Trump dunks on Detroit during speech while Obama campaigns for Harris with less than one month until election day: Live
Donald Trump managed to insult another city in a key swing state after calling Milwaukee, Wisconsin, “horrible” earlier this summer
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Kamala Harris is leading Donald Trump by four points in the latest Economist/YouGov poll, 49-45 percent, and appears to have pulled ahead with suburban voters according to a new Reuters/Ipsos survey — though one data analyst says the former president’s odds of winning have inexplicably surged.
Meanwhile, Trump has rejected Fox News’s offer to host a final presidential debate between him and his Democratic rival, having also spurned CNN’s invitation to a second contest.
“THERE WILL BE NO REMATCH,” the Republican said on Truth Social. “SO THERE IS NOTHING TO DEBATE.”
In a 2-hour speech for the Detroit Economic Club on Thursday, Trump managed to disparage the city — largest in the vital swing state of Michigan — in the same way he called Milwaukee “horrible” before the Republican National Convention.
Exclusive polling for The Independent has meanwhile indicated that Republicans are tiring of Trump and prefer his running mate, JD Vance, although they consider Democrat Tim Walz more presidential than this rival.
Former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton are hitting the campaign trail for Harris, with the 44th president speaking in Pittsburgh on Thursday evening and the 42nd focusing on rural voters.
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Whitmer tells Trump ‘keep Detroit out of your mouth'
Democrat governor of Michigan Gretchen Whitmer has joined the backlash to Donald Trump disparaging Detroit in an exhaustingly long speech to the city’s economic club.
In response to a clip of the former president’s remarks, she tweeted: “Detroit is the epitome of “grit,” defined by winners willing to get their hands dirty to build up their city and create their communities—something Donald Trump could never understand.”
“So keep Detroit out of your mouth. And you better believe Detroiters won’t forget this in November.”
Here’s some more responses from Michigan Democrats:
Desperate man says hurricane-hit father-in-law refusing FEMA help after falling for Trump lie
A desperate man in North Carolina has blamed Donald Trump and right-wing misinformation for his father-in-law’s refusal to accept help from FEMA in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
On a recent episode of the Dan Abrams Show on SiriusXM, a man named Anthony called in and said the relative, who lives in Asheville, North Carolina, refused assistance from FEMA after the region was battered by the devastating hurricane.
He told Abrams that the situation was “breaking up our family,” according to Mediaite.
Graig Graziosi reports.
Man says hurricane-hit father-in-law refusing FEMA help after falling for Trump lie
Republicans have pushed misinformation about Hurricane Helene recovery efforts including bizarre allegations Democrats use weather-control technology to throw hurricanes at GOP voters
Boris Johnson defends Trump over January 6 Capitol riots
Boris Johnson has mounted a defence of Donald Trump’s role in the Capitol riots, insisting the former president did not intend to “overthrow the constitution”.
The former prime minister claimed what happened was “the peaceful transfer of democratic power from one administration to another”.
Interesting definition of “peaceful”:
Archie Mitchell has the full story, including the former prime minister’s response to Trump’s Ukraine comments:
Boris Johnson defends Donald Trump over 6 January Capitol riots and Ukraine claims
The former prime minister said what actually happened was ‘the peaceful transfer of democratic power from one administration to another’
Trump spoke for two hours at Detroit Economic Club... and he’s now doing Q&A
Inside the Trump campaign’s ‘edgy’ and crass approach to appeal to young men and ride them to victory
Donald Trump has proclaimed himself the “protector” of women but the tone of his messaging has become geared toward young men with crass language and put-downs in hopes the bloc will back him in November - despite the former president potentially isolating women voters.
“Alphas for Trump,” Steven Cheung, a campaign spokesperson recently tweeted, “vs Simps for Kamala.”
This seven-word tweet perhaps encompasses Trump’s years-long immersion into a stereotypical “tough” alpha male figure — a brand that some have described as “toxic masculinity.”
Kelly Rissman reports.
Inside the Trump campaign’s crass approach to appeal to men and ride them to victory
The Trump campaign’s crass language, wavering abortion stance and sexist remarks about Harris have been a focus for Democrats
Detroit congressman responds to Trump dunking on city
US Congressman from Michigan’s 13th District Shri Thanedar responded to Donald Trump dunking on Detroit on X.
He wrote: “I represent Detroit in Congress. Detroit is a city with a booming economy, diverse culture, and some of the best people in America.”
The congressman added: “Donald Trump: keep Detroit and our people out of your mouth. We will elect Kamala Harris.”
Michigan State Senate Majority Whip Mallory McMorrow was somewhat blunter: “As a proud elected representative of tens of thousands of Detroiters: Fuck this guy. Don’t come back.”
Trump unwittingly reveals Tiffany is pregnant
Former President Donald Trump announced during a speech in Detroit, Michigan on Thursday that his daughter Tiffany Trump is pregnant.
Trump noted that the father of Tiffany Trump’s husband Michael Boulos, Dr Massad Boulos, was in the audience during his speech to the Detroit Economic Club.
The former president called the young couple “very exceptional” before going on to say “she’s going to have a baby. So that’s nice.”
Trump unwittingly reveals Tiffany is pregnant as he goes off-script in speech
Tiffany Trump and Michael Boulos were married at Mar-a-Lago in 2022
New polling shows Republicans likely to seize control of the Senate this fall
Democrats risk losing control of the Senate this fall as new polling in a handful of crucial races shows Republicans in strong single-digit leads less than four weeks before Election Day.
Alex Woodward looks at the latest data from the key contests.
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Republicans are leading in senate races in Montana, Florida and Texas
Trump drunks on Detroit in speech to Detroit Economic Club
In a moment reminiscent of when he called Milwaukee, the largest city in key swing state Wisconsin, “horrible” weeks before it hosted the Republican National Convention, Donald Trump has done it again.
Speaking to the Detroit Economic Club on Thursday lunchtime, the former president warned the business community of the city (also the largest in a key swing state): “The whole country will be like, you want to know the truth? It'll be like Detroit. Our whole country will end up being like Detroit if she's elected president. ... We're not going to let her do that to this country. We're not gonna let it happen.”
They must be thrilled.
The anti-right-wing extremism X account PatriotTakes, tweeted: “Please do this in every city.”
He also asserted several times through a long speech that the city’s industrial base — the car industry — was going out of business and is “a failing industry just like we’re a failing country right now. We’re a failing country. We’re a nation in decline. I hope you know that.”
While Detroit has a reputation for post-industrial decline as the auto industry relocated production over several decades, more recently the city has been lauded for its urban regeneration, as CNBC anchor Carl Quintanilla noted:
Perhaps that’s a message the business community would rather publicize.
Walz campaigns with John McCain’s son as Kamala Harris lags in Arizona
Tim Walz is campaigning in Arizona with Native American leaders as polling shows the vice president lags in the state.
The Minnesota governor attended events this week with Ruben Gallego, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Arizona, and Jim McCain, the son of late Republican senator John McCain. The younger McCain announced earlier this year that he had switched parties and plans to vote for Harris in this election.
Eric Garcia reports.
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