The Note: Trump earns chance to reset his narrative

Will al-Baghdadi's death be an inflection point or a blip in the news cycle?

ByRick Klein and MaryAlice Parks
October 28, 2019, 6:02 AM

The TAKE with Rick Klein

It was a signature moment for a president. And President Donald Trump put his handwriting all over it.

Trump's colorful account of the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi included familiar triggers for his political enemies: boasts about himself and belittling of his predecessors, suggestions that Democrats would have jeopardized lives with leaks, and even a special thanks to Russia.

President Donald Trump makes a statement in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House, Oct. 27, 2019.
Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

But just because Trump celebrated his own leadership at the expense of others doesn't mean he doesn't deserve his due. This is the kind of event that has the potential to register beyond the president's base.

A victory over terrorism has the immediate effect of quieting his Democratic critics -- most 2020 candidates are celebrating the American forces, though not the commander-in-chief -- and assuaging at least some of the concerns of Republicans who have been skeptical of his foreign policy.

The operation came at a perilous time for Trump's presidency. Those dangers remain -- both in terms of impeachment and GOP worries about a Syria policy filled with confusion and contradictions that remain even after the death of ISIS' founder and commander.

Will this be an inflection point or a blip in an overloaded news cycle? The moment, at least, belongs to Trump.

The RUNDOWN with MaryAlice Parks

Sunday marked the one year anniversary of the deadly attack against Jewish Americans, when 11 men and women were killed by a shooter at Pittsburgh's Tree of Life Synagogue.

A group of students from a Pittsburgh Yeshiva school gather outside the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Oct. 27, 2019, the first anniversary of the shooting at the synagogue.
Gene J. Puskar/AP

Law enforcement officials and anti-hate groups have documented several plots in the last 12 months to attack other Jewish houses of worship as well and -- according to the Anti-Defamation League -- this year could set a record high for anti-Semitic incidents. In the first six months alone, according to the group, there were 780 anti-Semitic incidents across the nation.

In a statement over the weekend to mark the anniversary of the shooting, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi specifically pointed a finger at Trump.

"Sadly, since Day One, the Trump Administration has engaged in shameful, divisive rhetoric that continues to fuel the forces of hatred and white supremacism and betrays our values of diversity, inclusion and equality," she said in the statement.

"As we take this opportunity to remember those we lost in Pittsburgh, we must rededicate ourselves to ending the scourge of white supremacism, racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism wherever and whenever they are found," she added.

The TIP with Molly Nagle

As the second oldest candidate in the 2020 race, the question of former Vice President Joe Biden's age comes up a lot. He would be 78 on inauguration day if elected, the oldest president in American history. But even so, Biden isn't shutting the door on the possibility of a second term if elected—at least not right now.

Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at the 2019 Second Step Presidential Justice Forum at Benedict College in Columbia, S.C. Oct. 26, 2019.
Sam Wolfe/Reuters

"I feel good and all I can say is, watch me, you'll see," Biden told the Associated Press during an interview in South Carolina this weekend. "It doesn't mean I would run a second term. I'm not going to make that judgment at this moment."

Biden was asked about serving as president in his 80s during the last debate, and argued that with his age comes "experience" and "wisdom." That message seemed to resonate with some undecided voters at a recent Biden event in Lee County, Iowa.

"I don't think it's a concern, as long as he's sharp. I'm not too far off from that, and with that age comes maturity and wisdom," Hugh Vandegriff of Fort Madison, Iowa, told ABC News.

ONE MORE THING

Following allegations of inappropriate sexual relations with a congressional staffer, Rep. Katie Hill, D-Calif., announced her resignation from Congress Sunday night. She said she's leaving office so that no one else who supported her will be hurt by the ongoing scandal.

THE PLAYLIST

ABC News' "Start Here" Podcast. Monday morning's episode features ABC News Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz who breaks down the U.S. military operation that ended with the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Then, ABC News' Alex Stone reports on Northern California's fight against massive wildfires. http://apple.co/2HPocUL

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY

  • President Donald Trump travels to Chicago and delivers remarks at the International Association of Chiefs of Police Annual Conference and Exposition at 10:25 a.m. Later, he participates in a roundtable with supporters at 12:10 p.m. and then delivers remarks at a joint fundraising committee luncheon at 12:45 p.m. He returns to Washington and celebrates Halloween at 5:45 p.m. at the White House.

  • Vice President Mike Pence meets with the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association Board of Directors at 11:45 a.m. in the White House. Later, he travels to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to speak at a reception honoring Eddie Rispone for governor of Louisiana at 5:30 p.m. He then travels to Killeen, Texas.

  • Former national security adviser Charles Kupperman was subpoenaed to give a deposition on Monday.

  • Tom Steyer takes part in a forum with New Hampshire Public Radio at 8 a.m. in Concord, New Hampshire.

  • House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro speak at the J Street National Conference beginning at 10 a.m. in Washington.

  • Castro tours the D.C. Central Detention Facility at 11:45 a.m.

  • Steyer, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., participate in the "Justice Votes 2020" town hall at noon in Philadelphia.

  • Marianne Williamson participates in "A Conversation on Improving Mental Health Awareness" at 2 p.m. in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

  • Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke, D-Texas, appears on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah at 11 p.m. on Comedy Central.

  • Former Vice President Joe Biden attends "Biden For President" campaign events in Windermere and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

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    The Note is a daily ABC News feature that highlights the key political moments of the day ahead. Please check back tomorrow for the latest.

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