The Trump campaign shifted furiously into damage control mode today, sending out an email full of suggested talking points to their allies in Congress, and pleading with them to make statements in support of Trump. The Trump campaign wanted these statements so they could send out material to to media showing that Republicans are united in support of Trump, and that the media is misconstruing Trump’s comments.

The Hill obtained a copy of the email and the basic gist of the talking points is that Trump never attacked the Khans at all, he was always very polite to them, the media is making this whole thing up. Enter Al Baldasero, a NH State Rep and Trump advisor. You may recall Baldasero because he was the guy Trump dragged out to angrily defend Trump’s shady record of claiming to give money to veterans groups, while never actually following through on those donations. You can see him standing over Trump’s left shoulder in the featured image on this post.

Anyway, Baldasero had this to say about the Khans:

THIS JUST IN @Al_Baldasaro to @NH1News “Mr. Khan, you disgraced your son, who died as a hero. You used him as a political pawn.” #nhpolitics

— Paul Steinhauser (@steinhauserNH1) August 2, 2016

Does Mr. Baldasero think the same thing of Pat Smith, or of Trump for putting Pat Smith on the stage? Republicans and Trump supporters have (rightly) claimed that Smith and Khans are exactly on the same footing where this is concerned.

In any event, message discipline remains a weakness of the Trump organization.