Inside the scheme to rip off Trump donors

OFF BRAND: Ian Hawes is collecting money in the name of DONALD TRUMP. Just one problem: He has no affiliation with the Republican’s presidential campaign.

POLITICO’s Shane Goldmacher reports: “At a glance, the two websites look virtually indistinguishable. Both feature a photo of Donald Trump, in a suit and red tie, in front of a giant American flag. Both seemingly offer a chance for two to win dinner with Donald Trump.


One is at donaldjtrump.com; the other is at dinnerwithtrump.org. The first belongs to Trump’s campaign. The second is a scheme run by Ian Hawes, a 25-year-old Maryland man who has no affiliation with Trump or his campaign and who has preyed on more than 20,000 unsuspecting donors, collecting more than $1 million in the process.” Read more at: http://politi.co/2bxcbOy

Happy Monday. It’s your 2016 Blast. Have dinner with us any time, free of charge. Well, you pay your way, we’ll pay ours. Deal? Henry C. Jackson (@henrycjjackson) is here to guide you through today’s campaign news, so please send your tips, complaints and favorite meals to: [email protected].

2) FRONT-RUNNER: HILLARY CLINTON is up 7 percentage points in a new national poll of likely voters — the most recent poll to confirm Clinton has carved out a consistent lead on DONALD TRUMP, POLITICO’s Steve Shepard reports. “The Monmouth University poll, conducted last Thursday through Sunday, shows Clinton leading Trump 46 percent to 39 percent. Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, the Libertarian candidate, is at 7 percent, and Green Party candidate Jill Stein, who isn’t on the ballot in a number of states, garners 2 percent. Another 6 percent of likely voters are undecided or said they prefer another candidate.” http://politi.co/2bVdDPa

BLAST NOTE: Polls like this are why some operatives wonder if Trump is already out of time.

3) BRAND MANAGEMENT: DONALD TRUMP’s strategy to diminish HILLARY CLINTON may have consequences, win or lose, POLITICO’s Edward-Isaac Dovere reports. “The Clinton delegitimization project is now central to DONALD TRUMP’s campaign and such a prime component of right-wing media that it’s already seeped beyond extremist chat rooms. … The Clinton campaign has deliberately positioned its response as an offensive boomerang rather than a rebuttal: Don’t defend against the attacks, just redirect fire at the messenger.” Clinton supporters argue it’s the same approach that Republicans tried to use against Obama in 2008 and beyond. http://politi.co/2bz6EHE

4) MENTAL HEALTH: HILLARY CLINTON released a sweeping mental health plan on Monday, POLITICO’s Nick Gass reports. It includes a “call to convene a White House conference on the issue during her first year in office. ‘Recognizing that nearly a fifth of all adults in the United States — more than 40 million people — are coping with a mental health problem, Hillary’s plan will integrate our mental and physical health care systems,’ the Democratic nominee's campaign said in a statement. ‘Her goal is that within her time in office, Americans will no longer separate mental health from physical health when it comes to access to care or quality of treatment.’” http://politi.co/2bx4MUf

5) MOTORING: DONALD TRUMP is continuing to court minority voters with a trip to Detroit. Trump will travel to the Motor City this weekend to talk with the president and CEO of the only African-American-owned and -operated national Christian television network. He “will appear at Great Faith Ministries, a church in the heart of the city, and be interviewed by Impact Network President and CEO and Bishop Wayne T. Jackson, the campaign said in a statement from surrogate Mark Burns, a pastor who set up a meeting between the candidate and Jackson.” http://politi.co/2c9GuzF

Meanwhile, Trump continued a blunt appeal to minority voters today — arguing on Twitter that he can reign in urban violence and wondering how much more violence there would need to be in cities in order for minority voters to accept him. "Look how bad it is getting!" Trump tweeted. "How much more crime, how many more shootings, will it take for African-Americans and Latinos to vote Trump=SAFE!" http://politi.co/2bx8jSs

TRAIL MIX: In today’s campaign news, Huma Abedin has had enough. BERNIE SANDERS still bothers a prominent HILLARY CLINTON ally. Debate prep is in full swing. Exploring why candidates eschew the press. Protesters hit TIM KAINE’s church. DONALD TRUMP’s doctor’s note is questioned and a David Duke robocall is disavowed.

PERSONAL ISSUES: One of HILLARY CLINTON’s closest aides, Huma Abedin, announced today she was separating from her husband, disgraced Rep. Anthony Weiner, after a fresh report of him sending inappropriate messages to other women.

STILL BERNS: HILLARY CLINTON friend Neera Tanden says she feels like BERNIE SANDERS went harder after Clinton than Barack Obama did in 2008.

INSIDE PREP: TIME looks at how HILLARY CLINTON and DONALD TRUMP are preparing for the debate.

FAIR QUESTION: A columnist for Vanity Fair looks at why HILLARY CLINTON is avoiding press conferences and whether it is a savvy tactic or a defense mechanism.

CHURCH PROTEST: There was a small protest outside of TIM KAINE’s church in Virginia by Catholic priests angry over his stance on social issues. (WTVR)

DOCTOR DOCTOR: HILLARY CLINTON’s campaign has issues with DONALD TRUMP’s note from his doctor attesting to his fine physical condition.

DUKE OUT: DONALD TRUMP’s campaign disavows a David Duke robocall.

PRETTY PLEASE? The Republican National Committee says the Clinton Foundation should just release all of its emails to the State Department.

THEY SAID IT: “No. There’s no reason to do that. They all know me. Everybody in Arizona really knows me unless they just moved in.” — Arizona Sen. John McCain, explaining why he won’t make a general election turn against DONALD TRUMP. http://politi.co/2bMPg5P

MAGIC NUMBER: 28. That’s the number of days until the first presidential debate.

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There you go — now you’re caught up on the 2016 race. TBNR. We’ll see you tomorrow.