On Politics

Wed Aug 28 2024

Rebecca Morin | Senior National News Reporter

@RebeccaMorin_

Happy Wednesday! I'm Rebecca Morin, senior national news reporter at USA TODAY. Not going to lie, I'm counting down the days until the weekend. Connect with me at rdmorin@usatoday.com.

13 days until the first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. 69 days until Election Day. 2 days until I'm back in Texas for a quick trip.

Is Georgia back in play for Democrats?

The battle is on to win Georgia. Vice President Kamala Harris is back in the Peach State this week for a two-day bus tour through the southeast part (think Savannah) of the state. Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, and Harris were in a dead heat in the state ahead of the Democratic convention. Read more.

•	In Georgia, Trump was at 50% while Harris was at 46% among likely voters, according to a New York Times/Siena poll published earlier this month.
•	That polling was about the same as the margin of error – plus or minus 4.4 percentage points – meaning that it is close enough that the two are considered to be in a dead heat.
•	Harris is closing the gap that President Joe Biden held in the state earlier this year, where he trailed Trump by almost 9 percentage points.
•	Biden won Georgia by only several thousand votes in 2020.

A politics pit stop

•	Breaking: Supreme Court keeps Biden's SAVE student debt relief plan on hold
•	Trump staff in altercation with Arlington Cemetery official
•	Harris campaign launches TV ads around Trump's Mar-a-lago home tying him to Project 2025
•	Will there be muted mics during the Sept. 10 presidential debate?
•	One non-politics story that I personally loved: Museum opens honoring memory of Juan Gabriel, icon of Latin music

Want to be part of a USA TODAY story?

We're looking for readers from each of the seven battleground states — Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin — who would like to be profiled by a USA TODAY reporter. We are asking for a reporter to shadow you for two days around the Sept. 10 presidential debate. Email rdmorin@usatoday.com if you are interested or would like to know more details.

Donald Trump faces new Jan. 6 indictment

A new indictment against Donald Trump was issued Tuesday that would distinguish the former president's actions to address the Supreme Court's July ruling on broad immunity from charges relating to official acts as president. The new indictment is seeking to distinguish Trump's private actions on Jan. 6 from his public duties, which would be immune from prosecution. Read more.

•	Here's a breakdown on what the new indictment means.

You asked, On Politics answers: Does a Taylor Swift endorsement matter?

Another day, another question I can't wait to answer! Please keep them coming in. Today, one reader asked: "Why does everyone care so much about if Taylor Swift endorses Harris? Does it matter?"

I'll preface this now, I'm not really a "Swiftie." But I do know that who she backs does matter. Taylor Swift is one of the top pop-stars in the world and has a dedicated following. That was clear last year when a record 35,000 people registered to vote after she encouraged people to do so. While she weighs into politics sparingly, she did back Biden and Harris in 2020. Some certified "Swifties" held a fundraising call for Harris on Tuesday night, even as Swift hasn't officially endorsed a candidate this cycle. Experts told USA TODAY that celebrities do have the ability to sway some voters. More on that here .