Trump calls Walz ‘moron’ as betting odds show him favored over Vance ahead of high stakes VP debate: Live

While his campaign manages expectations ahead of vice presidential debate, Trump lashes out at Kamala Harris’s running mate

Donald Trump claims US election debates against Harris and Walz are ‘rigged’

The Trump campaign appears to be trying to manage expectations ahead of tonight’s vice presidential debate between Senator JD Vance and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, but Donald Trump doesn’t seem to be on message, calling Kamala Harris’s running mate “a moron”.

Earlier, during a campaign call with reporters, senior Trump adviser Jason Miller said: “Walz is very good in debates. I want to repeat that: Tim Walz is very good in debates. Really good. He’s been a politician for nearly 20 years. He’ll be very well-prepared for tomorrow night.”

Walz will square up to Vance on the debate stage on Tuesday evening in what promises to be a hugely consequential and fiery encounter in New York. Betting odds currently favor the Democrat.

Meanwhile, Trump has continued to try to attack Harris and Joe Biden over the federal response to Hurricane Helene, which has wrought havoc in states including Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina. State governors tell have said they have received the support they need.

Finally, Trump has been attacked by the daughter of his former personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, who says he “destroys everything he touches” in an article for Vanity Fair in which she implores voters to support Harris instead.

Key Points

• Betting odds: Walz and Vance go head-to-head in VP debate tonight, but who will win?
• Trump campaign tries to temper expectations ahead of VP debate — former president has other ideas
• When is the VP debate between Tim Walz and JD Vance?
• Trump GoFundMe for Hurricane Helene victims raises $1.8m
• Republican narrows Harris’s lead among Latino voters in new poll
• VP debate could change the course of the election, according to the data

[30 September 2024 21:26 · Oliver O'Connell]

Democrats sue Georgia election board over new hand-counting ballots rule

Democrats have sued the Georgia State Election Board over its new requirement for counties to hand-count ballots cast on Election Day. They argue that the last-minute change in the rules is unlawful and could cause “chaos” across what is a highly-contested state in the presidential election.

The board voted 3-2 earlier this month passing the new rule which Democrats argue “changes the rules of the game in the ninth inning”.

The suit was filed by the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Party of Georgia. Kamala Harris’s campaign has also given its support to the suit

“In sum, the Hand Count Rule is contrary to the Election Code, exceeds the Board’s rulemaking authority” and “violates foundational limits on agencies that are intended to avoid precisely the scenario here — an unelected body unilaterally making significant changes to the law without notice or explanation,” the suit says.

“To protect the sanctity of the state’s laws and to prevent election night chaos, this Court should declare that the Hand Count Rule exceeds SEB’s statutory authority and enjoin that rule from going into effect,” it adds.

Donald Trump praised the three board members who voted in favor of the new rule. However, there is also opposition from other Republicans, including Georgia’s secretary of state and attorney general. They question the legality of the rule.

Election workers are now required to count the number of ballots cast on Election Day but not every vote on the ballot. The ballots are then delivered to the county for counting and tabulation. The main concern is that there could be an unnecessary delay in reporting results.

[30 September 2024 21:15 · Oliver O'Connell]

Watch: Trump challenged over baseless claim aid being denied to Republican parts of Georgia

[30 September 2024 21:00 · Oliver O'Connell]

Unmarried? Childless? Running for Congress? This GOP candidate has found a workaround

A Republican congressional candidate posed for a photo with a woman and three young girls in an image that could be mistaken for a family holiday card.

But the picture — posted on the National Republican Campaign Committee website to promote Derrick Anderson’s campaign, and included in a video on his campaign’s YouTube account — is not a family photo at all.

Alex Woodward has the bizarre story.

[30 September 2024 20:52 · Oliver O'Connell]

Watch: Fulton County judge strikes down Georgia six-week abortion ban

[30 September 2024 19:40 · Oliver O'Connell]

Trump claims Harris photo of call with FEMA is ‘FAKE’ and ‘STAGED’

Donald Trump has lashed out at Kamala Harris accusing her of faking a photo of a call with FEMA director Deanne Criswell.

The former president wrote:

Another FAKE and STAGED photo from someone who has no clue what she is doing. You have to plug the cord into the phone for it to work! Biden and Harris abandoned Americans in Afghanistan. They sacrificed Americans to an Open Border, and now, they have left Americans to drown in North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, and elsewhere in the South. Under this Administration, Americans always come last, because we have “leaders” who have no idea how to lead!

The former president made the post on Truth Social as he headed down to Valdosta, Georgia, to make remarks at a campaign event in city that was hit hard by Hurricane Helene.