Trump and Harris campaign in battleground states with less than a week until Election Day: Live updates
Both presidential candidates rallied in North Carolina on Wednesday after the vice president delivered ‘closing argument’ speech and defended Joe Biden over his 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 Kamala is very simple: You can’t lead America if you don’t love Americans.”
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
Elon Musk $1m giveaway hearing moved up to tomorrow
The Elon Musk hearing in Philadelphia, over his potentially illegal $1m giveaway to voters, has been moved up to tomorrow.
“All parties must be present,” the judge states, with Musk named as a defendant in the case.
Will he show up?
Here’s an excerpt from the filing about the need to move the hearing:
he same day this Complaint was filed, Elon Musk posted to his 202.7 million followers on X, the social-media website he owns, his agreement with an attack on the integrity of the Court the statement that Larry Krasner “knows it’s not illegal but wants a leftist judge to stop it before Election Day.” … That retweet now has 8.9 million views. … It immediately triggered an avalanche of posts from Musk’s followers. Many made antisemitic attacks on Krasner.
Even worse, one account responded to posts about the lawsuit at least 19 times by inviting political violence, posting Krasner family’s home address, including numerous posts also stating, “Krasner loves visitors. Mask up and leave all cellphones at home.” … The directives to “mask up” and to “leave all cellphones at home” are to prevent identification of illegal actors by video, by eyewitnesses, and by cellphone geolocation. … These posts, which unquestionably are criminal … remain posted on Musk’s X website today.
DA Krasner is charged with the responsibility to protect the voting rights and safety of all citizens of Philadelphia, including assuring a free and fair election.
Hours later, the judge moved a planned hearing for Friday to tomorrow morning and changed the venue from a courthouse to a room at City Hall where there’s better security.
Here’s what you need to know about the case:
Lawsuit accuses Elon Musk of ‘illegal lottery scheme’ with $1 million giveaway
Philadelphia’s district attorney files lawsuit to block billionaire’s multimilliondollar election stunt
Watch: Trump calls out Biden over 'garbage' comment
Teenager arrested after brandishing machete at women at polling place
An 18-year-old Floridian has been arrested after he brandished a machete at a polling place in an attempt to intimidate voters.
The teenager, Caleb James Williams, has been charged with aggravated assault on a person 65 years of age or older and improper exhibition of a firearm or dangerous weapon, according to ABC News.
Neptune Beach Police Chief Michael Key said at a press conference that Williams “brandished a machete in an aggressive, threatening posture over his head” at two women, aged 54 and 71.
Williams and seven other male teens, aged 16 and 17 went to the polling place at Beaches Branch Library “to protest and antagonize the opposing political side.”
“The group was there for no other reason but for ill intentions to cause a disturbance,” he added. “This is not an incident of solely a First Amendment protected right, but rather one where they were simply there to cause a ruckus.”
Senate Republicans could block RFK Jr from Trump cabinet: report
Senate Republicans could block Robert F Kennedy Jr from joining a possible second Trump cabinet, according to Semafor.
Kennedy Jr claims Trump has promised him “control” over multiple health agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
He 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.
In August, the 70-year-old suspended his independent campaign for president and backed the Republican billionaire. He previously made a run in the Democratic primary before switching to an independent bid.
But Kennedy Jr might struggle to be confirmed in the Senate even if the Republicans control the chamber.
One person close to the Trump campaign told Semafor that there’s “appetite at the highest levels of the Trump campaign to take on a fight to get Kennedy confirmed.”
However, three congressional aides told the outlet that Kennedy would be difficult to confirm even in a GOP-controlled Senate.
A GOP aide told Semafor they “highly” doubted Kennedy’s chances to be confirmed, and another aide added: “There’s some deference afforded to an incoming president, but I don’t think [Kennedy] would be a shoo-in.”
Companies set to raise prices in response to Trump tariffs
Companies whose businesses rely on foreign suppliers are getting ready to hike their prices if Donald Trump wins the election in response to his expected tariff policies, according to The Washington Post.
Producers of clothing, shoes, baby products, auto parts and hardware, as well as other items, say they’re set to pass on any rise in costs to the consumer in the event of a Trump victory.
The chief executive of Columbia Sportswear, Timothy Boyle, told The Post: “We’re set to raise prices.”
He added: “We’re buying stuff today for delivery next fall. So we’re just going to deal with it and we’ll just raise the prices. … It’s going to be very, very difficult to keep products affordable for Americans.”
Trump calls political opponents ‘criminals’ and says US is being ‘conquered’ from ‘within'
Harris: ‘I’ve lived the promise of America'
At her second rally of the day, Kamala Harris told supporters in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: “I’ve lived the promise of America.”
“I saw how hard my mother worked to give her daughters the same chances our country gave her,” she said.
“Growing up I was blessed to have family by blood and family by love, who instilled in me... the values that have always defined our nation at its best.”
In pictures: Trump and Harris both campaign in North Carolina
Live: Kamala Harris energizes supporters at Pennsylvania rally
Nicky Jam takes back Trump endorsement after Hinchcliffe’s Puerto Rico comments
Puerto Rican-Dominican artist, Nicky Jam, has “renounced” his endorsement of Donald Trump, following the continuing fallout over remarks made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe at a recent rally at Madison Square Garden in New York.
In a video posted in Spanish on social media, the artist – real name Nick Rivera Caminero – said he had initially supported Trump because of the effects the poor US economy was having on immigrants.
“The reason that I supported Donald Trump is because I thought he would be better on the economy in the US where a lot of Latinos live – myself included,” he said. “There are a lot of immigrants who are suffering because of the economy and as a businessman I thought this was the best movement.”
“Never in my life did I think that just one month later a comedian would show up and criticize my country, and speak poorly of my country. And for that, I revoke any support for Donald Trump.”
Caminero backed Trump at a rally in Vegas last month. The former president accidentally misgendered the artist while touting the endorsement, saying that he loved “her” music.
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