PROBABLY NEWS TO TRUMP’S LAWYERS — On HUGH HEWITT’s show today, DONALD TRUMP said he will testify at his trial: “Oh, yes, absolutely.†(h/t Philip Wegmann) HAPPENING NOW — The first televised hearing of Trump’s election interference case in Georgia is underway. Fulton County Superior Court Judge SCOTT McAFEE will hear requests filed by former Trump lawyers SIDNEY POWELL and KENNETH CHESEBRO to sever their cases from the other 17 defendants. The hearing comes a day after Chesebro's attorney requested McAfee to drop him from the RICO indictment and a few weeks after he applied for an expedited trial. The Fulton County District Attorney's office has previously argued that severance of the cases would be “improper.†More from NBC TOP-ED — “I Can’t Keep Trump Off the Ballot,†by Georgia Secretary of State BRAD RAFFENSPERGER in the WSJ: “Voters should decide elections: That’s the simple lesson of Georgia in 2018 and 2020.†THE NEVERENDING STORY — As Senate Minority Leader MITCH McCONNELL’s health generates concerned whispers throughout Capitol Hill, fellow Kentucky Republican Sen. RAND PAUL continues to cast doubt on the notion that McConnell’s “freezing†episodes were caused by dehydration, as Capitol physician BRIAN MONAHAN suggested yesterday. “When you get dehydrated, you don’t have moments when your eyes look in the distance with a vacant look & you're sort of basically unconscious with your eyes open,†said Paul, a trained ophthalmologist and graduate of Duke University School of Medicine. “That’s not a symptom of dehydration.†Turning to the explanation from Monahan, Paul floated another possibility: “I can tell you that after a traumatic brain injury, 25% of people will have seizures. Of the people who have seizures, … 83% won’t show up on an EEG. When someone tells you, ‘Oh, he has a normal EEG, therefore he doesn’t have a seizure disorder,’ that’s not good medicine.†But there is some nuance here: Paul told reporters that he isn’t questioning whether McConnell is able to lead, but instead, the diagnosis itself: “It has nothing to do with his fitness to serve and whether he’s doing a good job or a bad job.†Still … McConnell's fundraising isn't showing signs of slowing down. Two aligned groups — the Senate Leadership Fund and One Nation — raked in a total of almost $50 million last month, Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser scoops: “The groups say last month’s haul is a record for August of a nonelection year.†BLINKEN ARRIVES IN UKRAINE — Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN arrived in Kyiv today via train on the first of a two-day visit to Kyiv to express U.S. support for Ukraine as it continues its counteroffensive against Russian forces. Blinken is expected to announce an additional $1 billion dollars in aid to Ukraine during his visit, WSJ’s William Mauldin and James Marson report. Just hours before Blinken’s arrival, Russia launched a ballistic missile in an open-air market in Kostyantynivka, a city in eastern Ukraine, reportedly killing at least 16 people and injuring 31 more. Ukrainian President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, with whom Blinken is scheduled to meet later today, condemned the bombing, stating in a social media post that “this Russian evil must be defeated as soon as possible.†More from Reuters Related reads: “U.S. to announce it’s sending controversial depleted-uranium rounds to Ukraine,†by Lara Seligman … “War sanctions against Russia highlight growing divisions among the Group of 20 countries,†by AP’s Fatima Hussein MEANWHILE, ON THE HILL … McConnell breezed past questions related to his personal health to instead voice his support for aid for Ukraine: “Since [Russian President VLADIMIR] PUTIN’s escalation in Ukraine, President [JOE] BIDEN has not been as decisive as many of us have preferred. But this is no excuse for Congress to compound the administration's failures,†he said on the Senate floor. McConnell added that lawmakers could provide additional funding when Congress passes the supplemental appropriation “before the month is out.†More from Congress Minutes SPEAKING OF FUNDING … With the major government funding deadline looming at month’s end, Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER continued to take aim at House Republicans on the Senate floor today, vowing that if “If both sides work in good faith, embrace bipartisanship ... then there will be no shutdown.†All aboard the minibus … Sens. PATTY MURRAY (D-Wash.) and SUSAN COLLINS (R-Maine) announced this morning they’re ready to take up the first package of funding appropriations bills, known as a “minibus†for consideration on the floor. The first set includes Agriculture-FDA, Military Construction-VA and Transportation-HUD measures. More from Daniella Diaz and Caitlin Emma in this morning’s Huddle THE NEW NORMAL — “This summer was a global record breaker for the highest heat ever measured, meteorologists say,†by AP’s Jamey Keaten and Seth Borenstein: “Last month was not only the hottest August scientists ever recorded by far with modern equipment, it was also the second hottest month measured, behind only July 2023, [the World Meteorological Organization] and the European climate service Copernicus announced Wednesday.†Good Wednesday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line: [email protected]
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