What's happening on the campaign trail today
- Former President Donald Trump is venturing West today, making stops in Aurora, Colorado — which he argued is overrun by migrants and gang violence — and Reno, Nevada.
- Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, swung through Michigan today to speak in Macomb County ahead of his appearance at a football game in Minnesota, while Harris returns to Washington, D.C., from Arizona after campaigning there yesterday.
- Walz's trip to the Midwest comes one day after former President Barack Obama made the first stop of his eleventh-hour swing-state blitz with an appearance in Pittsburgh marked by his sharp criticism of Trump.
Trump calls for death penalty against migrants who kill U.S. citizens
During his rally in Aurora, Colorado, Trump today called for the death penalty to be used against migrants who kill U.S. citizens or law enforcement officers.
"I'm hereby calling for the death penalty for any migrant that kills an American citizen or a law enforcement officer," Trump said.
The former president has previously called for the death penalty for undocumented immigrants who engage in sex trafficking or major drug deals.
Aurora police chief says the city is still ‘very safe’ despite Trump’s claims
Trump painted a dark picture of Colorado’s third-largest city at a rally today as he once again claimed it had been overtaken by a Venezuelan prison gang. But the city’s police chief told NBC News that Aurora is still “very safe.”
“It’s not overrun. Without question, Aurora is still a very safe city. It is still a wonderful community that is incredibly diverse,” Todd Chamberlain said. While there is some gang activity, he added, “what we hope to do is make sure that that gang doesn’t grow.”
On the trail, Trump has highlighted a specific Venezuelan prison gang, Tren de Aragua, known as TDA, after a social media clip went viral last month claiming that the gang had taken over an apartment complex in Aurora. Police at the time said there was no evidence the gang had taken over the complex, and Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman, a Republican, called Trump’s descriptions “not accurate.”
Supreme Court asked to nix abortion clinic ‘bubble zones’ for protesters
The Supreme Court may soon consider two cases that could dismantle limits on how close protesters can be to people at abortion clinics and other health care facilities.
The cases argue that “buffer zones” around clinics and “bubble zones” around the people who visit them violate the First Amendment.
Harris says she would form a bipartisan council of policy advisers
Harris announced today that she plans to form a bipartisan council of advisers to work with her on policy if elected.
She said that she would establish the President’s Council on Bipartisan Solutions in her first 30 days in office, and would include Republican and Democratic public officials and business and community leaders, according to a campaign aide.
Some of the issues the council would focus on include expanding small businesses, building more affordable housing, ensuring online safety and strengthening mental health care and care for veterans.
Harris has previously said that she would appoint a Republican to her Cabinet if elected.
Trump says in Aurora that migrants have 'invaded and conquered' the Colorado city
During a campaign rally in Aurora, Colorado, Trump used charged rhetoric saying he would "rescue" the city which he characterized as "invaded and conquered" by migrants who entered the country illegally.
"I will rescue Aurora and every town that has been invaded and conquered," Trump said.
"These towns have been conquered. Explain that to your governor, he doesn’t have a clue," he added, referring to Democratic Gov. Jared Polis.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that Aurora is overrun by by gang members from Venezuela, accusing Harris during his remarks today of permitting "an army of illegal alien gang members and migrant criminals" to enter the U.S. "from the dungeons of the third world."
Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman, a Republican, pushed back on such claims, saying last month that he wanted to show the former president "that the narrative is not accurate by any stretch of the imagination.”
In Nevada, Democrats hedge their bets on Senate control
RENO, Nev. — As union workers prepared to knock on doors to support Sen. Jacky Rosen on a sunny Thursday afternoon, the Nevada Democrat assured them that their hard work would pay off.
“Those gym shoes are going to be worn out over the next 26 days … and on election night, you have helped me, and whoever else you’re helping, return the Democratic majority in the United States Senate!” Rosen said, eliciting cheers from the workers packed into the Culinary Union hall in Reno.
Democrats have to win Nevada, and hold onto their seats in other perennial battlegrounds, to keep their slim Senate majority, as they also try to stem losses or pick up a GOP-held seat in redder states.
Mayor criticizes Trump ahead of rally in Coachella
The mayor of Coachella, California, issued a statement condemning Trump ahead of his scheduled visit to the city for a rally tomorrow.
“Trump’s attacks on immigrants, women, the LQBTQ community and the most vulnerable among us don’t align with the values of our community,” Steven A. Hernandez said. “We don’t know why Trump is visiting near Coachella, but we know he wasn’t invited by the people who live here. He ain’t like us.”
Hernandez added that Coachella was “proud” to welcome Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., during the 2020 primary election.
North Carolina governor shoots down Trump's baseless claim that Democrats blocked aid to state
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper shot down Trump's baseless claim this afternoon that Democrats are blocking aid to victims of Hurricane Helene in the state.
"This is a flat out lie," Cooper, a Democrat, wrote in a post on X.
North Carolina is working "with all partners around the clock to get help to people," Cooper said.
"Trump’s lies and conspiracy theories have hurt the morale of first responders and people who lost everything, helped scam artists and put government and rescue workers in danger," he added.
Trump to participate in a town hall focusing on women's issues
On Tuesday, Trump will take part in a town hall with Fox News' Harris Faulkner in Georgia focusing on women's issues. In the press release, Faulkner said the town hall is focused on women's rights because of the number of women voting in this year's election.
“Women constitute the largest group of registered and active voters in the United States, so it is paramount that female voters understand where the presidential candidates stand on the issues that matter to them most," she said. "I am looking forward to providing our viewers with an opportunity to learn more about where former President Trump stands on these topics.”
The town hall will air Wednesday on Fox News in the 11 a.m. ET hour.
Biden warns that people spreading lies about response to hurricanes will 'pay a price'
Biden warned this afternoon that people who knowingly spread false rumors about the disaster responses to Hurricanes Helene and Milton will "pay a price."
“I think those who have been spreading these lies to try to undermine the opposition are going to pay a price for it,” he said at the White House when asked if misinformation is a permanent state of being in the country.
Biden met with some of his top Cabinet offiicals, including Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, on the storm response.
The president said that the administration is breaking through the misinformation "with the truth." He referred to conservative governors and mayors saying that the misinformation needs to stop.
Asked if Trump is the main person to blame, he said, “No, but he’s got the biggest mouth.”
Trump again makes evidence-free claim that Democrats are blocking aid to North Carolina
Trump today again repeated his claims, without citing evidence, that Democrats and the Biden administration are blocking aid to victims of the recent hurricanes.
In a post on Truth Social, the former president said, "Democrats in Washington and the Democrat Governor’s Office of North Carolina (Roy Cooper) were blocking people and money from coming into North Carolina to help people in desperate need."
"Biden knew about it, and so did Kamala! It’s all over the place — A HORRIBLE SITUATION. I will make it up to everyone when we take Office on January 20th. HOLD ON, I’M COMING!" he wrote.
NBC News reached out for comment to the White House, FEMA, the Trump and Harris campaigns, and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper’s office.
There is no evidence that Democrats have blocked aid to North Carolina.
Last week, tech billionaire Elon Musk, who has endorsed Trump, said in a post on X that FEMA was actively blocking people who were trying to help in North Carolina, including his deliveries of Starlink equipment to provide internet access.
FEMA’s director of public affairs, Jaclyn Rothenberg, said last week that the claims "about FEMA confiscating or taking commodities, supplies or resources in North Carolina, Tennessee, or any state impacted by Helene are false.
"FEMA has helped provide Starlink terminals to the state of North Carolina, including to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Nation and critical lifeline locations as determined by the state," Rothenberg added. "These units are supporting state and local municipalities, Urban Search and Rescue and disaster coordination. Starlink units have been sent to multiple states in support of Hurricane Helene response efforts.”
Trump has continued to spread false claims about the federal government's response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton despite calls by Democrats and other leaders to stop. For example, he said FEMA was diverting disaster funds from victims of the hurricane to undocumented immigrants. He also said that FEMA would only provide $750 to disaster survivors. FEMA has debunked those and other rumors.
Meanwhile, some Republican officials, including Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, have praised Biden and his administration's response to the deadly storms over the last two weeks. Democrats have said the rumors are hurting hurricane victims, and Biden has rebuked Trump over his false claims, calling them "ridiculous" and saying he's being "un-American."
This Pennsylvania House race could predict who wins the presidency
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Big-name politicians are descending on Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley in the closing weeks of the 2024 election, where voters in the swingy 7th Congressional District could determine which party controls the House next year — if not the White House.
On Wednesday, House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., joined Rep. Susan Wild, D-Pa., here on a tour of Latino-owned small businesses. The next day, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., stumped for her GOP opponent, state Rep. Ryan Mackenzie in Hellertown, while House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., participated in a voting rights discussion with Wild in nearby Easton.
Biden to visit Florida in aftermath of Hurricane Milton
Biden is traveling to Florida on Sunday to visit areas damaged by Hurricane Milton, the White House announced today.
More than 2 million people have been left without power and at least 16 people have been confirmed dead since Milton made landfall Wednesday evening as a Category 3 storm.
DNC launches TV ad attacking Jill Stein as Trump booster
The Democratic National Committee today launched a new TV ad that it says will run in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin portraying Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein as a Trump stalking horse.
“A vote for Stein is really a vote for Trump,” the narrator says as an image of Stein morphs into one of Trump.
The ad notes that Trump has praised Stein for taking votes away from Democrats and that she has accepted the help of Republican operatives and Trump-aligned lawyers, even after she and other third-party candidates helped Trump get elected in 2016 by winning more votes than Hillary Clinton lost by in key states like Michigan.
By directly engaging third-party candidates this year, Democrats have taken a radically different approach to how they’ve handled them in the past, which was to ignore them almost entirely. But in a tight race that could be determined by tiny margins, Democrats say they can’t afford to ignore them.
“Just like in 2016, Jill Stein can’t win the presidency, but she will help decide who does,” DNC senior advisor Mary Beth Cahill said on the ad. "The DNC will make sure voters know that a vote for anyone other than Kamala Harris is a vote for Donald Trump.”
Vance repeatedly dodges on whether Trump lost the 2020 election
On the latest episode of The New York Times' "The Interview" podcast, Vance dodged five times when asked if Trump lost the 2020 election, responding instead with questions of his own.
"Donald Trump and I have both raised a number of issues with the 2020 election, but we’re focused on the future," Vance answered at the get-go, according to a clip of the interview that was released ahead of its publication tomorrow. "I think there’s an obsession here with focusing on 2020. I’m much more worried about what happened after 2020, which is a wide open border, groceries that are unaffordable."
The host, Lulu Garcia-Navarro, pressed again. "Senator, yes or no, did Donald Trump lose the 2020 election?"
"Let me ask you a question," Vance said. "Is it OK that big technology companies censored the Hunter Biden laptop story, which independent analysis have said cost Donald Trump millions of votes?"
Vance repeated his above answer before giving his next response.
"I’ve answered your question with another question," he said. "You answer my question and I’ll answer yours?"
When asked at the end of the exchange whether he would support the results of this election, Vance said, "if there are problems, of course, in the same way that Democrats protested in 2004, and Donald Trump raised issues in 2020, we’re going to make sure that this election counts, that every legal ballot is counted," but added, "but certainly we’re going to respect the results in 2024."
It's not the first time Vance has avoided answering the question. During the vice presidential debate this month, Vance also deflected when asked it by Walz in the final moments of the debate.
“That is a damning non-answer,” Walz said in response.
DNC rolls out six-figure ad buy in LGBTQ publications in battleground states
For the first time, the Democratic National Committee will invest in an advertising campaign dedicated entirely to LGBTQ publications in large metropolitan areas and several key battleground states.
The DNC will roll out the ad campaign, worth at least $100,000, this morning in 16 publications across eight states, and it is estimated to reach more than 1 million voters in the first week. Those publications include the Washington Blade and Metro Weekly in the Washington, D.C., area; Out South Florida; Qnotes in Charlotte, North Carolina; the Las Vegas Spectrum; Georgia Voice; GoGuide Voter’s Guide in Iowa; Dallas Voice; Philadelphia Gay News; Ambush Magazine in New Orleans; ION Arizona; and SWERV Magazine, a national Black LGBTQ periodical.
The campaign will be featured in the Georgia Voice during Atlanta’s Pride weekend and in Philadelphia Gay News during OurFest, a festival to celebrate National Coming Out Day in Pennsylvania.
“This historic investment from the Democrats aims to meet voters where they are, recognizing that the LGBTQ+ community is a large and diverse voting bloc that we are not taking for granted,” Jaime Harrison, DNC chair, said in a statement. “Our fundamental freedoms to be who we are and who we love are on the ballot this November, and we’re empowering diverse corners of the LGBTQ+ community to make their voices heard.”
Trump 'outsourced God to China,' Walz quips
At a campaign event in Warren, Michigan, Walz ripped Trump for the number of jobs that went overseas while he was president.
Walz said that Trump's administration awarded billions of dollars in federal contracts to companies that offshored those jobs. "He gave your tax dollars to companies who sent your jobs abroad. That's Donald Trump," he said.
"We just found out his Trump-branded Bibles, they're printed in China. This dude even outsourced God to China," Walz said. "I'm going to try and be generous here. I don't blame him. He didn't notice the 'Made in China' sticker because they put it inside a place he's never looked, in the Bible."
The Associated Press recently reported that thousands of copies Trump's Bible were printed in China.
Trump has campaigned on the idea that products should be made in America and not abroad, and he has vowed across-the-board tariffs to incentivize companies to build things in the United States.
Bernie Moreno's 'crazy' abortion comment shows up in Ohio Senate race ads
Reporting from Ohio
Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and his Democratic allies have hit the airwaves with ads highlighting how his Republican rival, Bernie Moreno, called women who are single-issue voters on abortion “crazy.”
As of today, Brown’s campaign and WinSenate PAC, a group aligned with Senate Majority Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., had combined to spend more than $5 million on three 30-second spots, according to the tracking firm AdImpact.
“OK, a little crazy, by the way,” Moreno said at an event last month that was captured on video and first reported by NBC affiliate WCMH in Columbus. “But, especially for women that are like past 50, I’m thinking to myself, I don’t think that’s an issue for you.”
As one of a handful of contests that could tip partisan control of the Senate, the Ohio race is among most expensive in the country this year. Polls show a close race.
Brown’s campaign and WinSenate each have an ad featuring the Moreno video, with WinSenate’s spot also including footage of Moreno at a March 2023 event commenting that “you don’t get pregnant because you were at the checkout line at Kroger.”
The WinSenate version had been backed by $3.5 million worth of airtime as of today, the Brown campaign version $1.2 million, according to AdImpact.
“It’s crazy that Bernie Moreno didn’t realize his ultra-viral comments would cause genuine outrage,” Sarah Guggenheimer, a spokesperson for Senate Majority PAC, which includes WinSenate, said in a statement to NBC News. “It’s crazy that Bernie Moreno thinks women only care about one issue and that older Ohioans shouldn’t have an opinion about abortion.”
A second ad from Brown’s campaign, titled “Crazy,” features several women responding to Moreno. The ad had more than $420,000 behind it as of today.
“Bernie Moreno, I am 100 years old,” an elderly woman says at the close of the commercial, “and I’m definitely not crazy.”
Moreno spokesperson Reagan McCarthy has said the “crazy” comment was meant as a “tongue-in-cheek joke.”
“Bernie’s view is that women voters care just as much about the economy, rising prices, crime, and our open southern border as male voters do and it’s disgusting that Democrats and their friends in the left-wing media constantly treat all women as if they’re automatically single-issue voters on abortion who don’t have other concerns that they vote on,” McCarthy said today. “Sherrod cannot defend his liberal voting record to Ohioans, and his ads reek of desperation.”
First lady Jill Biden to campaign for Harris in swing states through Tuesday
First lady Jill Biden is campaigning for Harris in Phoenix tonight, one of several events that will "highlight Vice President Harris’ vision for a new way forward that protects reproductive freedom, strengthens our democracy, and ensures every person has the opportunity to not just get by, but to get ahead," the campaign said.
Jill Biden's next campaign event will be Sunday in northern Nevada. From there, she will travel to Detroit and Wisconsin on Monday and Philadelphia on Tuesday.
Trump won’t golf until after the election
Trump has not golfed since an apparent assassination attempt near one of the former president’s golf courses Sept. 15, and he will not do so at least until the election is over, according to a person close to the campaign and another person familiar with the situation.
A third person familiar with the conversations said Trump was told that federal agents could not ensure his safety to a degree with which they were comfortable while he is golfing. The concerns were conveyed in two conversations with Trump since the September incident: one with Ronald Rowe, the acting director of the Secret Service, and the other with officials from the national intelligence director’s office.
The safety issue had been on Trump’s mind.
Trump had asked Rowe during a meeting last month whether it would be safe for him to continue golfing in the wake of the thwarted assassination attempt, and he was told he would need significant additional security given the proximity of some of his courses to public roads, The New York Times reported last month, citing information from three people familiar with their conversation.
Being unable to play golf is a significant change to Trump’s schedule and lifestyle. He has 18 golf properties around the world — including courses in Oman and Dubai — and throughout his three campaigns and his presidency, the sport has been a fixture in his life.
Obama to campaign for Harris in Arizona and Nevada next week
Former President Barack Obama will campaign for Harris in Tucson, Arizona, on Oct. 18, and in Las Vegas on Oct. 19, a Harris campaign official and an Obama spokesperson said.
Obama kicked off his campaigning for the Harris-Walz ticket last night in Pittsburgh, where he focused on drumming up support for the vice president especially from men and criticized Trump for spreading false claims about the federal government's hurricane response.
Rep. Greg Steube thanks Trump for hosting electrical linemen at his Miami golf club
In a post on X, Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., thanked Trump for hosting hundreds of line workers from Florida Power & Light Co. at his golf club, Trump National Doral resort in Miami.
"I’m especially grateful to President Trump for hosting 300 of those linemen at the Trump Doral, free of charge," Steube wrote. "These linemen have been on the ground, working tirelessly to restore power across our state."
Trump's son Eric Trump also posted a video of the linemen at the golf club Wednesday, writing, "You are amazing and the Trump Family, and entire state of Florida, appreciates you! Enjoy the rooms — they are the best in Florida!"
Walz to say that Trump and GOP know 'how to manufacture bull----'
At a campaign event in Warren, Michigan this morning, Walz plans to "speak forcefully about Donald Trump's failed record on manufacturing at president," a senior campaign official said previewing his speech.
The Democratic vice presidential nominee is expected to address Trump trashing the city of Detroit yesterday, saying that the whole country will end up like Detroit and "you're going to have a mess on your hands."
"Maybe if he ever spent any time in the Midwest, he’d know Detroit is experiencing a great American comeback. Crime is down. The city is growing. Factories are opening again," Walz plans to say. "But all these guys know about manufacturing is how to manufacture bull----.”
Walz also plans to touch on Trump's claim that Democrats will require the use of electric vehicles.
"Here’s my take on this: People are looking for choices — and we need to make those choices more affordable," Walz will say. "Nobody’s mandating anything. If you want to drive a ‘79 International Harvester Scout like I do, knock yourself out.”
Harris campaign launches initiative featuring faith leaders, gospel performances
The Harris campaign said today that it's launching a monthlong "Souls to the Polls" initiative Sunday aimed at mobilizing Black voters featuring gospel performances, state and national faith leaders, campaign surrogates and senior elected officials.
"The push will also include direct church engagements by Vice President Harris across battleground states," the campaign said. "With less than 30 days until Election Day, the Souls to the Polls voter activation series is a testament to the Harris-Walz campaign’s continuous efforts to foster authentic moments of engagement with Black voters across battleground states and underscore the high stakes of this election for Black Americans."
The faith leaders include reverends and bishops such as Harris' personal pastor, Rev. Amos C. Brown of the Third Baptist Church in San Francisco and Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., who is a former pastor of the St. James United Methodist Church in Kansas City, Missouri.
Walz clarifies that his view on the Electoral College is 'not the campaign's position'
Walz said in an interview that aired on ABC News' "Good Morning America" this morning that his earlier statement that the Electoral College should be eliminated is "not the campaign's position."
"And the point I’m trying to make is that there’s folks that feel every vote must count in every state, and I think some, some folks feel that’s not the case," he said.
He continued, "We’re out there making the case that the campaign’s position is clear, that that’s not their position," he said. "Their position, and my position, is to make sure that everybody understands their vote, no matter what state they’re in, matters."
At a fundraiser at California Gov. Gavin Newsom's house earlier in the week, Walz said, "I think all of us know the Electoral College needs to go. We need a, we need a national popular vote, but that’s not the world we live in.”
Walz has supported the elimination of the Electoral College as governor of Minnesota, signing the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact into law in May 2023, making it the 17th state to join the effort.
Jon tester pushes for ticket-splitters in a Montana Senate race that appears to be slipping away
BUTTE, Mont. — Tim Combo arrived at the second-floor union hall of the Western States Carpenters in Butte covered in dust and grime from a day spent on the job Wednesday. Combo, a 27-year union carpenter, feels deeply that the election will directly affect his life — and he has made his choice.
“I came up here to vote for Jon tester, and I am going to vote for Donald Trump, as well,” Combo said at the hall, where tester was speaking.
Combo represents the best hope for tester, a three-term Democrat, to win another election for the Senate — and with it, the possibility that Democrats will maintain a slim majority in the chamber, which is split 51-49. But ticket-splitters like him are becoming less common with every passing election in a polarized U.S., giving Republicans a very good chance of capturing the majority this fall.
Maryland Senate candidates Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks and former Gov. Larry Hogan sparred over the issue of abortion during their debate.
Cities seek more than $750K in unpaid bills for Trump campaign events since 2016
Trump held a third rally last month in Erie, Pennsylvania, which sits in the northwest corner of a swing state that could decide who wins the White House.
Like the two other times Trump has been to Erie to rev up his supporters, he left without paying the bill.
City officials haven’t yet tallied up what the Trump campaign owes Erie for public safety costs for his most recent rally in September. But according to a city official, Trump owes the city more than $40,000 for the rallies he held there in 2018 and 2023.
Erie, whose bills were previously reported by the Erie Times-News, isn’t the only city that has hosted Trump rallies and not been paid by the campaign. Including Erie, four cities and a county confirmed to NBC News that they’re still waiting for the Trump campaign to pay bills often associated with reimbursements for the costs of local law enforcement and other first responder personnel.
The final price tag is more than $750,000 for those five jurisdictions, with some bills dating back eight years. At the same time, it’s not always clear cut whose legal responsibility it is to foot the bill.
Trump has kept in touch with more foreign leaders than Putin since leaving office
Trump has kept a toe in foreign policy since he left the White House, talking not just to Russian President Vladimir Putin — whom he reportedly has spoken to seven times since he left office, a revelation that has raised eyebrows.
At his homes in Manhattan and Palm Beach, Florida, foreign delegations from Israel and Ukraine have sat opposite Trump and his campaign staffers as if they were holding a bilateral meeting — then shared remarks before a bank of news cameras, a set-up that evokes some of the trappings of a state visit.
Staying tapped into foreign policy allows Trump to argue that he could easily slide back into office, but it also carries risk for Trump, who faced criticism while he was in office for his close ties to Russia and complaints about how talkative he was with other leaders.
In office, Trump reveled in his one-on-one interactions with other leaders, and he argued in a speech at a rally Wednesday that having an open dialogue helped cut bring hostile adversaries down to size. Asked about those relationships in a podcast interview, Trump said, “The tougher they were, the better I did with them,” adding that it was a good thing he got along with Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. “The other ones are easy to handle,” he said.
Obama tells men Trump doesn’t represent ‘real strength’
Reporting from Pittsburgh
PITTSBURGH — Rallying for Harris, former President Barack Obama spoke directly to American men and characterized Trump as mendacious and self-centered, saying he doesn’t represent “real strength.”
“I’m sorry, gentlemen, I’ve noticed this especially with some men who seem to think some of Trump’s behavior — the bullying and the putting people down — is a sign of strength. And I am here to tell you: That is not what real strength is. It never has been,” Obama said, drawing heavy applause from the Democratic crowd.
“Real strength is about working hard. And carrying a heavy load is about complaining. Real strength is about taking responsibility for your actions and telling the truth even when it’s inconvenient,” he said. “Real strength is about helping people who need it and standing up for those who can’t always stand up for themselves. That is what we should want for our daughters and our sons, and that is what I want to see in a president of the United States of America.”
Obama said Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, represent the “character” and “values” a president should have.
Election surveys suggest a wide gender gap, showing Harris winning women by large margins while struggling with men. Some Democratic strategists worry they risk losing slices of young men, Latino men and even Black men, who have expressed openness to Trump or low enthusiasm about voting.
Hurricane Helene upends Trump’s and Harris’ plans for one of the biggest swing states
The unprecedented destruction Hurricane Helene has wreaked on western North Carolina could take months, if not years, to rebuild. Entire communities are destroyed and scores of residents are displaced. With the presidential election in less than 26 days, both parties are scrambling to contend with the unpredictable political fallout.
For Harris, who became the Democratic nominee only 2½ months ago, the hurricane’s aftermath had meant the suspension of campaign rallies. That’s lost time when, in Harris’ world, every hour has counted, especially when the onus is on Democrats to flip a historically red state.