Donald Trump says Charlotte protests fueled by drugs | McClatchy Washington Bureau

Welcome to McClatchy’s Voter Survival Guide, an interactive presentation of daily events from one of the strangest presidential campaigns in modern history.

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have hunkered down, with Monday’s debate looming over both campaigns. Neither have scheduled events on Friday.

But Clinton made an appearance on Zach Galifianakis’ cringe-worthy web series, Between Two Ferns. The Hangover star prodded Clinton with his typical deadpan humor and interrupted the interview to play a Donald Trump ad.

Clinton continues to struggle with young voters, as college students in Pennsylvania have their doubts about the Democratic nominee and former Bernie Sanders organizers on campus have not joined her campaign. She still leads in the polls among college students, but Trump, Libertarian Gary Johnson and Green Party candidate Jill Stein all capture portions of the young vote.

Trump weighed in on the protests in Charlotte, saying that drugs play a big factor in making people protest.

“"If you're not aware, drugs are a very, very big factor in what you're watching on television at night," Trump said.

The polls open nationally in 45 days. Let’s get started.

A Clinton interview unlike any other

Zach Galifianakis loves to make is interview subjects uncomfortable. His 2014 interview with Barack Obama became a viral sensation and Clinton subjected herself to Galifianakis’ insults in an interview that aired Thursday.

“Are you excited to be the first girl president?” was his first question. The insults grew worse (and more hilarious) from there.

The interview was suggested by the Clinton team, and she wasn’t aware of Galifianakis’ questions beforehand.

Clinton struggles with young voters

Students in Central Pennsylvania are not excited for Clinton, with one describing the Democratic nominee as “slimy.”

“I just don’t feel I can trust her,” said Jesse Weber, 21, a college senior who’s undecided.

Campus leaders who spent time advocating for Bernie Sanders are unabashedly liberal, but most have not joined the effort to get Clinton elected, even if they plan on voting for her.

“People are excited to talk about how much they hate Trump, but there’s not a huge excitement about Hillary,” said Elizabeth Siyuan Lee, a senior at Middlebury College in Vermont and founder of the national College Students for Bernie organization. “There is a very small Middlebury for Hillary group but it’s not generating very much excitement.”

Trump: Drugs play a factor in Charlotte

Trump continued to weigh in on protests in Charlotte in the wake of a fatal police shooting, saying that drugs play a large factor among people choosing to protest.

"If you're not aware, drugs are a very, very big factor in what you're watching on television at night,” Trump said. “"Our country looks bad to the world, especially when we are supposed to be the world's leader. How can we lead when we can't even control our own cities? We honor and recognize the right of all Americans to peacefully assemble, protest and demonstrate, but there is no right to engage in violent disruption or to threaten the public safety and peace of others."

A man who was shot at a protest by a civilian on Wednesday night has died. The National Guard is in Charlotte and the Congressional Black Caucus urged the Department of Justice to investigated police-involved shootings in Charlotte and Tulsa.

Links of note

Which Voters Show Up When States Allow Early Voting? (ProPublica)

Trump rep. who denies racism resigns (McClatchy)

Trump Foundation more secretive than Clinton’s (McClatchy)

Is the press too soft on Donald Trump? (McClatchy)

Studio notes on the 2016 election screenplay (New Yorker)

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