53 days to go until election day ... 53 days for Margaret and yours truly to get you prepared for what might be the most consequential presidential election in our lifetime.  On today's show we're talking with Anthony Scaramucci, the short-lived White House communications director for Donald Trump in his first term ... The Mooch was at the Harris-Trump debate on Tuesday.  And later in the show ... Northern California Republican Congressman Tom McClintock is here.

But first, just some of the things happening in the political world today. 

Donald Trump ventured into enemy territory today ... the former president is here in California for a pair of fundraisers, going from Los Angeles this afternoon up to San Francisco tonight.  Trump didn't miss an opportunity to trash the Golden State and make his case that Kamala Harris and Gavin Newsom "destroyed the state":

It's worth noting that Trump delivered his remarks from the beautiful grounds of his golf course in Rancho Palos Verdes ... with gorgeous ocean views behind him.

Kamala Harris and Tim Walz have been on the other side of the country for the last two days ... holding rallies in more rural and agricultural areas of swing states like Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.  Harris and Walz are purposefully targeting rural areas that have often been overlooked by Democratic candidates ... trying to steal away some traditional Trump voters in forgotten small towns.

Believe it or not, voting is already underway in a handful of states ... with mail-in ballots now in the hands of voters in Alabama and North Carolina.  Early in-person voting gets going in Pennsylvania on Monday ... and later next week, Wisconsin will start sending out mail-in ballots.  In the 2020 election, over 100-million Americans voted before election day.

Today's Countdown guests:

-Anthony Scaramucci, short lived White House communications director in the Trump administration, venture capitalist

-Rep. Tom McClintock, R-California's 5th Congressional District