Axios

The response to Hurricane Helene's devastating landfall last month has been hampered by a slew of conspiracy theories and rapidly spreading misinformation about federal assistance to hard-hit communities, as an election year tragedy is swept into political discourse

Meanwhile, the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol continues to be a defining moment in American politics — and former President Trump's legal battles — more than three years later.

An identity crisis. A brutal power struggle. Years in the wilderness.

• If Trump is defeated in next month's election, the Republican Party will face a reckoning unprecedented in modern political history.

Why it matters: Never before has a party's identity been so deeply entwined with the fate, fortunes and flaws of one man.

• Four consecutive poor election cycles would unleash a wave of sustained scrutiny that the GOP, as it currently exists, may not survive.

The big picture: Right now, it's difficult to see through the November fog.

• As we told you last week, Trump is laying the groundwork to deny the results of the election, again spreading a litany of baseless fraud claims in anticipation of his potential defeat.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz kicked off an October media blitz for the Harris campaign with an adversarial interview on "Fox News Sunday," where he was grilled on his history of embellishments.

• "I will own up when I misspeak. I will own up when I make a mistake," Walz said, before downplaying misleading statements about using in-vitro fertilization to have a child.

"Let's be very clear: On that debate stage the other night, I asked one very simple question, and Sen. Vance would not acknowledge that Donald Trump lost the 2020 election," Walz said.

An identity crisis. A brutal power struggle. Years in the wilderness.

• If Donald Trump is defeated in next month's election, the Republican Party will face a reckoning unprecedented in modern political history.

Why it matters: Never before has a party's identity been so deeply entwined with the fate, fortunes and flaws of one man. Four consecutive poor election cycles would unleash a wave of sustained scrutiny that the GOP — as it currently exists — may not survive.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz defended his state's abortion law in his first solo interview since becoming the Democratic vice presidential candidate, saying it "puts the decision" with a woman and her health care providers.

The big picture: As Republicans have sought to moderate their rhetoric on abortion after electoral losses in red and blue states post-Roe, they've targeted certain state policies like Minnesota's as extreme.

The 2024 general election is just one month away, and happens to come in the middle of the fall term for college students.

Why it matters: Young voters in the U.S. represent one of the largest groups of undecided and persuadable blocs in the upcoming coin-toss presidential race, and a large share say they're nervous about the election.

In the middle of his Butler, Pennsylvania rally Saturday, former President Trump called up one of his most powerful allies — Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, and owner of X.

Why it matters: This was Musk's first time at a Trump rally since the night of the shooting, when Musk posted that he "fully" endorses Trump.

In the middle of his Butler remarks, former President Trump called up one of his most powerful allies — Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, and owner of X.

• Why it matters: This was Musk's first time at a Trump rally since the night of the shooting, when Musk posted that he "fully" endorses Trump.

Musk literally jumped onstage with his arms held high, Reuters reports.

• "The true test of someone's character is how they behave under fire," Musk said, calling the election a "must-win situation" for Trump that could be "the last election."

Donald Trump may lose the election, but Kamala Harris is largely conceding he has won the argument on the border.

Why it matters: Both Trump and Harris are now pledging to impose some of the most restrictive immigration, asylum and border policies in decades.

Vice President Kamala Harris' interview with the "Call Her Daddy" podcast will drop Sunday, the show posted on Instagram.

Why it matters: The wildly popular show, hosted by creator Alex Cooper, was Spotify's second-biggest podcast last year and the most listened to among women.

A year after presiding over the worst national security failure in Israel's history, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu isn't close to losing power — he's racking up political and strategic wins that are emboldening him more than ever.

Why it matters: Netanyahu has defied all odds by clinging to power through the first anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks. He now has the political capital for negotiations that could set the country's next budget and allow him to continue to call the shots for at least another year in the multi-front regional war Israel is fighting.

Vice President Kamala Harris has full confidence that President Biden has the stamina and around-the-clock clarity of mind to handle the domestic and international crises in front of him, a Harris spokesperson tells Axios.

Why it matters: The June debate that led Biden to drop his re-election campaign raised questions about Biden's mental fitness — and whether Harris had any concerns beforehand.

BUTLER, Pa. — Eighty-four days after former President Trump's rally speech here was cut short after just six minutes when he was shot in the ear, Trump returned Saturday for a make-up rally that was part commemoration, part celebration — and the usual attacks on Democrats.

Driving the news: In the same field where he was shot, Trump led a dramatic rally that featured prayer, opera, parachute divers, and an artist who did a live painting of Corey Comperatore, the Trump supporter who was killed in the shocking attack on July 13.