The Note: Trump, Clinton and the Battle of Gettysburg

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October 24, 2016

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Trump, Clinton and the Battle of Gettysburg

Weekend in Review -- Trump Vows to Sue Sexual Assault Accusers Amid Plan for First 100 Days

Donald Trump kicked off a speech in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania about his plan for his first 100 days as president by announcing that he will sue every woman who has accused him of sexual assault. "Every woman lied when they came forward to hurt my campaign. Total fabrication," the Republican presidential nominee said over the weekend. "The [alleged] events never happened. Never. All of these liars will be sued after the election is over." Speaking near the historic Gettysburg Battlefield on a brisk day in the Keystone State, Trump also launched attacks on the "dishonest" media, the "rigged" political system and his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. Trump then laid out some plans for his first 100 days in office if elected, including pledging to deport millions of what he called "criminal illegal aliens," who are "drug dealers" and "killers," and vowing to cancel federal funding for all "sanctuary cities." ABC's MORGAN WINSOR, KATHERINE FAULDERS and JOHN SANTUCCI have more. http://abcn.ws/2dwzPR4

Clinton Fires Back

"I saw where our opponent Donald Trump went to Gettysburg, one of the most extraordinary places in in American history, and basically said if he's president he will spend his time suing women who have made charges against him based on his behavior," Clinton said. More from ABC's JESSICA HOPPER and JOSH HASKELL: http://abcn.ws/2evCcSL

By the Numbers - Diminished Enthusiasm Dogs Trump

Diminished enthusiasm and a high level of negative support are undermining Donald Trump's candidacy in the closing stretch of the 2016 campaign, the ABC News election tracking poll finds -- while Hillary Clinton has improved on both these measures, ABC's GARY LANGER notes. Fifty-six percent of Clinton's backers in the national survey, a new high, say they're voting mainly to support her rather than to oppose Trump. By contrast, 54 percent of Trump voters are mainly motivated by opposition to Clinton, not support for him. Affirmative support can be a stronger motivator to vote, and Clinton's has gained 9 points from its low just before the party conventions in July. Trump's affirmative support, by contrast, has been essentially flat in the same period. http://abcn.ws/2eJw47g

Analysis - ABC's Rick Klein

You can't force a mandate. But Hillary Clinton is now in the enviable position of having some control over what this election will say to both her supporters and opponents. Should she continue on her current trajectory, she's in line for a major victory, bordering on a blowout by modern standards. ABC News' new tracking poll has Clinton crushing Donald Trump by 20 points among women nationally, and even up slightly among men. A win that broad, perhaps with an Arizona and/or a Georgia tipping blue, would signal a message that carried beyond expected demographic and geographical boundaries. Fifty-six percent of Clinton supporters say they are mainly voting to support her rather than to oppose Trump; Trump's similar number is only 41. If Clinton can convince the country that she is going to win by offering up herself – as opposed to being there solely as an alternative to Trump – it could have implications for governing in the not-so-distant future.