Trump didn't need the debate

Also: Pride flag shooting, Wagner Group leader believed to be dead, nuclear water waste   Thursday, August 24, 2023 It’s almost Friday. I’m [Izzie Ramirez](, and here’s what you need to know today: Spotlight: Why the debate … didn’t really matter. In other news: Russian mercenary leader believed to be dead, Japan releases treated nuclear water into the Pacific Ocean, and college admissions still skew white. Have any questions you’d like to see answered in Sentences? Or feedback about the newsletter overall? We’d love to hear what you think. Write us at newsletter@vox.com or just reply to this email.   SPOTLIGHT The debate was the sideshow Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images If you didn’t watch yesterday’s debate, it’s okay — the leading candidate didn’t bother to show up. Instead, Donald Trump, who is slated to [turn himself into Georgia’s Fulton County]( jail later today, [schmoozed it up with Tucker Carlson](. The lowdown: The disgraced Fox News host stoked flames around the idea the United States is careening toward civil conflicts, a popular concept among [violent far-right extremists](. And like clockwork, Trump indulged. - Carlson’s worldview consistently features [the idea of a shadowy “they”]( working to destroy ordinary Americans and their political champions. - Carlson repeatedly asked Trump if he believed there was a conspiracy to kill him rather than allow him to win another election (Trump implied it was possible). - He also asked Trump, twice, to weigh in on conspiracy theories about [Jeffrey Epstein’s]( death (Trump thinks Epstein probably died by suicide, but that it’s plausible he didn’t). The stakes: Tucker didn’t really ask Trump about policy. He didn’t have to. Trump [leads the field by an average of over 40 points](, a lead that has only grown more stable over time. He will likely be the Republican nominee for president again. As such, Trump can flagrantly disrespect the GOP’s power centers, like the Republican National Committee and debate host Fox News, and expect little in the way of consequences. “I’m saying, do I sit there for an hour or two hours ... and get harassed by people that shouldn’t even be running for president?” Trump told Carlson about his reasons for skipping the debate. The takeaway: An authoritarian-minded leader has correctly realized that he’s bigger than his party, [Vox’s democracy correspondent Zack Beauchamp writes](. Wherever Trump wants to go, he can be confident that a pliant GOP will follow him. [Read Zack’s full piece here.](   NEXT UP A shooting over a Pride flag underscores the threat of Republican anti-LGBTQ rhetoric Peter Byrne/PA Images/Getty Images Here’s what you need to know: - Laura Ann Carleton, 66, a California business owner, was shot and killed last weekend after a gunman tore down an LGBTQ Pride flag hanging outside her store. The two had an argument after [she refused to take down the flag](. [Politico] - Law enforcement revealed that the shooter — who was killed in an encounter with police — is believed to have created [numerous anti-LGBTQ posts on social media](. [Washington Post] - This year, Republican attacks on LGBTQ rights increased significantly, with lawmakers across the country [introducing twice as many bills]( limiting the rights of the community. [CNN] - Advocates fear that restrictive policies, boycotts, and the hateful rhetoric that accompanies them could [ultimately fuel more violence](. [Vox]   PRESS PLAY 🎧 Listen: [The other eight’s debate, analyzed by Today, Explained.](   OTHER BIG STORIES - The mercenary leader who mutinied against Russia’s regime is believed to be dead after a fatal plane crash. If Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin is among the crash fatalities, it would be a dramatic — [but not altogether surprising]( — development, writes foreign reporter Jen Kirby. - The Asian penalty in college admissions is still here — even without affirmative action. Researchers analyzed almost 700,000 college applications from white and Asian students and found that admissions at selective colleges [rewarded privileged applicants who are disproportionately white](, writes race and policy reporter Fabiola Cineas. - Biden’s got a new student loan relief plan. SAVE, Biden’s new income-based repayment plan, could significantly bring down your monthly payments when they resume. Politics reporter Nicole Narea explains [how to get started](.    [Learn more about RevenueStripe...](   AROUND THE WEB - Despite record-breaking temperatures, many cooling centers across the country sit empty. Two major reasons why: [boredom and a lack of amenities](. [Grist] - Workers in Japan have started releasing treated nuclear water from the Fukushima power plant into the Pacific Ocean. A review from the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog says the impact will be minimal to people, [but concerns remain](. [NPR] - Why Mexico is begging its third-richest citizen to delete his tweets, where he body-shamed a politician. What would have been a discussion about moderation and enforcement of Twitter’s social media guidelines has now [transformed into one about censorship](. [Rest of World] - Drew Barrymore was rushed offstage after an alleged stalker made an appearance during a talk. She and her guest, singer and actor Reneé Rapp, [were unharmed](. [The Cut]   ONE LAST THING Enjoying the Sentences newsletter? Forward it to a friend so they can [sign up for it right here](. As always, we want to know what you think. We recently changed the format of this newsletter. 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