our story thus far

All props to Trump for finding new venues to rave on. His chat with Elon Musk was unique in that it featured the two smuggest, self-absorbed jerks in the solar system. Thank you, Aging Orange, for supplying the Harris-Walz campaign with more reasons for white working-class folks to abandon the Republican Party.

As Donny J. obsesses with crowd envy, troubles mount elsewhere for the GOPers. Arizona and Missouri have just joined Colorado, Florida, Maryland, New York and South Dakota as states with abortion measures on their November ballots. Reproductive freedom issues have been a huge winner for the Dems since Roe v. Wade was struck down, even in solid red Kansas. Further proof that it will be a big deal: Trump says it won’t.

And J.D. Vance, bless his heart. He’ still trying to get mileage out of misrepresenting Walz’s military service, but every time he points out Tim’s one ill-spoken mistake, countless other veterans jump to the future veep’s defense. It also rehighlights Trump’s preposterous bone spurs tale.

Vance has another mess to explain, anyway. He was an investor and board member of AppHarvest, a huge vertical farming factory in eastern Kentucky, which has since closed down amid reports of grueling working conditions and managerial incompetence. It even brought in migrant workers to work cheaper than the locals it was laying off.

Some hillbilly elegies write themselves.