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Trump raves about Elvis at New York rally as new poll shows Harris leading in two key swing states: Live

Donald Trump indulges narcissism at Long Island event while latest survey places Kamala Harris comfortably ahead in Pennsylvania and Michigan and narrowly in front in Wisconsin

Donald Trump boasts he is 'greater than Elvis'

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Head shot of Eric Garcia

Eric Garcia

Washington Bureau Chief

Donald Trump delivered his latest rally in Uniondale on Long Island, New York, on Wednesday, pledging to “bring back religion” to thank God for saving his life, suggesting he was a bigger star than Elvis Presley, joking that he has not read his wife Melania Trump’s new memoir and asking New Yorkers to vote for him by saying: “What the hell do you have to lose?”

The Republican nominee also pledged to visit Springfield, Ohio, after he and running mate JD Vance spread a bogus story about Haitian immigrants stealing and eating residents’ pets, inspiring a spate of bomb threats.

Before Trump’s event began, local police were forced to shut down false claims that a car filled with explosives had been found close to the Nassau Coliseum where the candidate was speaking.

Meanwhile, a fresh poll from Quinnipiac University has placed his Democratic rival Kamala Harris ahead in two key swing states – Pennsylvania and Michigan – and more narrowly ahead in another, Wisconsin.

Elsewhere, Trump has accused Harris of colluding with Iran to spy on his campaign after the FBI revealed Tehran-backed hackers had attempted to pass stolen material onto the Democratic ticket.

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Josh Shapiro suffers embarrassing fail when promoting new canned cocktails law – as he forgets his ID

Pennsylvania’s Governor suffered an embarrassing fail when he tried to promote a new state law allowing customers to buy canned alcoholic cocktails from convenience stores – but forgot his ID.

The 51-year-old – who had been in the running to join Kamala Harris on the Democratic party ticket before Tim Walz was selected as her running mate – paid a visit to Duncannon Rutter’s gas station in Central Pennsylvania this week.

Under the new bipartisan liquor legislation, signed last month, the sale of canned cocktails has been expanded up to 12.5 per cent ABV, meaning that convenience stores, grocery stores, gas stations and hotels can now sell the drinks to customers to consume off premises.

But, Shapiro found himself being possibly one of the first consumers in the state to be denied a canned alcoholic cocktail under the new law.

Rhian Lubin has this one.

Shapiro suffers embarrassing fail when promoting new drinks law – as he forgets ID

Pennsylvania governor left the store empty handed after trying to purchase cans of Surfside tea and vodka

Joe Sommerlad19 September 2024 12:10
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Police force gifts Trump signed handcuffs used to arrest assassination attempt suspect

The Martin County deputies who detained the suspect in the second assassination attempt against Trump on Sunday have signed the handcuffs used in the arrest and gifted them to the candidate.

Here’s Gustaf Kilander on this ridiculous gesture.

Police force gifts Trump signed handcuffs used on assassination attempt suspect

Sheriff says arrest of suspect Ryan Wesley Routh was ‘as rewarding as anything I’ve ever done’

Joe Sommerlad19 September 2024 11:50
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JD Vance boasts he’ll keep calling Haitians ‘illegal aliens’

Trump’s running mate has suggested that he will continue to call Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, “illegal” aliens despite knowing that they’re here legally.

During a campaign event in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Wednesday, Vance was asked what would happen to migrants in the country under the Temporary Protected Status program, such as many of those in Springfield, during a possible second Trump administration.

The Republican vice presidential nominee was also asked how the administration would go about deporting migrants in the country legally.

“The media loves to say that the Haitian migrants hundreds of thousands of them, by the way, 20,000 in Springfield, but hundreds of thousands of them all across the country, they are here legally,” Vance said.

“And what they mean is that Kamala Harris used two separate programs, mass parole and temporary protective status... to wave a wand and to say, ‘We're not going to deport those people here.’”

He added: “Well, if Kamala Harris waves the wand illegally and says these people are now here legally, I'm still going to call them an illegal alien. And illegal action from Kamala Harris does not make an alien legal. That is not how this works.”

What a charming individual he is.

Gustaf Kilander has more.

JD Vance boasts he’ll keep calling Haitians ‘illegal aliens’

‘If Kamala Harris waves the wand illegally and says these people are now here legally, I’m still going to call them an illegal alien,’ Republican vice presidential hopeful says

Joe Sommerlad19 September 2024 11:30
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Trump tries to blame Harris after FBI says Iranian hackers sent stolen material to campaign allies

The Republican nominee has accused Harris of colluding with Iran to spy on his campaign after the FBI revealed Tehran-backed hackers had attempted to pass stolen material onto the Democratic ticket.

This is what he had to say about it on Truth Social, and before that, on Long Island:

Josh Marcus has this report.

FBI says Biden campaign unwittingly received stolen Trump materials from Iran hackers

Intelligence agencies said they had ‘no information’ indicating Biden allies repled to hackers

Joe Sommerlad19 September 2024 11:10
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Trump still in denial about disastrous debate performance

Also last night, Donald Trump dropped in to Greg Gutfeld’s show on Fox News (a rare, in-person appearance), joking at one point that he could have taken out would-be assassin Ryan Wesley Routh, who invaded his golf course on Sunday, with his 3-wood.

Otherwise, the Republican was busy bemoaning NBC’s handling of his debate and insisting, fancifully, that he actually did rather well.

Here’s more from James Liddell.

Trump jokes he would have taken out would-be assassin with his three wood

‘I always say golf is a very dangerous game,’ Trump told Greg Gutfeld on Wednesday night

Joe Sommerlad19 September 2024 10:50
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First Trump said Haitian migrants in Ohio were ‘eating the pets’. Now he says they’re ‘destroying America’

One last one from Uniondale: Trump also pledged last night that he would visit Springfield, Ohio, after he and running mate JD Vance spread a bogus story about Haitian immigrants stealing and eating residents’ pets, inspiring a spate of bomb threats.

Even the town’s Republican mayor has said he would be “fine” with his party’s nominee not coming.

Here’s Gustaf Kilander again.

Trump says Haitian migrants are ‘destroying’ US as he vows to visit Springfield

‘You may never see me again, but that’s okay,’ Trump jokes after saying he’ll visit Springfield, city at center of his false claims that migrants are eating people’s dogs and cats

Joe Sommerlad19 September 2024 10:30
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Trump hints he hasn’t read Melania’s new book: ‘If she says bad things about me, don’t buy it’

Getting in a little cross-promotion on stage in Uniondale last night, Donald Trump admitted he had not read his wife’s expensive new memoir Melania ($250 for the “Collector’s Edition”!), a rare example of him speaking honestly in public.

Here’s more from Gustaf Kilander.

Trump indicates he hasn’t read Melania’s new book: ‘So busy’

‘Go out and buy it, and if she says bad things about me, I’ll call you all up and I’ll say, don’t buy it,’ former president says

Joe Sommerlad19 September 2024 10:10
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Trump asked New Yorkers ‘what have you got to lose’ by voting for him. The answers came thick and fast

The Republican nominee issued the following appeal to his fellow New York natives last night, also pledging to finally fix the city’s rickety subway.

He was met with cheers at the venue but, online, the response was rather different.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

Trump asked New Yorkers ‘what have you got to lose’ by voting for him

‘With crime at record levels, with terrorists and criminals pouring in, and with inflation eating your hearts out, vote for Donald Trump,’ Republican nominee pleads

Joe Sommerlad19 September 2024 09:50
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Harris leads in two swing states but Wisconsin up for grabs, new polls finds

The Democratic presidential nominee leads Donald Trump by six points in Pennsylvania and five in Michigan but just one Wisconsin, according to the latest survey from Quinnipiac University.

Kamala Harris is up 51 per cent to 45 per cent in Pennsylvania, 50 per cent to 45 per cent in Michigan and 48 per cent to 47 per cent in Wisconsin, the poll reports.

On the issues, Trump is marginally ahead on the economy and immigration but narrowly behind on preserving democracy and trust in a crisis and way behind on abortion, Quinnipiac found.

“Three crucial swing states wave a red flag at the Trump campaign,” the institution’s polling analyst Tim Malloy writes.

“The GOP’s most ‘go to’ attack strategies against Democrats on immigration and the economy may be losing momentum. Likely voters now see little daylight, in most cases, between Harris and Trump on who can best handle those key issues.”

Here’s Alicja Hagopian on all the latest election polling.

Can Kamala Harris beat Donald Trump? Latest poll updates from the 2024 election

Here’s what the latest polls say about the 2024 presidential election, from The Independent’s data correspondent

Joe Sommerlad19 September 2024 09:20
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Highlights from Trump’s New York rally

Good morning!

Here are some of the most eyebrow-raising moments from Donald Trump’s rally in Uniondale on Long Island last night, at which the Republican presidential nominee claimed he was “going to bring back religion” to thank God for saving his life twice, indulged his narcissism by suggesting he was a bigger star than Elvis Presley, attacked “radical left” Kamala Harris over her rhetoric (sigh), rehashed his 2020 election denials, pledged to visit poor old Springfield, Ohio, and stumbled over his lines – frequently.

His warm-up man was Rudy Giuliani, incidentally.

Joe Sommerlad19 September 2024 09:00

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