NOTABLES
–DONALD TRUMP AND HIS TEAM START DEBATE DAY ON DEFENSE: Donald Trump and his team started the day of the second presidential debate playing defense. Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway and Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus had been slated to appear on different Sunday morning talk shows, but both bailed and left Trump surrogate Rudy Giuliani to do all of the defending, ABC’s MEGHAN KENEALLY reports. Giuliani spoke to ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos on “This Week,” saying he’s sure Trump will apologize at tonight’s town hall debate for vulgar remarks recorded on video in 2005 and released on Friday. http://abcn.ws/2dDVbJZ
–GIULIANI: TRUMP ASHAMED OF HIS REMARKS: Top Trump adviser Rudy Giuliani says that Donald Trump has expressed “very clearly” that “he’s ashamed of himself” for the lewd comments he made about women in a 2005 leaked video, but added that both Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton are “flawed candidates,” ABC’s NICKI ROSSOLL reports. When ABC’s George Stephanopoulos pressed Giuliani on whether the actions Trump describes toward women are “sexual assault,” Giuliani responded: “That’s what he was talking about,” before adding that “whether it happened or not, I don’t know.” http://abcn.ws/2dCY8xV
–DEMOCRATIC CHAIR SAYS IT WOULD BE ‘POLITICAL SUICIDE’ FOR TRUMP TO QUIT RACE: Donna Brazile, interim chair of the Democratic National Committee, said the Republican Party is stuck with Donald Trump as their presidential nominee because dropping him at this late date would be “political suicide.” Many top Republican officeholders have condemned Trump for lewd comments he made in 2005 on a video released Friday, with some calling on the GOP nominee to withdraw from the race to allow vice presidential candidate Mike Pence to ascend to the top of the ticket. But Brazile suggested that is not a realistic scenario as early voting has already started and ballots in states across the country have been finalized with Trump listed as the Republican presidential nominee, ABC’s MARGARET CHADBOURN reports. “It would be political suicide for Donald Trump to step down right now,” she said. http://abcn.ws/2d0JAXH
–REP. CHARLIE DENT CALLS ON GOP CHAIR TO ‘STAND UP’ TO TRUMP: A Republican Pennsylvania congressman put the responsibility on GOP Chairman Reince Priebus to “stand up” to nominee Donald Trump, “do what’s in the best interest of the Republican Party,” and encourage him to withdraw from the presidential race,” reports ABC’s NICKI ROSSOLL. “As a party leader, I think at times you have to stand up and do some pretty difficult things,” Rep. Charlie Dent said on ABC News’ “This Week.” “This may be one of them.” The GOP congressman slammed Trump for his lewd comments in a 2005 video uncovered Friday, but said no one should be “surprised,” given the candidate’s past statements about former Miss Universe Alicia Machado and others. http://abcn.ws/2domfuV
THIS MORNING ON ‘THIS WEEK’: George Stephanopoulos went one-on-one with Trump campaign adviser and former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani and Democratic National Committee chair Donna Brazile, on “This Week.” And with just one month until Election Day, the Powerhouse Roundtable debated the week in politics, with Rebuilding America Now PAC strategist Alex Castellanos, President Obama’s 2012 deputy campaign manager and Democratic strategist Stephanie Cutter, ABC News political analyst Matthew Dowd, Progressive Caucus co-chair Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minnesota, and conservative strategist Mary Matalin.
–5 STORYLINES TO WATCH AT TONIGHT’S PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE: The second presidential debate caps off a news-filled week on the campaign trail and expectations are high that tonight will be quite a showdown between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. The two candidates will meet for a town-hall style debate with a select group of undecided voters, some of whom are slated to directly ask the candidates questions. The the television audience for the event is expected to be very big given this week’s news events. ABC’s MEGHAN KENEALLY notes five of the most important storylines to watch when tuning in at 9 p.m: How Trump Explains Himself, Practice Potentially Paying Off, Completing the Tickets, Connecting With Voters and The Role of the Moderators. http://abcn.ws/2dG3dST
RAPID RESPONSE POLL: 43 PERCENT OF AMERICANS SAY TRUMP SHOULD WITHDRAW FROM RACE: More than 40 percent of Americans say Donald Trump should drop out of the presidential race following the release of a video of the GOP nominee making lewd comments about women in 2005. ABC News together with our partners at SSRS survey research firm conducted a rapid response poll, asking whether Trump should withdraw as the Republican nominee for president. Forty-three percent said he should, while 57 percent said he should stay in the race. As to the effect of the video of Trump’s vulgar comments on their vote, 53 percent said they are now less likely to cast a ballot for Trump, and 46 percent said the recording of the nominee’s remarks will make no difference in their decision. Two percent said the video makes them more likely to vote for him, ABC’s RACHEL TILLMAN reports. There was a stark gender gap, with 62 percent of women less likely to vote for him while 55 percent of men say it will make no difference on their vote. http://abcn.ws/2dL8uYK
WHAT WE’RE READING — CLINTON GAINS DOUBLE-DIGIT LEAD OVER TRUMP IN PENNSYLVANIA: Hillary Clinton has developed a double-digit lead over Donald Trump in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, according to new NBC/WSJ/Marist polling released Sunday. This polling was conducted before Friday when audio was released featuring Trump making lewd comments about women and discussing his attempt to have an affair with a married woman. In Pennsylvania, Clinton holds 49 percent compared to Trump’s 37 percent, ABC’s CATHERINE THORBECKE writes. This is a larger than usual lead for Clinton in that battleground state. Meanwhile, Gary Johnson of the Libertarian party trails behind with six percent and the Green Party’s Jill Stein is even further back with four percent. In a two-way contest, Clinton’s advantage over Trump would be 12 points, at 51 percent to 39 percent. http://abcn.ws/2dDQ7oW
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT — ‘SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE’ TAKES AIM AT TRUMP’S HOT MIC SCANDAL: Donald Trump continues to provide “Saturday Night Live” with fodder. Alec Baldwin reprised his role as Donald Trump last night, while “SNL” regular Kate McKinnon returned as Hillary Clinton, ABC’s DAVID CAPLAN writes. http://abcn.ws/2efIQOG
WHO’S TWEETING?
@WSJ: What Trump and Clinton need to do at tonight’s #debate, one of the largest stages of the entire campaign. http://on.wsj.com/2dDVjcF
@RobertZepeda: Big Night | 7 Things You Should Know About Presidential Debate Moderator Martha Raddatz http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a49360/martha-raddatz-presidential-debate-moderator/
@samsteinhp: Trump’s belief that apologizing is a form of weakness is exactly backwards.
@rubycramer: .@HillaryClinton’s deep, abiding, “obsessive” love of research, being “humongously prepared” — and oppo https://www.buzzfeed.com/rubycramer/hillary-clinton-already-knows-the-bad-thing-you-said?utm_term=.ivgeo4XJP3#.lx7olD1BLb
@chrislhays: It is so revealing all these Republicans saying “I have a wife & daughter & mother” You don’t know any Muslims? Any Mexican immigrants?