he would resign from its board should Hillary Clinton win the presidency. Mr. Clinton’s announcement, which he relayed to foundation employees in a meeting on Thursday, followed the recent release of State Department emails mentioning donors to the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation who had contact with aides to Mrs. Clinton while she was the secretary of state."(The New York Times)

U.S. Olympic Swimmers Lied About ‘Robbery’ to Cover Up Late Night Out: Brazilian Police: "Four American swimmers made up a report that they were robbed at gunpoint in Rio de Janeiro, a Brazilian police official told the international press corps, while gold medalist Ryan Lochte's attorney stands by his account of a late-night holdup by men who posed as police." (Patch)

What's Trump Hiding in His Taxes? Senators Wyden and Murphy Want to Know: "The Democrats are upping the pressure on Donald Trump to releases his taxes — now threatening legislation to force the case. Senators Ron Wyden from Oregon and Chris Murphy from Connecticut told reporters Thursday that they will ask the Senate to take up the issue next month when Congress returns from summer recess." (Patch)

Naked Donald Trump Statue Captures Hearts in New York City, But Is Quickly Torn Down: If you've ever wanted to see Donald Trump naked, seek help. But also, you had your chance in Union Square Thursday morning to see the presidential candidate in all his glory. The statue was unveiled in Union Square Thursday. It was toppled by the New York City Parks Department around 1:15 p.m. Be warned, he's really naked and, according to the artist, the statues are as anatomically correct as possible. (Hands seem a little too big though, if we're being honest.) (Patch)

From the Twitterverse

In San Francisco, #NakedDonaldTrump was viewed as a public safety concern.

On the Radar

• Donald Trump has a rally in Dimondale, Michigan.
• Trump and Mike Pence will travel to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to tour the damage from flooding.
• Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine have no public events scheduled.

Today's Numbers

• 81 days until Election Day 2016.
• The U.S. leads the Olympic medal count with 35 gold, 33 silver and 32 bronze.
• $350,000 is about how much money Mother Jones spent on an investigation into America's private prisons. The publication only made $5,000 in ads for it. However, on Thursday, the Justice Department announced it would no longer use private contractors to run prisons.
• 8 Cops in Laquan McDonald case should be fired according to the Chicago Police superintendent.

Quote of the Day

GOP speechwriter Richard Cross:

"In that speech, I concluded with the following line: 'If Hillary Clinton can’t give us the truth, why should we give her the presidency?' But weeks after the end of the 2016 GOP convention, I am confronted by an inconvenient fact: Despite what I wrote in that nationally televised speech about Hillary Clinton, I may yet have to vote for her because of the epic deficiencies of my own party’s nominee."

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr Commons