Trump campaign fears grow over possible internal discord | First Thing

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Donald Trump’s campaign remains nervous about the possibility of a power struggle among key figures that could dissuade the electorate from voting for him in November, according to sources close to the matter.

Its current leadership, Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, remain in the top jobs, and potential discord appears to have simmered down after the first manager of the 2016 campaign, Corey Lewandowski, played down suggestions that he was returning to run Trump’s 2024 bid for the White House. However, people close to the matter warned there was potential for further tension if the campaign were to hit more rocky periods.

If Lewandowski were to disagree with Wiles and LaCivita, there is concern internally that it could form a significant distraction at a time when the Republican and Democratic tickets are roughly level in key swing state polls.

• What are the battleground states? Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin: this week will see both campaigns focus on Georgia.

‘Women aren’t stupid’ enough to believe Vance’s US abortion ban veto promise, says Warren

Elizabeth Warren said women would not buy JD Vance’s pledge that Trump would veto any national abortion ban passed by Congress if elected in November.

“American women are not stupid, and we are not going to trust the futures of our daughters and granddaughters to two men who have openly bragged about blocking access to abortion for women all across this country,” the Democratic senator from Massachusetts said on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday.

With 30% of American women already living in US states with near-total abortion bans, Warren said this proportion would rise to 100% with Trump and Vance in power. Her comments come after the Ohio senator and Republican nominee for vice-president said Trump would use the presidency’s veto powers to overrule a federal abortion ban – a promise Democrats believe is a lie in light of Trump’s record on abortion.

• How could abortion be banned nationwide under Trump? Warren said she believed conservative activists could use the Comstock Act of 1873, which bans mailing abortion-related information, backed by supportive figures in the Department of Justice and judiciary.

Iran’s response to the killing of Hamas chief in Tehran will be ‘definite and calculated’, foreign minister says

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, has reportedly said Tehran’s response to the killing of the Hamas political chief in the Iranian capital would be “definite and calculated”.

Iran blames Israel for the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh on 31 July. In a phone call with his Italian counterpart, Antonio Tajani, Araghchi was quoted by Iran’s state media as calling it “an unforgivable violation of Iran’s security and sovereignty”.

Although Israel’s government officially refused to comment on Haniyeh’s death, the strike has been widely seen as an Israeli operation. “Iran does not seek to increase tensions. However, it is not afraid of it,” Araghchi told Tajani. He added that Iran’s response would be “definite, calculated and accurate”, according to the statement.

The statement came after Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, vowed that Israeli airstrikes targeting Iran-backed Hezbollah’s rockets in southern Lebanon were “not the end of the story” , following the heaviest trading of fire between the two sides since the Gaza war started more than 10 months ago.

• What is the mood in the region? Jordan’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Sufain Qudah, has said that escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah could trigger a “regional war”, mirroring earlier comments made by Egypt’s president, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi.

In other news …

• The body of a 33-year-old woman has been found three days after she was carried away by a flash flood near the Grand Canyon in Arizona, officials have said.

• Macklemore has cancelled his October show in Dubai in protest against the United Arab Emirates’ role in the Sudan civil war, where thousands of people have been killed.

• More than 1,600 people have been detained in Venezuela for protesting against Nicol ás Maduro’s widely doubted claim to have won the country’s presidential election last month, with many facing charges that could lead to decades in jail.

• Australian workers now have “right to disconnect” after new laws came into force, meaning they can refuse to monitor work messages outside contracted hours, unless doing so is unreasonable.

Stat of the day: Women may only make up a quarter of the top EU roles

Women might only make up between 22% and 26% of the next European Commission, which is expected to take office in December, after EU governments ignored the commission president’s request to propose two candidates, a man and a woman. This worst-case scenario would amount to a far worse gender imbalance than the previous commission, which took office in 2019 with 44% female representation.

Don’t miss this: Taking on TikTok’s gambling influencers

When Rob Minnick was 23, he traveled 3,700 miles from New Jersey to Paris to explore the French capital. But when he got there, he couldn’t stop excusing himself to get a quick hit of online gambling. He now uses TikTok to raise awareness of problem gambling, which he believes the platform is helping to normalize among young people, saying: “Right now, it’s David v Goliath.”

Climate check: UN chief to push for more climate action at Pacific leaders’ summit

The general secretary of the UN, António Guterres, will call for more climate action at an annual summit of Pacific leaders this week in Tonga. Pacific island nations are among the most vulnerable to rising sea levels and temperature increases. Regional leaders will be hoping for more financial support for their climate and disaster initiatives.

Last Thing: What do the Trump campaign and being stuck next to a screaming child on a plane have in common?

With 70 days to go until the election, Edith Pritchett compares Donald Trump’s campaign to what she characterizes as a similarly trying ordeal.

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