The Note: Clinton's Campaign Cash Blitz

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August 22, 2016

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Clinton's Campaign Cash Blitz

Clinton's Focus This Week

Money. The Democratic presidential nominee is currently in the midst of a multi-day, high-dollar fundraising blitz across the country, ABC's LIZ KREUTZ reports. Following a weekend packed with five fundraisers in Martha's Vineyard and Cape Cod (including one with an appearance by Cher), Clinton is traveling today to California where she'll attend seven fundraisers over the next three days. She then travels to the Hamptons this weekend for even more fundraising events there. During this time, the former secretary of state will make few public appearances. (She only has one public event scheduled so far -- a rally in Reno, Nevada on Thursday -- as well as an appearance on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" tonight.)

Clinton Camp Announces New $80 Million Fall TV Ad Buy

Clinton's campaign is ramping up its presence on the airwaves. According to an aide, the campaign has reserved $80 million worth of TV ad space in battleground states to take them through the fall campaign. The buy – which includes $3 million in additional ads for the remainder of August and nearly $77 million for September and October – is for Florida, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Iowa, Nevada, Ohio, North Carolina, as well as the Omaha area of Nebraska. http://abcn.ws/2baYCsQ

Trump Begins Debate Prep

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump began debate prep with his first session Sunday at his residence in Bedminster, N.J., multiple campaign sources told ABC News. Advisers have provided Trump with videos of Hillary Clinton's 2000 and 2006 U.S. Senate debates, her 2007-2008 primary debates against then-Sen. Barack Obama, and her primary debates this cycle against Sen. Bernie Sanders, ABC's JOHN SANTUCCI and TOM LLAMAS report. The New York real estate developer continues to be advised by former Fox News chief Roger Ailes, despite his not holding an official role in the campaign, sources told ABC News. Trump has not done any mock debate sessions yet but senior level aides indicate they have a person in mind to play Clinton in the eventual sessions, the sources said. http://abcn.ws/2bGnZzf

Analysis -- ABC's Rick Klein

If that was the best week of Donald Trump's campaign, as his new campaign manager contends, even his closest allies are grading him on a serious curve. Trump just fired his previous campaign chief, of course, after a series of damaging revelations about his ties to Russia. He also disclosed a campaign-finance report that revealed his operation to be "more concert tour than presidential campaign," in the judgment of The New York Times. His new and overt efforts to reach out to black and Hispanic voters were clumsy and contradictory; even now it's not clear if he would go ahead with his plan for mass deportations of undocumented immigrants. But he did go a week without seeming to offend a new ethnic group, and made his first move in the direction of apologizing for his past insults. Most importantly to the legions of Republicans who would rather support the GOP nominee than not, he showed that he's trying to win. He may not be capable of long-term discipline. For now, though, Trump appears to be listening to advice of those around him.