Daily Kickoff
Good Tuesday morning.
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we report on the condemnation of Tucker Carlson by Jewish House Democrats over his platforming of a Holocaust denier, talk to Shari Redstone and Micah Goodman on the sidelines of the MEAD conference in Washington and cover the Republican Jewish Coalition’s $10 million ad buy targeting Jewish voters in swing states. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Dave McCormick, Brianna Wu and Rabbi Ari Berman.
What We’re Watching
- Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump debate tonight at 9 p.m. at Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center. The debate, which is hosted by ABC News, will be carried on all major broadcast and cable news networks.
- Secretary of State Tony Blinken is in London today, where he’s slated to meet with U.K. Foreign Minister David Lammy. The meeting comes a week after London announced it was suspending the sale of some arms to Israel. During a press briefing yesterday, senior White House spokesperson John Kirby said, “This isn’t about twisting arms or trying to change minds. The British government has made their determination about arms provisions to — to Israel. We respect that. That’s for them to speak to.”
- New Hampshire Democrats Maggie Goodlander and Colin Van Ostern face off today in the primary to succeed Rep. Annie Kuster (D-NH).
- The inaugural Africa-Israel Parliamentary Summit kicks off today in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
- The Journey Summit is taking place in Tel Aviv today. Daniel Loeb, Eyal Waldman and Assaf Rappaport are slated to speak at the day-long gathering, hosted by EY.
What You Should Know
The first presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump is tonight, and the stakes couldn’t be higher in a race that’s extremely close, Jewish Insider Editor-in-Chief Josh Kraushaar writes.
And while it’s unlikely to have the seismic impact of the June debate between President Joe Biden and Trump, it will be one of the last major opportunities for the Harris and Trump campaigns to move the political needle in their favor with tens of millions of Americans watching.
After enjoying a sustained bounce after emerging as the nominee, Harris’ support has stalled, according to the latest round of polling. Her convention bounce was muted, in part because of the political sugar high of the previous few weeks. She effectively consolidated the once-demoralized Democratic base around her campaign, but is still struggling to win over disillusioned swing voters dissatisfied with the Biden administration’s record.
A New York Times-Siena College poll, released over the weekend, showed Trump holding a one-point lead over Harris, 48-47% among likely voters — well within the margin of error, but also well short of where Harris needs to be polling nationally to feel comfortable about her chances winning a 270-vote Electoral College majority.
Two of the most telling results in the poll: Only a quarter of voters said they viewed Harris as the “change candidate” despite concerted efforts by the Harris campaign to paint her in that light during the Democratic convention. By contrast, over half of voters saw Trump as the candidate of change. More than 60% of voters said the next president should represent a change from the Biden administration.
And the poll found Harris is viewed as more ideologically extreme than Trump, despite the Harris campaign’s efforts to tie Trump to the right-wing Project 2025 policy document produced by the conservative Heritage Foundation. Only 32% of respondents said that Trump is “too conservative” while 44% believe that Harris is “too liberal or progressive.”
Harris had an opportunity to clearly make a moderate pivot by picking as her running mate Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who boasts a centrist record and hails from a must-win state. Instead, she chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, preferring the candidate that offered a stylistic appeal to blue-collar white voters but who had a progressive governing record that did little to allay skeptics about any centrist commitments.
Because so many voters don’t have a good sense on how she’d govern, Harris has more to gain — or lose — from the high-stakes debate tonight. Will she defend the Biden administration’s record on the economy, foreign policy and immigration — or will she try and create some distance in response to inevitable Trump attacks?
Harris’ defining attribute in national political life has been her caution. She’s generally been a follower of liberal-minded conventional wisdom, even when it runs against her own political interests. Her unsuccessful 2020 presidential campaign, where she worked harder to compete for progressive voters at the expense of the moderate majority, is still leaving its mark four years later. She hasn’t left much of a mark as vice president, with her most notable role as an emissary to progressive groups (especially with her outspoken abortion rights advocacy) — efforts that fortified support with the base, but not with the broader public.
Now she’s benefiting from a second look from voters and getting a sustained boost of momentum that could allow her to eke out a presidential victory. But if she remains risk-averse and doesn’t outright dismiss some of the most unpopular positions she once embraced, those good vibes in Chicago could turn into an off-key performance in Philadelphia.
tucker trouble
Every Jewish House Democrat condemns Carlson’s interview with Holocaust denier

Every Jewish Democrat in the House signed onto a joint statement issued Monday night condemning Tucker Carlson for amplifying the views of a Holocaust denier and blasting Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), the Republican vice presidential nominee, for failing to denounce the interview, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod and Emily Jacobs report.
On the Hill: The letter comes amid growing GOP alarm at the indulgence of antisemitism within their own ranks and concern about the political implications of the Trump campaign’s continued embrace of Carlson. Multiple GOP lawmakers told JI that Carlson and the interview could be a serious liability for the campaign and that the campaign needs to change course. Meanwhile, joint statements from every Jewish Democrat — ranging from some of the most conservative Democrats in the House to committed progressives — are rare.