Elections 2024 live: Trump slams Biden for calling his ‘high quality’ supporters ‘garbage’
Kamala Harris and Republican nominee Donald Trump both rallied in North Carolina on Wednesday after Democrat delivered ‘closing argument’ speech and defends Joe Biden over latest gaffe
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With less than a week to go in the US presidential election race, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are making their final pitches to voters, with both appearing in battleground North Carolina on Wednesday.
The Democratic presidential nominee has been forced to respond to Joe Biden inadvertently whipping up a conservative media storm by seemingly calling Trump’s supporters “garbage” in response to comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s already-notorious Madison Square Garden joke about Puerto Rico.
Harris told reporters on Wednesday that she “strongly” disagrees with any criticism of the public based on their voting intentions.
Elsewhere, at a rally in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, Trump also addressed the president’s comments.
“Last night, Joe Biden finally said what he and Kamala really think of our supporters,” he said. “He called them garbage and they mean it... even though, without question, my supporters are far higher quality than Crooked Joe or Lyin’ Kamala.”
He added: “My response to Joe and Kamla is very simple: You can’t lead America if you don’t love Americans, you just can’t.”
On Tuesday, Harris delivered her “closing argument” in Washington DC, speaking on the very same spot from which Trump told his supporters to “fight like hell” on January 6, 2021.
Trump pounces as Biden accused of calling MAGA supporters ‘garbage’ in wake of racist joke — but did he say it?
Trump tries to brush off racist joke about Puerto Rico with series of far-fetched boasts
Harris campaign says 75,000 people at Ellipse speech – 22,000 more than Trump’s Jan 6 crowd at same spot
I was there when Trump dispatched his mob to the Capitol. Tonight, I saw Harris offer a stark warning from the same spot
Harris urges Americans to ‘turn the page’ on ‘divisive’ Trump as she delivers closing argument in DC
Trump calls Harris ‘low-IQ individual’ but claims he is ‘very nice’ to her
Moments after Kamala Harris finished her remarks, Donald Trump began his own rally in North Carolina, in Rocky Mount.
The former president claimed that he was “very nice” to the Democrats, moments after referring to his Democratic rival as a “low-IQ individual.”
“I will bring back a thing called The American Dream, isn’t that nice? Because we hadn’t had that in a long time,” he said.
“Our country will be bigger, better, bolder, richer, safer, and strongner than ever before.”
He continued: “Kamala Harris, a low-IQ individual, is running a campaign of hate, anger and retribution. See I’m very nice to them, they’re not very nice to me.”
Harris’ plans were “the plans of a simpleton” he later added.
Trump later laughed when an audience member shouted that Harris was “an idiot” but joked “I didn’t say it... In fact, sir I’d like to admonish you that way the press can’t get me.”
In pictures: Harris arrives to campaign in Raleigh, North Carolina
Harris says will people who disagree with her a ‘seat at the table’
Kamala Harris told supporters in North Carolina that, unlike her Republican rival, she would work with those who have conflicting views.
“Unlike Donald Trump, I don’t believe that people who disagree with me are the enemy,” she said. “He wants to put them in jail. I’ll give them a seat at the table.”
She added: “We are here together because we love our country, and when you love something you fight for it.”
Harris repeats promise to ‘turn the page’ on Donald Trump
At a rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, Kamala Harris repeated her promise to “turn the page” on Donald Trump.
After taking to the stage, the vice president went back over many of the points made in her “closing argument speech” in Washington DC on Tuesday night.
She added it was time to “turn the page on a decade of Donald Trump, who has been trying to keep us divided and afraid of each other.” “That is not who we are,” Harris said.
“It is time for a new chapter where we stop with the pointing fingers at each other – let us lock arms with each other... it is time for a new generation of leadership in America.”
Similar to her DC speech, she said that Trump was “obsessed with revenge” and after “unchecked power.”
Watch live: Donald Trump holds campaign rally in North Carolina
Watch live: Donald Trump holds campaign rally in North Carolina
Watch live as Donald Trump holds a campaign rally in North Carolina on Wednesday (30 October).
Election Day’s weather forecast is out – and the conditions could help determine who wins
Here’s Julia Musto to tell us which way the wind is blowing and what it might mean for voter turnout on Tuesday.
Election Day weather forecast is out - and conditions could help determine who wins
Wet weather is known to hurt turnout among voters who only occasionally vote
Supreme Court allows Virginia to resume voter roll purge
The US Supreme Court’s conservative majority moved on Wednesday to allow Virginia to resume its purge of voter registrations that the state says is aimed at stopping people who are not American citizens from voting.
The high court, over the dissents of its three liberal justices, granted an emergency appeal from Virginia’s Republican administration led by Governor Glenn Youngkin.
The court provided no reason for its action, which is typical in emergency appeals.
The justices acted on Virginia’s appeal after a federal judge found that the state illegally purged more than 1,600 voter registrations in the past two months.
A federal appeals court had previously allowed the judge’s order to remain in effect.
Such voting is rare in American elections, but the spectre of immigrants voting illegally has been a main part of the political messaging this year from Trump and other Republicans.
Live: Kamala Harris holds campaign rally in North Carolina
Trump campaign sues over ‘voter suppression’ in Pennsylvania
The Republican ticket has announced it is suing Bucks County in the crucial swing state, alleging its officials have been “turning away voters” queuing outside election offices hoping to apply for mail-in ballots before they close at 5pm, which, the campaign points out, would be against the law if true.
“Yesterday, Kamala delivered a speech of falsehoods in Washington, DC claiming Republicans are a threat to democracy – while her allies in battleground Pennsylvania are actively turning away voters,” the Trump-Vance say in their email.
“This is against the law. This is voter suppression from the left. We will fight for every legal vote in Pennsylvania. Go vote, and stay in line!”
RFK Jr, known for his anti-vax views, says Trump promised him ‘control’ of the CDC
Robert F Kennedy Jr claims Donald Trump has promised him “control” over multiple health agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Kennedy Jr told followers in a livestream on Monday that Trump would put him in charge of the Departments of Health and Agriculture if he wins a second term, adding that he would make his “Make America Healthy Again” agenda a priority.
Yeesh.
Gustaf Kilander has more.
RFK Jr, known for his anti-vax views, says Trump promised him control of the CDC
Trump said during Madison Square Garden rally that he would let Kennedy Jr ‘go wild’ on health, food, and medicines
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