Jesse began Friday's show by focusing on Donald Trump's recent speeches, in which he has talked about his compassion and has essentially apologized for his past bluster. Republican Congressman Sean Duffy and Arkansas Attorney General Lesley Rutledge, both Trump supporters, praised their candidate's new tone. "When he delivers this compassionate and heartfelt message," Duffy said, "he's authentically Trump. He is now appealing to women and he is going after those who are disenfranchised by the economy. One of the most impressive lines he said this week was, 'Why can't our children be dreamers, too?' That appeals to every parent!" Rutledge also declared that Trump is being absolutely genuine. "This week we have seen the real Donald Trump come out. He is straightforward and honest, an absolute contrast to Hillary Clinton. He is a change agent and he's going to bring jobs to the table, while Hillary Clinton will be 'secretary of the same.' People are coming out in droves and saying this is the Donald Trump they're excited about."

Paul Manifort, under fire for his past associations with pro-Russian groups, has resigned from Donald Trump's campaign staff. Meanwhile, the campaign is airing its first TV ad, which hammers Hillary Clinton for her liberal immigration policies. Jesse evaluated the commercial with marketing wizards Bruce Turkel and Peter Shankman. "This is effective," Shankman said, "and this is Donald Trump taking a stab at being presidential. Someone in his campaign has told him that every time he goes off the rails he gives Hillary Clinton ammunition." Turkel contended that Trump has no choice but to focus on Hillary Clinton's weaknesses. "If the election is a referendum about him, he will lose. But if he can move the attention onto her, he has the opportunity to move the message. What his people are doing is a classic marketing technique - his target audience is suburban 'security moms' and he knows how to go after them." Turkel also praised a Hillary Clinton ad that mocks Donald Trump because some of his signature clothing are made overseas. "The best thing that Hillary Clinton can do is show us Trump's hypocrisy, aloofness, and lack of compassion. Hillary will win the ad wars because she has the money and knows what she is doing."

While President Obama was golfing in Martha's Vineyard, Donald Trump and Mike Pence consoled flood victims in Louisiana. Jesse asked two veteran strategists to evaluate the politics of the situation. "President Obama has FEMA and DHS officials who are down there," said Democrat Jessica Tarlov, "and the governor of Louisiana asked people not to come down for photo ops. I think it's a great move that Donald Trump went and I think President Obama should have gone." Republican Adam Goodman lauded Trump for changing his plans and flying to the flood zone. "Leaders are known best for what they do in a crisis and Donald Trump actually came up big on that score. When the chips are on the table and someone is in trouble, you show up. But the president didn't show up when terrorists hit in France and Belgium." Jesse added, "President Obama went golfing after an American was beheaded and flew off to a fundraiser after the Benghazi attack."

The Obama administration, after vociferously denying that it paid ransom to Iran for the release of four American prisoners, now concedes that the $400-million cash payment was delayed until the hostages were on their way home. Nevertheless, former State Department official David Tafuri insisted that this was absolutely not ransom. "The State Department admitted that this was 'leverage,'" Tafuri said, "and that is what it was. These transactions are related and linked, but this was not a ransom payment. We had an obligation to make this payment, we just used it as leverage to make sure we got the prisoners back." But national security analyst Rebeccah Heinrichs mocked that contention. "The bottom line is that we would not have gotten our hostages back if we had not given them the $400-million. The Iranian government will take the money that was forked over to them and use it to fund Assad, who is murdering men, women, and children in Syria, and they'll use it to fund Hezbollah. This was highly irresponsible and we all know this was ransom!"

The Clinton Foundation has announced that it will stop accepting donations from foreign nations and corporations if Hillary Clinton is elected president. Democratic strategist Julian Epstein and liberal columnist Kristin Tate debated the issue. "The Clinton Foundation's donors are public," Epstein said, "while Donald Trump does not disclose his extensive ties with Russia. In the case of the Clinton Foundation there is extensive disclosure." But Tate portrayed the Clintons' latest move as too little and too late. "The damage has been done, the Clinton Foundation has taken tens of millions of dollars from foreign entities. And guess what? These entities expect something in return. What is it going to take to put this woman in jail?"

U.S. Olympic swimmer and gold medalist Ryan Lochte has apologized for his recent 'behavior' in Rio de Janeiro. Jesse spoke about the embarrassing incident with Fox News Headlines 24/7 reporter Carley Shimkus. "Lochte originally said that armed men dressed as police officers robbed him and other swimmers at gunpoint," she explained. "But then he revised his story and now we're learning that Lochte and the other swimmers vandalized a gas station. A security guard detained them with a gun, they weren't robbed at gunpoint. Ryan Lochte got back to the United States faster than he can swim 200 meters! He has issued an apology on social media, but still says he was 'traumatized.'" Jesse summarized, "These guys are dumb, they were out late and nothing good happens after 2:00 AM, especially in Rio."