US election updates: Harris calls Trump a ‘threat to democracy’ in Ellipse speech; Biden clarifies ‘garbage’ comment
Vice President Kamala Harris delivered rousing remarks at the Ellipse in Washington DC on Tuesday, the site of Donald Trump’s notorious ‘fight like hell’ speech on January 6 2021
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With less than a week left in the 2024 US presidential election cycle, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are making their final pitches to voters across the country, particularly the battleground states.
The Democratic presidential nominee delivered her “closing argument” at the Ellipse in Washington DC last night, speaking on the very same spot from which Trump told his supporters to “fight like hell” on January 6 2021.
Harris urged Americans to finally “turn the page” on the “division, chaos and mutual distrust” of the Trump era, characterising her opponent as a cynical opportunist vulnerable to the influence of malign actors at home and abroad and offered herself as a positive alternative.
Unfortunately, her moment of triumph risks being overshadowed by Joe Biden, who has inadvertently whipped up a conservative media storm by seemingly calling Trump’s supporters “garbage” in response to Tony Hinchcliffe’s already-notorious Madison Square Garden joke about Puerto Rico.
“The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters – his – his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American,” the president told Latinos on a Zoom call on Tuesday.
“It’s totally contrary to everything we’ve done, everything we’ve been.”
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
Harris campaign says 75,000 people at Ellipse speech – 22,000 more than Trump’s Jan 6 crowd at same spot
He won’t like this at all.
Josh Marcus has more on a crowd size claim that actually matters.
Harris says 75,000 people at Ellipse speech – 22,000 more than Trump on Jan 6
On rally stage, vice president said she would seek ‘common ground’
Trump tries to brush off racist Puerto Rico joke in latest Sean Hannity interview
The Republican nominee’s other big offering yesterday was an exclusive interview with Hannity on Fox News, apparently recorded in a dank dungeon either to set the mood for Halloween or to conceal Trump badly overdoing the bronzer earlier in the day, the candidate looking at his most beaming orange on stage in Pennsylvania.
Our man claimed to know nothing about the Hinchcliffe controversy (as he always does whenever a crony gets in trouble), said that people from Puerto Rico routinely hug and kiss him in the street and unwisely recalled his post-hurricane visit to the territory in October 2017 when he made light of the locals’ suffering by tossing packets of paper towels around like basketballs.
He also pushed his alarmist school sex change conspiracy theory (again, not happening), claimed no one would notice Elon Musk gutting the federal government and scaremongered over urban crime.
Here’s more from Oliver O’Connell.
Trump tries to brush off racist joke about Puerto Rico with far-fetched boasts
‘Every time I go outside I see somebody from Puerto Rico. They give me a hug and a kiss’
Trump already spreading false claims about voter fraud in Pennsylvania
Donald Trump was also speaking last night, following up his flushed and exhausted appearance at a “low energy” press conference at Mar-a-Lago with outings in Drexel Hill and then Allentown in pivotal Pennsylvania.
The Republican’s set list has all gotten very familiar and repetitive by this point but he assured the crowd Democrats have “already started cheating” the vote and had them booing Beyonce within minutes.
He went on to take credit for undermining the public’s faith in the Fourth Estate, trashed trans rights, called America “a garbage can” (again), claimed migrants have taken over Times Square in NYC (they have not), lied about the persecution of Catholics and talked of locking people up for exercising their right to free speech.
There was also some pretty outrageous Puerto Rico-washing in the hope of clawing back some of the Latino votes Tony Hinchcliffe blew for him.
Here’s Josh Marcus on Trump kicking off his pre-emptive fake Pennsylvania voter fraud narrative on Truth Social earlier this week.
Trump already spreading false claims about voter fraud in Pennsylvania
Former president’s recent social media post exaggerates and mischaracterizes election investigations in state
Joe Biden accused of calling MAGA supporters ‘garbage’ – but did he actually say it?
Unfortunately, Harris’s triumphant moment looks like being overshadowed by the president, who has inadvertently whipped up a conservative media storm after seemingly calling Trump’s supporters “garbage” in response to Tony Hinchcliffe’s already-notorious Madison Square Garden joke about Puerto Rico.
Speaking on a Zoom call with Latino voters yesterday, Biden stumbled over a few words as he gave a response to the the comedian calling the US territory a “floating island of garbage”.
Per the White House transcript, he said: “And just the other day, a speaker at his rally called Puerto Rico a ‘floating island of garbage.’ Well let me tell you something. I don’t – I – I don’t know the Puerto Rican that – they I know –or a Puerto Rico, where I’m fr- – in my home state of Delaware, they [are] good decent honorable people.
“The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters – his – his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American. It’s totally contrary to everything we’ve done, everything we’ve been.”
The White House maintains Biden’s remarks have since been misconstrued and taken out of context, which, of course, did not stop him having to apologize on social media or the Trump campaign from pouncing, eager to change a narrative that has potentially cost it the support of America’s Latinos.
Here’s more from Oliver O’Connell on a gaffe the Trump campaign is keen to portray as Biden’s “basket of deplorables” moment.
Trump pounces as Biden appears to call MAGA supporters ‘garbage’ — but did he say it?
Trump campaign eager to change narrative of comedian’s remarks amid outrage in Latino community over ‘joke’ about Puerto Rico
Kamala Harris urges Americans to ‘turn the page’ on ‘divisive’ Trump as she delivers closing argument in DC
Good morning!
Let’s start with a look back at the Democratic presidential nominee’s speech at the Ellipse in Washington DC last night, speaking on the very same spot from which Donald Trump told his supporters to “fight like hell” on January 6 2021, leading to the deadly assault on the US Capitol.
Harris urged Americans to finally “turn the page” on the “division, chaos and mutual distrust” of the Trump era, characterising her opponent as a cynical opportunist vulnerable to the influence of malign actors at home and abroad and offered herself as a sunny alternative.
“The United States of America is the greatest idea humanity ever devised,” she told her (huge) audience to rapturous applause, closing an address that went pretty much perfectly, at least from her campaign’s point of view.
This was Trump’s notably rather short – and vague – rebuttal on Truth Social.
Andrew Feinberg has this report on the Vice President’s big moment.
Harris urges Americans to ‘turn the page’ on ‘divisive’ Trump
In addition to calling out Trump’s instability, Vice President Harris contrasted the ex-president’s focus on grievance with her comparatively positive plan for the country
Harris to launch ad on the iconic Las Vegas Sphere
Kamala Harris‘s presidential campaign will become the first to advertise on the largest screen in the world: the iconic Las Vegas Sphere.
The campaign announced the move on Tuesday ahead of Harris’s rally in Las Vegas on Thursday. The pop band Maná will join the vice president at the Halloween event as she makes her final push in the Silver State ahead of Election Day.
Katie Hawkinson has the details.
Kamala Harris to launch campaign ad on the iconic Las Vegas Sphere
The Las Vegas Sphere boasts the largest screen in the world at 580,000 square feet
Trump’s social media company is now worth more than Musk’s X
Donald Trump‘s Truth Social is now worth more than Elon Musk‘s X, thanks to a recent run-up in the shares of the parent company of the former president’s social media platform.
Trump Media & Technology Group is now valued at over $10bn after its shares more than quadrupled since late September.
Continue reading...
Trump’s social media company now worth more than Musk’s X after surge in stock price
Value of shares in former president’s media company now valued at over $10bn surpassing estimated value of X Holdings, owned by Elon Musk
Trump already spreading false claims about voter fraud in Pennsylvania
As Election Day nears, Donald Trump has shared false and exaggerated claims about the integrity of the vote in the key swing state of Pennsylvania.
In a Truth Social post on Monday evening, Trump claimed multiple counties in Pennsylvania were experiencing major potential fraud, outpacing the facts on the ground.
Josh Marcus reports.
Trump already spreading false claims about voter fraud in Pennsylvania
Former president’s recent social media post exaggerates and mischaracterizes election investigations in state
Bloomberg shows his hand on election with $50m donation
Former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg has reportedly donated $50 million to back Kamala Harris under pressure from a fellow billionaire.
The news of Bloomberg’s financial support comes just one week before election day, with the polling between Harris and Donald Trump neck and neck.
Ariana Baio reports.
Bloomberg shows hand on election with $50m donation ‘after pressure from Bill Gates’
Billionaires are picking sides in the hotly contested presidential race - with Bloomberg joining Bill Gates in backing Kamala Harris while Elon Musk is firmly in Donald Trump’s camp
Elon Musk once offered RFK Jr’s running mate Nicole Shanahan his sperm, claims report
Elon Musk reportedly offered friends and associates the use of his sperm in conceiving children, including one such suggestion to Nicole Shanahan, the vice presidential pick for the independent Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., campaign.
Shanahan rejected the suggestion, according to The New York Times, which cited multiple unnamed sources regarding the exchange.
Josh Marcus has the story.
Elon Musk once offered RFK Jr’s running mate Nicole Shanahan his sperm. claims report
Trump backing Tesla billionaire has long been fixated on population trends and has at least 11 children by three women
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