The Note: Trump Tries to Right the Ship

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August 15, 2016

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Trump Tries to Right the Ship

Trump Forges Ahead After Difficult Week

Just as Donald Trump's campaign thought the dust had settled on his prolonged public battle with the family of slain army Captain Humuyan Khan, the GOP nominee then suggested last week that "second amendment people" could perhaps prevent Hillary Clinton from being able to choose Supreme Court Justices. And then he declared, over 20 times in just two days, that President Obama was the "founder of ISIS" only to then say he was being sarcastic but "not that sarcastic." To conclude Trump's trying week, the New York Times issued a blistering report Saturday afternoon, quoting over 20 anonymous sources who attested to the turmoil within the campaign. And so begins Trump's week. His campaign is attempting to forge ahead with a focus, again, on policy, ABC's JOHN SANTUCCI, CANDACE SMITH and INES DE LA CUETARA report. Today, he will deliver remarks in the battleground state of Ohio, laying out a plan for combating Islamic terrorism. This comes as part of a concerted effort on behalf of senior staff members to keep Trump on message with a policy-based speech each week. http://abcn.ws/2bhllm5

Trump's Traveling Companions

To help change the campaign's trajectory, Trump is now increasingly being joined on the trail by a travel companion. This includes either a top-level surrogate, party official or member of his family. As Republicans both publicly and privately continue to question their nominee -- even as Trump maintains that his operation is sound and his campaign is unified -- behind the scenes, sources tell ABC News that the campaign is constantly having to quell the concerns of nervous party members. Attempting to build bridges for his running mate, Indiana Gov. Pence has met with top Republicans like former candidate Jeb Bush and Arizona Senator John McCain. http://abcn.ws/2bhllm5

Clinton and Biden Join Forces

Hillary Clinton campaigns with Vice President Joe Biden in his hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania today. According to ABC's ARLETTE SAENZ, a spokesperson for Biden says he will argue that "no major party nominee in the history of this nation has ever known less or has been less prepared to deal with our national security than Donald Trump. He will argue that he is unfit and unqualified to be Commander in Chief, and that the bluster and volatile rhetoric he's offering will make the people of Scranton, and the nation, less safe."

Trump Blames 'Crooked Media' After Week of Unfavorable Polls

After a week of bad poll numbers, Donald Trump blames the media. "If the disgusting and corrupt media covered me honestly and didn't put false meaning into the words I say, I would be beating Hillary by 20%," Trump said on Twitter Sunday morning. He added to the comments throughout the day on social media, ABC's MICHAEL EDISON HAYDEN notes. "It is not "freedom of the press" when newspapers and others are allowed to say and write whatever they want even if it is completely false!" he tweeted Sunday afternoon. http://abcn.ws/2bgbApJ

Top Trump Adviser Jeff Sessions Says Campaign 'Is Not Over'

Top Trump foreign policy adviser Sen. Jeff Sessions says Republican nominee Donald Trump's campaign is "not over," and criticized media coverage claiming his campaign is in trouble. "You've had this whole morning talking about nothing but negative on the Trump campaign," Sessions said on ABC's "This Week." "This is the kind of thing that does build on itself, and has, I think, made mountains out of molehills." ABC's NICKI ROSSOLL has more. http://abcn.ws/2bqkhuM