US elections live: Trump jokes about Access Hollywood tape in final campaign push; Harris heads to Pennsylvania
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are making their final pitches to voters in the key battleground states on final day of campaigning
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Former President Donald Trump appeared to reference the infamous Access Hollywood tape which was published late in the 2016 campaign in which he said he could grab women by their genitals because of his fame.
Discussing Elon Musk’s and SpaceX’s rocket boosters, Trump said, “And those two big arms, you saw the arms, they grab that thing like you grab your beautiful baby ... Years ago, I would have said something else, but I’ve learned.”
He added: “I would have been a little bit more risque.”
The ex-commander-in-chief made similar comments over the weekend.
Vice President Kamala Harris and Trump are making their final pitches to voters on Monday, the last full day of campaigning before Election Day.
The vice president will be joined by celebrities Lady Gaga, Oprah Winfrey, Ricky Martin, and The Roots in Philadelphia this evening as Katy Perry and Christina Aguilera support her in Pittsburgh and Las Vegas.
Trump, meanwhile, is also concentrating on the pivotal swing state of Pennsylvania, delivering rallies in Reading and Pittsburgh before closing in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Barron Trump, his bestie Bo and the bro podcasters: The unofficial Gen Z Trump campaign recruits
Trump jokes assassin would have to shoot journalists as Pennsylvania rally goes off the rails
Trump says he should never have left the White House in 2020
Trump moans he ‘doesn’t look good’ behind glass designed to protect him from assassination
SNL’s Kamala Harris cameo might have violated fairness rules
Conservative megachurch pastor endorses Harris: ‘She can pass a background check’
Pastor Dwight McKissic Sr of the Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas, says that he hates abortion and is opposed to gay marriage but will be voting Democrat for the first time in 40 years tomorrow anyway.
Why?
“The GOP I loved would have never chosen as its nominee the adulterous, childish, habitually lying and criminally convicted Donald Trump.”
This observation might be even more damning: “There’s a scripture in the seventh chapter of Matthew that says a tree that doesn’t bear good fruit should be cut down and tossed into the fire. That’s how I think evangelicals should treat today’s Republican Party.”
His thoughts are well worth your time.
Polling guru Nate Silver calls White House race ‘pure toss-up’
According to Silver’s latest Substack post, Trump has a 51.5 percent chance of winning the Electoral College by his reckoning while Harris’s odds are around 48.1 percent.
Here’s more from Gustaf Kilander.
Top polling guru predicts race between Trump and Harris will be a ‘toss-up’
‘We will very likely go into Tuesday night with the race being truly a toss-up,’ Nate Silver writes
Will Michael Jordan endorse Trump?
There is a great deal of search interest in the above question this morning but, so far, there appears to be no indication that the NBA legend will do any such thing.
It may just be wishful thinking on MAGA’s part, envious of Harris winning LeBron James’s influential vote last week.
Harris on Trump prematurely declaring victory: ‘Do not fall for his tactic’
Rather than resort to personal insults, as the Republican himself might well have done in the same circumstances, the VP offered a cool and dispassionate message to voters yesterday about the prospect of Trumpian mendacity coming into play on election night.
Meanwhile, here’s Tim Walz and Michael Stipe of REM having some fun at the Repbulican’s expense on stage in Cobb County, Georgia, last night.
Trump struggles to energise North Carolina crowd with crude attacks
OK here’s one final collection of Trump clips from yesterday, this time in Kinston, North Carolina, his first of the day and at which he appeared just as exhausted as he did at his later events.
The Republican’s attacks on Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell have been heard many times before and singularly failed to whip up the crowd.
The night before, he had been in Greensboro in the same state, where, under hellish red lighting, he welcomed a supporter’s offensive heckle about Harris.
Trump welcomes supporter’s shout that Harris ‘worked on a corner’
Donald Trump welcomed an audience member's shout that Kamala Harris "worked on a corner" as he called the vice president a liar during a rally in Greensboro, North Carolina, on Saturday (2 November). The former president repeated his accusations that his Democratic opponent never worked at a McDonald's, to which a person in the audience responded the vice president "worked on a corner." Mr Trump then laughed, declaring: "This place is amazing." Meanwhile, his opponent poked fun at his garbage truck struggles as she made a surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live (SNL).
Trump gets ‘equal time’ from NBC at Nascar rally after Harris SNL appearance
NBC gave Donald Trump’s campaign two free commercial slots on Sunday following a backlash over Kamala Harris’s Saturday Night Live appearance, with Republicans arguing that the network had flouted the Federal Communications Commission’s “equal time” rules by allowing the Vice President to appear but not the former president.
Trump took to the airwaves to deliver a bruising 60-second, pre-recorded message, which was shown towards the end of both Sunday evening’s Nascar playoff race and the big NFL Sunday Night Football game.
Sporting a red MAGA hat, Trump urged viewers to get out and vote just two days from election day, warning that Harris would trigger a “depression” across the US if she won.
Here’s more from James Liddell and Graeme Massie.
Trump gets ‘equal time’ from NBC at Nascar rally after Harris SNL appearance
Trump’s ad came a day after Harris poked fun at him during a surprise cameo on SNL
Trump boasts sniper would have to ‘shoot through fake news’ to get him
Perhaps an even more shocking line from the Republican yesterday was this interlude about the prospect of reporters being shot by an assassin trying to get to him, a comment perhaps suggesting he has still not properly processed what happened to him in Butler on July 13, an experience that would be traumatic for anyone.
John Bowden brings us this one.
Trump jokes assassin would have to shoot journalists as rally goes off the rails
Trump rants about journalists, Michelle Obama and the new Selzer poll of Iowa at Pennsylvania rally ahead of Election Day
Trump says he should never have left the White House in 2020
Let’s get back to the Republican’s haggard performances on the campaign trail on Sunday.
We’ve already seen Trump in Georgia but, prior to that, Trump addressed a crowd in Lititz, Pennsylvania, and openly lamented leaving the Oval Office four years ago, STILL refusing to accept what was an overwhelmingly clear defeat by Biden that his associates fought to debunk in court and simply could not for want of evidence.
He also had some other disturbing remarks to make about climate change, Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Obamas, asylum seekers and the bizarre fantasy prospect of college wrestlers battling illegal immigrants.
Here’s more from Rhian Lubin.
Trump says he should never have left the White House in 2020
Much of the speech in Lititz, Pennsylvania was spent repeating unfounded claims of voter fraud and election interference
New York Times Editorial Board attacks ‘unfit’ Trump on election eve
Without mentioning Kamala Harris by name, the newspaper’s editorial board comes out strongly against the Republican nominee with the following statement:
“You already know Donald Trump. He is unfit to lead. Watch him. Listen to those who know him best. He tried to subvert an election and remains a threat to democracy. He helped overturn Roe, with terrible consequences. Mr. Trump’s corruption and lawlessness go beyond elections: It’s his whole ethos. He lies without limit. If he’s re-elected, the G.O.P. won’t restrain him. Mr. Trump will use the government to go after opponents. He will pursue a cruel policy of mass deportations. He will wreak havoc on the poor, the middle class and employers. Another Trump term will damage the climate, shatter alliances and strengthen autocrats. Americans should demand better. Vote.”
Given that rival outlets like The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times and USA Today have controversially declined to offer an endorsement either way, this is strong stuff from the NYT.
Here’s more.
New York Times shares searing 112-word warning against Trump winning election
Newspaper’s editorial board issues stinging takedown of Republican nominee
Harris leading in four swing states in respected late poll
The Harris campaign is cheering the news that its candidate has taken a marginal lead in several key swing states in the final New York Times/Siena College poll, making gains in Nevada, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Georgia.
Harris leads Trump by 49 percent to 46 in Nevada, 48 to 46 in North Carolina, 49 to 47 in Wisconsin and 48 to 47 in Georgia, which means it all remains extremely tight down there.
Trump, meanwhile, is thought to be ahead by 49 to 45 in Arizona and, perhaps most agonisingly of all, the two candidates remain deadlocked in Pennsylvania and Michigan.
Here’s the very latest from Rachel Sharp.
New poll spells hope for Harris as she leads Trump in four key swing states
The poll comes off the back of a shock new survey which found Harris is ahead in Iowa – a state Trump easily won in both 2016 and 2020
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments