What's happening on the campaign trail today
- President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris observed the anniversary of the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks on Israel with events this afternoon at the White House and that Naval Observatory, respectively.
- Former President Donald Trump is expected to commemorate the anniversary at an event this evening at his golf course in Miami.
- The Biden administration's handling of its relations with Israel over the last year has been a delicate issue for Harris to navigate on the campaign trail. She has courted support from Muslim and Arab American leaders even as she has faced widespread anger over the administration's support for Israel in its war against Hamas, which has devastated the Gaza Strip.
Musk’s PAC offers $47 payouts to refer swing-state voters to sign petition
Elon Musk’s pro-Trump America PAC is offering people $47 if they get one registered swing-state voter to sign a petition supporting the First and Second amendments of the Constitution.
“Easy money,” Musk said in a post about the initiative.
The payout offer appears to be a way to financially encourage voter registration of people who might prefer Trump in swing states. Paying people directly to register to vote is illegal, but America PAC’s petition appears to skirt laws that forbid certain types of election-related payments, paying referrers of registered voters, instead.
Musk and America PAC have vocally encouraged swing-state voter registration ahead of the mandatory deadlines.
Montana GOP Senate candidate says women have been ‘indoctrinated’ on abortion
Montana Senate candidate Tim Sheehy, who is locked in a highly consequential race with Democratic incumbent Jon Tester, said in newly unearthed audio that the Republican Party needs to do a better job at winning over young women, who he said have been “indoctrinated” for years on the issue of abortion.
“Young people, listen up, they’ve been indoctrinated for too long. We don’t even try to talk to them anymore,” Sheehy said at an event in late 2023, according to audio obtained by NBC News.
“I sat with a group of younger folks a couple of months ago talking about, just, various issues. And one of them was life, because of course young women between the age of 19 and 30, abortion is their Number One concern. That’s all they want to talk about. They are single-issue voters,” Sheehy continued.
Georgia Supreme Court reinstates state’s 6-week abortion ban
The Georgia Supreme Court today reinstated the state’s six-week abortion ban while it reviews the state’s appeal of a lower court ruling that had struck down the law.
The decision goes into effect at 5 p.m. local time, meaning most abortions will again be illegal in the state after six weeks of pregnancy after that time.
The state Supreme Court decision, however, left in place the lower court’s ruling blocking a separate provision of the law that had given state prosecutors broad access to the medical records of abortion patients without due process protections.
NBC News contributor and Indigenous journalist Alyssa London reports from the White Mountain Apache Reservation, where Native American volunteers are helping voters overcome the obstacles to casting ballots in November.
Harris accuses Trump of pushing misinformation about hurricane relief
As recovery efforts around Hurricane Helene continue, Harris today accused Trump of spreading misleading information about the Federal Emergency Management Agency resources available to victims.
"There's a lot of mis- and disinformation being pushed out there by the former president about what is available, in particular to the survivors of Helene," Harris said. "And first of all, it’s extraordinarily irresponsible."
“The reality is that FEMA has so many resources that are available to folks who desperately need them now, and resources that are about helping people get back on their feet and rebuild and have places to go," Harris said.
The storm’s death toll has risen to 227, making it the deadliest hurricane since Katrina in 2005.
North Carolina gives counties affected by Hurricane Helene voting flexibility
North Carolina’s election board voted today to give residents in the western part of the state, which was hit hardest by Hurricane Helene, greater flexibility to vote by mail and run their elections.
Voters in 13 counties heavily affected by the storm will have more ways to obtain and deliver absentee ballots, while county boards will have more authority to modify their election administration plans. The changes, approved by unanimous vote of the bipartisan board, come 10 days before early voting begins in the battleground state and as mail voting is already underway.
Voters in those counties who want to cast ballots by mail will be able to request and receive them in person until Nov. 4, the day before Election Day, rather than the Tuesday before, under the usual rules. They will also be able to drop off their ballots at any county board of elections in the state or any polling sites in their counties. Previously, voters were limited to dropping absentee ballots off at the board of elections or early voting sites in their counties.
Harris and Emhoff take part in tree-planting ceremony observing Oct. 7 attack
Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff took part in a pomegranate tree-planting ceremony this afternoon in observation of the anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks.
“We dedicate this tree to the 1,200 innocent souls, in an act of pure evil on Oct. 7, 2023, who were massacred by Hamas terrorists,” Harris said.
The theme of her remarks was inspired by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, the Jewish philosopher, with Harris referring to his quotation, “Religion begins with a consciousness that something is asked of us.”
“What is asked of us? We must work to ensure nothing like the horrors of Oct. 7 can ever happen again. And on this solemn day, I will restate my pledge to always ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself and that I will always work to ensure the safety and security of the Jewish people here and around the world,” she said, adding she will work to “reunite the hostages held in Gaza with their families.”
Harris also reiterated her efforts to end the “immense suffering of innocent Palestinians.”
“What is asked of us? We must uphold the commitment to repair the world, an idea that has been passed on throughout generations of the Jewish people and across many faiths. And to that end, we must work to relieve the immense suffering of innocent Palestinians in Gaza who have experienced so much pain and loss over the year," Harris said.
Asked by NBC News whether it’s possible to get a cease-fire deal before the Nov. 5 general election, Harris said the Biden administration would continue to do all it can to get cease-fire and hostage deals done.
Emhoff, who is Jewish, spoke to the pain felt by Jews around the world amid the somber anniversary.
“As we gather here today on what was the deadliest day for Jewish people since the Holocaust, I am still filled with pain and despair,” Emhoff said, adding that the pain of the attack remains "as raw as it did one year ago."
Vance calls on Biden and Harris to secure the release of Israeli hostages
In remarks at the Philos Project’s Oct. 7 rally at the National Mall in Washington, Vance called on Biden and Harris to secure the release of hostages captured by Hamas in its attack on Israel a year ago.
“It is disgraceful that we have an American president and vice president who haven’t done a thing,” he said. “Vice President Harris, our message is bring them home. Use your authority to help bring them home.”
Vance also condemned pro-Palestinian protests in the U.S., saying the chant “from the river to the sea” is a “disgraceful slogan that is going to lead to the genocide of millions of people.”
Biden has repeatedly stated that Israel has a right to defend itself, that his administration continues to negotiate the release of hostages and that it is working to secure a cease-fire deal in Gaza to end the war.
Ron DeSantis is refusing to take Harris’ call on Hurricane Helene
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is not taking calls from Harris about storm recovery just over a week after Hurricane Helene hammered parts of his state.
A source familiar with the situation said he was dodging Harris’ calls because they “seemed political,” according to a DeSantis aide.
“Kamala was trying to reach out, and we didn’t answer,” the DeSantis aide told NBC News.
The same person said “not to my knowledge” when asked whether DeSantis had spoken to Biden.
Trump campaign event in Florida postponed because of hurricane
The Trump campaign said it was postponing Trump's "roundtable at the Latino summit" tomorrow because of the dire weather forecasts in Florida.
The event had been scheduled for 11 a.m. at the Trump Doral Miami.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with those in the path of Hurricane Milton, and we are postponing the Latino Summit as communities prepare for the storm," campaign adviser Danielle Alvarez said in a statement. She said Trump "looks forward to rescheduling tomorrow’s event to foster more conversations on how we can expand the reach of the American Dream for all.”
Key Pennsylvania county to deploy drop boxes after deal reached on earlier decision to ban them
Reporting from New York
Four drop boxes will be deployed in Luzerne County — a key county in battleground Pennsylvania — after local officials and a civil rights group locked in litigation over the topic reached a settlement.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania had sued last week over the Luzerne County manager’s decision last month to remove all drop boxes from the county.
County Manager Romilda Crocamo had cited security concerns and potential “illegal activities” as the reason for her move just weeks before voters starting casting ballots in the state.
But in an interim settlement between the ACLU of Pennsylvania and Crocamo’s office, Crocamo agreed to deploy the four pre-approved ballot drop boxes throughout the county while the judges take time to consider the larger questions over election authority, Vic Walczak, the ACLU of Pennsylvania’s legal director, told NBC News.
Those questions include whether it is the County manager — a nonpartisan position that is appointed by the County Council — or the county Bureau of Elections that has the power to make such decisions over drop boxes.
The ACLU of Pennsylvania has argued that only the Bureau of Elections and Registration has the power to decide to scrap the use of drop boxes.
Walczak said he expected the four drop boxes to be deployed Monday. Crocamo did not respond to questions about the interim settlement.
Many Pennsylvania counties use ballot drop boxes. Republicans in the state have tried to ban their use through litigation and legislation.
Barack Obama carried Luzerne County twice before Trump won it in 2016 and 2020.
Biden marks anniversary of Oct. 7 attack at White House ceremony
The president and the first lady paid tribute to the victims of the Oct. 7 attack with a candle lighting ceremony at the White House.
The first couple was joined by Rabbi Aaron Alexander of Adas Israel Congregation, who spoke for the duration of the very short ceremony — first leading a prayer of remembrance in Hebrew before reciting it in English.
“God full of mercy, who dwells on high, grant fitting rest on the wings of the divine presence to the holy and pure, the brave, for the souls of the holy ones, men, women and children who were killed on October 7,” the rabbi said. "May they rest in peace."
After the prayer, Biden lit a candle in the middle of the table and the three had a moment of silence.
Trump to commemorate Oct. 7 anniversary with events in New York and Florida
Trump will commemorate the anniversary of Hamas’ attack on Israel with a visit to Ohel Chabad Lubavitch in Queens, New York. He will also speak at an Oct. 7 remembrance event in Florida.
In a statement, Karoline Leavitt, the Trump campaign's national press secretary, echoed Trump's claims that Biden had emboldened Iran and that the war wouldn't have happened had Trump remained in office.
“For Americans and Israelis alike, it’s imperative that President Trump is re-elected so he can end the bloodshed caused by an emboldened Iranian terrorist regime, which is stronger and richer today from the Harris-Biden Administration’s incompetence and weak policies,” Leavitt said.
Vance and Walz to hold rallies in Tucson on Wednesday
Vance is scheduled to hold a rally in Tucson, Arizona, on Wednesday and a town hall in Greensboro, North Carolina, on Thursday, the Trump campaign said.
Vance will visit North Carolina for the first time since Hurricane Helene devastated western parts of the state. Trump held a town hall in Fayetteville last week.
Walz is scheduled to speak at a campaign rally in Reno, Nevada, tomorrow night.
On Wednesday, he will participate in an event for veterans and military families with Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., and Jim McCain, the son of the late Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, in Chandler, Arizona.
Walz is also scheduled to take part in an event with Stephen Roe Lewis, the governor of the Gila River Indian Community, and other tribal leaders in the Phoenix area, and he will speak at a campaign rally in the Tucson area later Wednesday.
Today is the last day to register to vote in these 10 states
It's the last day to register to vote for the November election in the following states: Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee and Texas.
Eligible voters can check their registration status on their state's site.
N.J. Senate candidate explains apparent medical episode during debate
New Jersey Republican Senate candidate Curtis Bashaw said in a statement last evening that he hadn’t had a chance to eat anything after he had an apparent medical episode at the Senate debate.
"Thank you all for the well wishes! I was out campaigning all day, and I never stopped to get a bite to eat," he said. "Excited to eat pizza with my fantastic volunteers at the post-debate party tonight!"
During the debate Bashaw appeared to lose the ability to speak and was grasping his lectern. His rival, Democrat Andy Kim, went over to Bashaw and asked whether he was OK, to which Bashaw said, “Yeah.” The debate then took a brief intermission, and Curtis was helped off the stage.
When he returned, Bashaw appeared to have recovered.
With just 29 days to go until Election Day, Trump and Harris are focusing heavily on the battleground states that will decide the race for the White House. NBC’s Hallie Jackson reports for "TODAY."
Artist uses typewriter to transcribe people’s thoughts to next president
Sheryl Oring spent her Monday morning dressed as a 1960s secretary outside Seward Park Library in lower Manhattan, typing out New Yorkers’ thoughts on the upcoming election on her vintage typewriter.
The performance is part of her “I Wish to Say” project, which aims to document Americans’ thoughts leading up to the election, as well as through the first 100 days of the next administration.
“There’s something revolutionary about slowing down to compose a thoughtful message to the next president on a typewriter,” Oring said in a statement.
Oring began the project in 2004. She has produced more than 4,000 postcards during six presidential election cycles over the course of two decades. Oring uses carbon paper, which creates two copies of each message she types: one that is sent to the White House, and another preserved for her archive.
An exhibition of her work is up for display at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey.
Yim Kwok, 72, who immigrated to New York from Hong Kong in 1972, said her postcard asked for better senior care.
Oring also said many young women of color have shared messages of hope around the possibility of Harris becoming president.
Trump says he should get '100% of the Jewish vote' in November
In a radio interview on the anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, Trump said he should get 100% of the Jewish vote nationwide this fall.
“I should get 100% of the vote. No person has ever been better to the Jewish people, probably no person, period, to the Jewish people and Israel,” Trump said.
“Nobody’s done more for the Jewish people than I have," he added, pointing to his administration's moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem and his pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal. "Nobody’s done more for Israel as a president — maybe beyond being a president."
Trump has long complained about Jewish people who support Democrats. At an event focused on fighting antisemitism last month, he said that Jewish people will bear "a lot" of the blame if he loses the election.
Trump to speak at far-right Christian national conference in two weeks, campaign says
Trump is set to speak at a far-right Christian nationalist conference in two weeks organized by his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, and conservative entrepreneur Clay Clark, a Trump campaign official told NBC News.
Trump will address the gathering titled “The 11th Hour Faith Leaders Meeting” on Oct. 21 at the “ReAwaken American Tour,” Clark said, adding that other faith leaders will address the event alongside Flynn and Ben Carson, who served as housing and urban development secretary in the Trump administration.
The “ReAwaken America Tour,” co-founded by Flynn and Clark, has made stops around the country promoting far-right conspiracy theories, including those boosted by the QAnon movement.
The former president’s appearance will be his first at the conference. His son Eric Trump has addressed the group and the former president himself spoke to participants in a speakerphone conversation with Flynn in May of last year.
Other Trump allies have spoken at the “ReAwaken America Tour” in the past, including Roger Stone, election denier and My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell and former administration officials Kash Patel and Peter Navarro.
Trump suggests migrants have 'bad genes'
In an interview on "The Hugh Hewitt Show" that aired this morning, Trump criticized Harris for her policies on the southern border and suggested that migrants have "bad genes."
"When you look at the things that she proposes, they’re so far off she has no clue. How about allowing people to come to an open border, 13,000 of which were murderers," he said, referring to the vice president's immigration proposals.
"Many of them murdered far more than one person, and they’re now happily living in the United States," he added. "You know now a murderer. I believe this. It’s in their genes. And we got a lot of bad genes in our country right now they left. They had 425,000 people come into our country that shouldn’t be here, that are criminals."
The figure Trump cited is misleading. Immigration and Customs Enforcement told Congress in September that there are 13,000 immigrants convicted of homicide living outside of ICE detention, but three law enforcement officials told NBC News that that figure doesn’t include people who were detained outside of ICE enforcement because ICE doesn’t keep track of incarcerations on the state or local level. Two law enforcement officials also told NBC News that many of them crossed the border before Biden was president (including during Trump’s tenure.)
Supreme Court declines to hear Biden appeal in Texas emergency room abortion dispute
The Supreme Court turned away a Biden administration appeal in a dispute over emergency room abortion care in Texas, leaving in place a lower court victory for the Republican-led state.
Today's decision, months after the court wrestled with a similar case from Idaho without reaching a conclusive decision, constitutes a setback for the Biden administration.
The decision leaves intact a ruling by the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in favor of Texas on the question of whether a federal law concerning emergency room care in some cases trumps state abortion restrictions.
The bigger legal question remains unresolved at the national level.
Supreme Court turns away Musk’s X appeal over Trump criminal investigation
The Supreme Court today rejected an appeal brought by X, Elon Musk’s social media company, declining to decide whether prosecutors should have been able to obtain data from Trump's Twitter account without him being notified.
The case arose as part of special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into Trump over alleged election interference in 2020, which the Supreme Court stymied earlier this year by ruling that presidents have broad immunity from prosecution for official acts taken in office. The court left in place a ruling in favor of prosecutors.
Smith has already obtained the data at issue in the appeal brought by X, as Twitter is now known following Musk’s takeover of the social media company.
But X’s lawyers said the Supreme Court should intervene so that prosecutors cannot take similar actions in the future without the person involved being made aware that their data is being handed over to the government. Trump himself is not involved in the case.
Harris sidesteps when pressed on sway U.S. has over Netanyahu in interview on CBS' '60 Minutes'
Harris sidestepped when asked whether the U.S. has any sway over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a clip of an interview to air on CBS’ “60 Minutes” tonight on the anniversary of Hamas’ attack on Israel.
“The aid that we have given Israel allowed Israel to defend itself against 200 ballistic missiles that were just meant to attack the Israelis and the people of Israel,” she said. “And when we think about the threat that Hamas, Hezbollah presents Iran, I think that it is, without any question, our imperative to do what we can to allow Israel to defend itself against those kinds of attacks.”
Harris said the diplomatic work that the administration does with Israeli leadership "is an ongoing pursuit around making clear our principles," which include the need for humanitarian aid, an end to the war, a deal to release the hostages and a cease-fire.
“And we’re not going to stop in terms of putting that pressure on Israel and in the region, including Arab leaders," she said.
Pressed in a follow-up question about whether Netanyahu is listening to the U.S., the vice president said, “The work that we have done has resulted in a number of movements in that region by Israel that were very much prompted by or a result of many things, including our advocacy for what needs to happen in the region.”
Asked whether the U.S. has a close ally in Netanyahu, Harris deflected, saying, “I think, with all due respect, the better question is, do we have an important alliance between the American people and the Israeli people? And the answer to that question is yes.”
Harris vows to 'ensure that the threat Hamas poses is eliminated'
On the anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks, Harris said she is “devastated by the loss and pain of the Israeli people” and vowed to work toward ensuring that the threat Hamas poses is nonexistent.
“I will do everything in my power to ensure that the threat Hamas poses is eliminated, that it is never again able to govern Gaza, that it fails in its mission to annihilate Israel, and that the people of Gaza are free from the grip of Hamas,” Harris said in a statement.
The vice president also vowed to “never stop fighting” for the release of all hostages, reiterated her stance that Israel has a right to defend itself, and called for a cease-fire deal as she lamented the lives lost in Gaza in the past year.
“Hamas’s terrorist attack on October 7 launched a war in Gaza," she said. "I am heartbroken over the scale of death and destruction in Gaza over the past year—tens of thousands of lives lost, children fleeing for safety over and over again, mothers and fathers struggling to obtain food, water, and medicine. It is far past time for a hostage and ceasefire deal to end the suffering of innocent people.”
Harris said she believes that a “diplomatic solution” can be reached between Israel and Lebanon, which she said is “only path to restore lasting calm” that would allow residents on both sides to return home safely.
In a separate statement, Biden, who is holding an Oct. 7 remembrance ceremony at the White House this morning, said he and Harris “remain fully committed to the safety of the Jewish people, the security of Israel, and its right to exist,” and support Israel’s right to defend itself against attacks from Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis and Iran. The president extended sympathies to the hostages and their families and said his administration will “never give up” until hostages are brought home safely.
Biden aide joins core team to help 'finish the job,' chief of staff says
WASHINGTON — The White House's director of political strategy and outreach, Emmy Ruiz, has been promoted to senior adviser, joining a small circle of top aides who will help Biden navigate his final four months in office.
The move makes Ruiz the youngest person to have that title under Biden, according to a senior administration official, who first shared the details with NBC News.
In her new role, Ruiz will continue her work on all things political in the home stretch before November’s election. Now that Biden is no longer a candidate, Ruiz and the other senior advisers will work closely to determine how and where to use the president in battleground states over the next 30 days, the official said.
She will also continue to coordinate with the Cabinet on any political travel and engagements that they take on in the final sprint.
Ruiz has overseen the political team at the White House since Biden took office in 2021. Prior to that, she served as a political strategist to former President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Harris.
She played a key role in the White House’s 2022 midterm strategy and works closely with the Democratic National Committee and Harris campaign to ensure the Biden administration and political entities are as aligned as possible.
“Emmy is a fierce advocate for making life better for all Americans,” White House chief of staff Jeff Zients told NBC News in a statement. “We are lucky to have her on the core team working with the president to finish the job and advance his historic agenda.”
Ruiz, the daughter of Mexican immigrants, is from the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas.
Notre Dame Law School’s growing influence on the Supreme Court
Reporting from South Bend, Indiana
Tucked within a Gothic-style building on campus in this small town is a Catholic institution increasingly exerting conservative influence on the Supreme Court: the University of Notre Dame Law School.
The school counts among its former faculty Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who swapped the faux-medieval halls of one institution for the neoclassical marble columns of another in helping form the 6-3 conservative majority on the court.
In a trend that started before Barrett’s appointment but has accelerated since, the school is now having success placing both students and professors in prestigious Supreme Court clerkships. The clerks serve one-year terms and play a low-profile but crucial role in advising their bosses on which cases to take up and how to rule on them. They do research, help craft decisions and serve as sounding boards for the justices.
In the competition for students and prestige, law schools have worked to propel their students into clerk jobs. Conservative criticism of academia, particularly targeting the nation’s elite universities, has grown, presenting an opening for more conservative-minded schools to gain prominence with a more conservative court.
Muslim faith leaders endorse Harris
A group of imams endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris in an open letter shared first with NBC News yesterday, a critical boost as she steps up her efforts to win back disaffected Muslim voters amid the Israel-Hamas war.
Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, has faced widespread anger from Muslim and Arab voters over the Biden administration’s support for Israel’s war in Gaza, and the community could be critical some battleground states, like Michigan.
The 25 Islamic religious leaders who signed the letter, which comes a year after the Oct. 7 terrorist attack that sparked the war, argue that Muslim voters have a duty to think logically about their voting decisions and that backing Harris “far outweighs the harms of the other options.”
Mike Johnson won’t commit to bringing House back before the election for more hurricane relief
House Speaker Mike Johnson yesterday did not commit to calling Congress back into session before the election after Biden pressed congressional leaders about potential funding shortfalls in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
In an interview on “Fox News Sunday,” Johnson was asked about Biden’s letter to congressional leaders Friday requesting more money for federal disaster recovery efforts and after Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas warned that the department doesn’t have enough money to get through the rest of hurricane season.
The threat of election chaos looms as the Supreme Court returns to action
Reporting from Washington
The Supreme Court returns from its summer break today with a new slate of cases to decide, but it is an issue not even on the docket yet that is the center of attention: the presidential election.
The prospect that the court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, including three justices appointed by Trump, could be asked to weigh in on cases before and potentially after the election is high. It happens during every election.
But whether disputes that arise will be blockbusters like the 2000 Bush v. Gore case, which effectively decided the outcome in favor of George W. Bush, or duds like the various attempts to overturn Joe Biden’s win in 2020 remains to be seen.
Harris blasts Arkansas governor’s comments about her lack of biological children
Harris hit back at Arkansas GOP Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ comments that Harris “doesn’t have anything keeping her humble” because she doesn’t have children.
“I don’t think she understands that there are a whole lot of women out here who, one, are not aspiring to be humble,” Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, told “Call Her Daddy” podcast host Alex Cooper.
“Two,” she added in the taped interview, which aired Sunday, there are “a whole lot of women out here who have a lot of love in their life, family in their life and children in their life, and I think it’s really important for women to lift each other up.”
“We have our family by blood and then we have our family by love. And I have both,” Harris, who is a stepmother to her husband Doug Emhoff’s two children, told Cooper, adding, “And I consider it to be a real blessing.”
Melania Trump says Donald Trump ‘knew my position and my beliefs’ on abortion ‘since the day we met’
Former first lady Melania Trump is defending her beliefs on abortion, which she detailed in an upcoming memoir and which seem to be at odds with those of her husband.
“[Donald Trump] knew my position and my beliefs since the day we met. And I believe in individual freedom. I want to decide what I want to do with my body. I think I don’t want government in my personal business,” Melania Trump told Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo in a taped interview that aired yesterday.
Her remarks come days after The Guardian published excerpts of her book in which she wrote, “It is imperative to guarantee that women have autonomy in deciding their preference of having children, based on their own convictions, free from any intervention or pressure from the government.”
Vance says a future Trump administration would defund Planned Parenthood
Sen. JD Vance, the Republican vice presidential nominee, confirmed to reporters Saturday that Trump is “consistent” in his views on defunding Planned Parenthood.
A journalist asked Vance, R-Ohio, whether a future Trump administration would defund Planned Parenthood, the reproductive health care group that has garnered opposition from many conservatives for its pro-abortion-rights positions.
“On the question of defunding Planned Parenthood, look, I mean our view is we don’t think that taxpayers should fund late-term abortions,” Vance said after Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. “That has been a consistent view of the Trump campaign the first time around. It will remain a consistent view.”
Harris and Walz embark on media blitz amid Republican criticism that they’re avoiding press
With 30 days to Election Day, Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, are launching a media blitz that began yesterday, with the two set to appear in a handful of interviews with traditional and new media figures, a senior Harris campaign official told NBC News.
The two sat down with CBS’ “60 Minutes” for separate interviews that will air today, and each will appear on late-night comedy shows later this week. Harris will appear on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” tomorrow while Walz will sit down with Jimmy Kimmel for today's edition of “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”
While in New York tomorrow, Harris is also set to appear on “The View” and “The Howard Stern Show.”
White House marks year since Hamas attack on Israel
Biden and Harris are marking a year since Hamas attacked Israel, launching the start of a bloody war that shows no sign of ending soon.
The president and the first lady, Jill Biden, will participate in a candle-lighting ceremony with a rabbi, the White House said.
Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, will plant a memorial tree at the vice presidential residence in honor of victims. She will also deliver remarks, according to the White House.
Trump is participating in a remembrance event in Florida, as well.
Trump participates in Oct. 7 remembrance event
Trump will participate in an Oct. 7 remembrance event in Florida alongside Jewish community leaders, according to his campaign.
Trump's campaign attacked Harris in the news release about the remembrance event, saying "inept and failed policies of the Harris-Biden Administration have enabled the Iranian-backed proxies that have sewn a path of death and destruction, resulting in catastrophic global ramifications."
Biden and Harris are participating in remembrance events today, as well.