News Information and Media Site: Trump's debate performance stokes fears among allies

Thursday, October 1, 2020

Good morning, NBC News readers.

Internal documents seen by NBC News reporters show that Trump officials were told to make comments sympathetic to the teenager charged with killing two protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin. And there is more fallout from the debate slugfest — including some amusing internet memes you may have missed.

Here's what we're watching this Thursday morning.

DHS memo told officials to make comments favorable to Kenosha shooter Kyle Rittenhouse

Federal law enforcement officials were directed to make public comments sympathetic to Kyle Rittenhouse, the teenager charged with fatally shooting two protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, according to internal Department of Homeland Security talking points obtained by NBC News.

In preparing Homeland Security officials for questions about Rittenhouse from the media, the document suggests that they note that he "took his rifle to the scene of the rioting to help defend small business owners."

Rittenhouse, 17, supported Trump and police on his social media pages before he traveled from his home in Antioch, Illinois, to Kenosha on Aug. 25 with an AR-15-style rifle, authorities say. Rittenhouse was arrested on first-degree murder charges and is fighting extradition to Wisconsin. His attorneys argue that he was acting in self-defense.

Former Homeland Security officials said it was unusual for law enforcement officials to be instructed to weigh in on a particular group or individual before investigations had concluded.

"It is as unprecedented as it is wrong," said Peter Boogaard, who was a spokesperson for Homeland Security during under the Obama administration.

Kyle Rittenhouse, left, walks in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on the night of the shooting. (Photo: Adam Rogan / The Journal Times via AP)

Trumpworld is 'worried' about debate performance fallout

President Donald Trump's allies expressed worries after the chaotic first debate that he had squandered one of his last opportunities to change the dynamics of a race in which he is trailing, coming off as mean and angry rather than confident and in command.

Advisers say Trump missed repeated chances to deal blows to Democratic nominee Joe Biden in areas they had prepped for and failed to lay out his own case for what a second term would look like.

While there is a consensus among those close to the campaign that Trump probably didn't lose any votes among his base, his performance likely didn't win over some of the voters he needs most either.

Biden slammed Trump's debate showing as "a national embarrassment" on the campaign trail Wednesday.

The Commission on Presidential Debates announced Wednesday that it is considering format changes for remaining debates after Trump repeatedly disregarded the rules, resulting in the verbal brawl that negated any substantive policy conversation.

Meantime, Trump's call to supporters to watch polls "very carefully" during the debate alarmed Democrats and election experts who called the president's rhetoric "dangerous" and warned against possible voter intimidation.

There is still a lot to unpack from the debate. Our Into America podcast digs into the contentious issues of race, protests and police that were brought up during the debate.

Video: Trump escalated false attacks on mail-in voting during debate

'We've been forgotten': The long fight and dangerous threat at one Superfund site

New Jersey has 114 Superfund sites, the most in the nation, and Newark, the state's largest city, is home to four of them.

Superfund sites are some of the nation's most polluted land that's been marked by the EPA for clean-up.

One in Newark's Ironbound neighborhood, a former chemical plant where cleanup is priced at $1.4 billion, is especially problematic.

It's one of nine in the state, and 74 nationwide, that not only are vulnerable to the effects of climate change but contain uncontrolled toxic wastes that could damage human health, an investigation by InsideClimate News, the Texas Observer and NBC News found.

Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, an environmental nonprofit, warned about the dangers of major weather events and rising sea levels in terms of clean-up plans.

"With Superfund sites and climate change, we're playing Russian roulette with a loaded gun," Tittel said of a potential disaster. "It's a matter of when, not a matter of if."

Video: The long fight and dangerous climate threat at a toxic waste site

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Plus

The E.U. launched legal action against the U.K. over London's plan to unilaterally breach a Brexit withdrawal agreement both sides signed last year.

Some 1,600 customers say Wells Fargo paused their mortgage payments without their consent during the Covid-19 pandemic, far more than previously known.

Snapchat has helped 1 million users register to vote, a possible boon to Democrats.

As many as 50,000 airline workers could be out of a job after Congress failed to pass a last-minute deal to extend coronavirus relief aid to the embattled industry.

However the Senate did manage to pass a bill to avert a government shutdown.

"We will always love you": Chrissy Teigen and John Legend are mourning the loss of their third child.

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One fun thing

The first debate was full of mockery, name-calling and taunts.

It also launched a million internet memes. We rounded up some of the funniest ones.

And just when you'd forgotten about Weird Al Yankovic, he's back with his own take on the debate for the New York Times. Forgive me if his "we're living in the apocalypse" refrain gets stuck in your head all day.

Some Twitter users couldn't resist posting photoshopped images of Biden wearing the "biggest mask I've ever seen" that Trump mockingly suggested. (Image: @TylerTatro1)

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Thanks, Petra Cahill