What's happening on the campaign trail today
- Former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, are rallying tonight at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Elon Musk, Trump’s two oldest sons, Tucker Carlson and former first lady Melania Trump were among those who addressed the crowd before Trump took the stage.
- The preshow lineup featured comedians who made disparaging jokes about Latinos, Black voters and the conflict in the Middle East.
- Vice President Kamala Harris spent the day in Philadelphia. Her stops in the western and northern parts of the city included speaking at a church service, visiting a barbershop and stopping at a Puerto Rican restaurant.
- Harris surrogates will also hit the campaign trail, with Sen. Bob Casey and singer John Legend also spending the day in Philadelphia and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, encouraging early voting during a stop today in Las Vegas.
Trump says he would let anti-vaccine advocate RFK Jr. 'go wild on health'
Trump said during his rally that he would let Robert F. Kennedy Jr. "go wild" on public health issues if elected.
"I'm going to let him go wild on health," Trump said. "I'm going to let him go wild on the food. I'm going to let him go wild on medicines."
Kennedy, who at first sought the presidency as a Democrat before he endorsed Trump later in the cycle, is an outspoken anti-vaccine activist and conspiracy theorist.
Musician John Legend says he's 'certain' Black men will show up for Harris amid signs Trump is making inroads
Musician John Legend spent the day campaigning alongside Democratic Sen. Bob Casey in Philadelphia today. In an interview, Legend said that out of all the songs in his discography, the one that represents this election the most is “Glory.”
About recent polling that has shown Black men shifting toward Trump, Legend said he was “certain” they would show up for Harris during the election.
“I believe Black men are going to show up and make the right decision. I believe they’re going to show up for their communities. To protect their families and their communities from another term of Donald Trump,” he said.
Legend cited abortion and reproductive rights as key issues for him and said the path to victory runs through Philadelphia, where he went to college.
Asked about the importance of celebrity endorsements in this election, Legend said the “most important thing is our candidates.”
“We are well-known people, and hopefully we’ll get enough attention on the candidates so that they can go out there and win these elections. But we know that the important work is what they do and they’re representing the people and they’re listening to the people. And I believe that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz and Sen. Casey have great plans for the future of this nation,” he said.
Melania Trump makes rare campaign appearance
Former first lady Melania Trump made a rare appearance to speak at Trump's Madison Square Garden rally.
It is her first campaign rally speech this cycle. She attended the Republican National Convention in the summer.
She introduced her husband as he took the stage.
Elected Republicans condemn Trump rally speaker's derogatory remarks about Puerto Rico
Rep. María Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., and Sen. Rick Scott, R- Fla., condemned a comedian at the Trump rally who made derogatory comments about Puerto Rico.
"Disgusted by @TonyHinchcliffe’s racist comment calling Puerto Rico a 'floating island of garbage,'" Salazar said on X.
"This rhetoric does not reflect GOP values," she continued. "Puerto Rico sent 48,000+ soldiers to Vietnam, with over 345 Purple Hearts awarded. This bravery deserves respect. Educate yourself!"
Scott also chimed in, saying: "This joke bombed for a reason. It’s not funny and it’s not true."
Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe said during the Trump rally: “I don’t know if you guys know this, but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico.”
Top Trump allies spotted at MSG rally
Spotted in the arena in Madison Square Garden: top Trump allies and supporters such as hedge fund chief Scott Bessent, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Trump administration appointee Callista Gingrich sat on the floor by the stage, while Trump’s top aides Chris LaCivita, Susie Wiles and Corey Lewandowski circulated in the upper levels.
Also seen hobnobbing with allies were Hope Hicks and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem.
Trump aides say he will focus remarks on his economic and border agenda
Trump will focus his remarks on selling his agenda on the economy and the border, aides say.
Brian Hughes, a senior adviser, told NBC News that Trump would use his remarks to deliver a message that offers a forward-looking vision. Harris “is looking backwards,” Hughes said.
But Trump is known to veer off script in digressions he likes to call “the weave." Lately, he has ventured into profanity-laced attacks on Harris and mused over the size of the late golfer Arnold Palmer’s genitals.
Trump MSG rally attendees say Harris missed an opportunity by not picking Josh Shapiro as her running mate
Inside the arena at Madison Square Garden, two attendees from New Jersey, ages 19 and 20, said that other than Trump they were most excited to hear Vance speak.
“He’s sharp and straight to the point,” said Yoni Buckwald, 20.
Buckwald and Israel Schwartz, 19, are Orthodox Jews and said they support Trump in part because of his staunch support for Israel.
Schwartz called it an error for Harris to have picked Walz over Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro as a running mate, saying Shapiro could have bolstered her standing with Jewish voters while praising Biden’s “unprecedented” support for Israel.
Still, both said they appreciate Trump’s outreach to Muslim Americans as part of an effort to grow the GOP coalition.
As Trump courts their votes, comedian at his rally makes racist jokes about Latinos and Puerto Rico
Reporting from Trump's rally at Madison Square Garden
As Trump courts the community’s vote, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe crudely mocked Latinos — a key constituency for any winning campaign in 2024 — during the pre-program of the Madison Square Garden rally.
With nine days left until the election, Trump gathered scores of his most popular surrogates and allies to rally thousands in midtown Manhattan, a reliably deep-blue area.
Trump is set to speak at a rally in New York City. NBC News’ Vaughn Hillyard reports from Madison Square Garden, where police have tightened security around the arena.
AOC criticizes Biden on Gaza while urging progressives to vote
After playing a live game of Madden NFL 25 with Walz, Ocasio-Cortez continued her Twitch stream with an attempt to appeal to progressives who say they're hesitant to vote — particularly those who have expressed concern about the plight of Palestinians.
She criticized the Biden administration’s handling of Israel's military campaign in Gaza: “The way that they have carried on this is horrific, ill-advised, bad for the United States, obviously horrific for Palestinians, bad for Israelis, etc.”
But she said that rather than make voting decisions “based on a lens of punishment,” she would rather vote “based on a lens of power.”
Ocasio-Cortez urged voters who are critical of both parties to prioritize an electoral outcome that would enable them to build political power under “less hostile conditions.”
“And someone said here [in the chat], ‘Not a single Palestinian will benefit from not voting blue.’ It’s true,” she said. “And at the very least, what we are able to do with a trifecta is empower the dissidents within the Democratic Party in order to try to shift the momentum on things.”
Trump rally speaker calls Harris 'the devil' and 'the Antichrist' before announcing mayoral campaign
David Rem, a New Yorker who told a story of an act of kindness Trump's father performed for his family, described Harris as "the devil" and "the Antichrist" from the stage atump's rally at Madison Square Garden.
"Can you imagine Kamala Harris performing a random, kind, generous act like that?" he said. "Never, never, ever."
A rallygoer apparently then shouted that Harris was "the devil."
"In fact, she is the devil," Rem said. "Whoever screamed that out, she is the Antichrist."
Rem then announced he is running for mayor of New York in next year's election.
"I decided I’m going to make a run for mayor of New York City," he said, adding, "We need to make New York great again."
Tim Walz joins AOC for football Twitch stream
Tim Walz is talking life lessons from football over a game of Madden NFL 25 with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. Waltz joined Ocasio-Cortez for a Twitch stream ahead of his rally today in Nevada.
“Everybody wants to win or hopes they’ll win, but that’s not a plan. You got to prepare for it,” Walz said, drawing a parallel between his first Madden game and the coming election.
“You don’t have to win the game yourself. Just do your job,” said Walz, a former football coach. “You’re looking at this game right here, that right guard, he just needs to do his job and trust the guy on both sides of him. And I think that’s like things in life.”
As the two chatted over virtual football, Ocasio-Cortez and Walz shared stories about gaming while discussing voter engagement.
“So often, political conversations are so fraught and they’re so high-temperature,” Ocasio-Cortez noted before the game. “But the way that I think you can actually have a honest conversation is by having a relaxed setting to talk about serious things.”
Circuit court denies Virginia's attempt to purge voter rolls close to the election
The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied Virginia's attempt to remove alleged noncitizens from the voter rolls just days before Election Day.
Virginia officials earlier appealed the same decision by a federal judge. The case is likely to head to the Supreme Court if Virginia leaders decide to appeal.
Harris unveils her policy plan for Puerto Rico
Harris today unveiled her policy plan for Puerto Rico, uploading a video on social media outlining her plans and adding a section about Puerto Rico to her website.
Among the stops Harris made in Philadelphia today was a Puerto Rican restaurant, where she touted the release of the policy plan.
"Puerto Rico is home to some of the most talented, innovative and ambitious people in our nation, and Puerto Ricans deserve a president who sees and invests in that strength," she told diners.
She added that, if elected, she would "create a new Puerto Rico opportunity economy task force where the federal government will work with the private sector, with nonprofits and community leaders, to foster economic growth and create thousands of new, good-paying jobs in Puerto Rico, including for our young people."
Harris campaign chair expresses confidence in early voting data
Harris campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon appeared this morning on “Inside with Jen Psaki,” where she expressed optimism that Harris “is on track to win” as early voting kicks off across the battleground states.
“We are very confident we’re going to win this thing. And it’s not just because we want to win — it’s because what we’re seeing in the numbers,” she said.
Dillon said her confidence is fueled in part by the campaign’s analysis of early voting data, particularly concerning high turnout rates among low-propensity voters.
“More of our people that don’t traditionally vote are showing up,” O’Malley Dillon said. “In Clark County, Nevada, for instance, where Las Vegas is, we have seen higher youth turnout in the last two days than we’ve seen in any other point this cycle.”
“We’re seeing strong turnout. Our margins are strong. And the folks that we’re focused on, those lower-propensity voters that don’t always vote, they’re tuning in, and they’re showing up at a higher level in support of the vice president,” she added.
It was O’Malley Dillon’s first cable news interview since Harris chose her to lead the campaign this summer.
In relaxed podcast interview, Vance criticizes NATO allies and Harris' laugh
During a podcast taping with conservative comedian Tim Dillon, Vance, clearly relaxed and speaking more freely than at public campaign events, made several inflammatory comments about foreign policy and Harris.
In likening the war in Ukraine to the potential for conflict in Taiwan, Vance said Ukraine is not as important to the U.S. because it “makes a lot of the computer chips.” Prompted by Dillon on what caused the war in Ukraine, Vance posed — and answered — his own question: “Did American diplomacy actually create conflict instead of diffusing conflict? In my view, it did.”
Later in the discussion Vance also took aim at American allies in Europe as Dillon questioned the U.S.’ relationship with NATO. “I mean, look, if I was a European country, in some ways, I would feel kind of pathetic. ... Because these guys, they don’t even have their own countries anymore. They just do whatever the United States tells them to do,” he said.
He went further with rhetoric in the interview than he often does in public campaign appearances, and he made several remarks that run contrary to the constructed “Midwestern nice” and relatable persona he puts on for most media appearances.
Vance often attacks Harris on the stump, but his comments with Dillon took a particularly gendered tack. Right out of the gate, Vance took to mocking Harris for her laugh, describing it as awkward and not genuine.
“I’ve tried to, like, put my finger on what it is about Kamala Harris’, like, the very fraudulent laugh that I find so off-putting, and it’s like the laugh of somebody who just made you really uncomfortable,” Vance said.
Later in the conversation, Vance described Harris as not fun and generally unlikable — though he noted he has met her in person only once.
“There’s too much of a schoolmarm thing going on. I just don’t know,” he said.
The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Harris paints a contrast with Trump in Philadelphia
After a service at Church of Christian Compassion in West Philadelphia, Harris told reporters she hoped to meet with voters from all over the city and speak "with them about what we all have in common and a collective desire to bring the country together and to set a tone that really is about unifying our country around common desires and challenges."
"This obviously will be in stark contrast to Donald Trump," she added, "who increasingly is using dark and divisive language even more than he has done in the past.”
Taking questions from reporters, Harris also pointed out the contrast between what she says her presidency and Trump's would look like.
"Just imagine the Oval Office on Jan. 20. It’s going to be one of two people," Harris said. "If it’s Donald Trump ... it will be him sitting at that desk stewing over his enemies list. He is full of grievance. He is full of of dark language that is about retribution and revenge."
She added: "The American people have a choice. It’s either going to be that or it’ll be me there, focused on my to-do list, focused on the American people and getting through that list of goals and plans to improve the lives of the American people.”
Trump campaign ad featuring assassination attempt video to air today
Trump’s first ad featuring video of the July 13 assassination attempt will run nationally during the third quarter of the Philadelphia Eagles-Cincinnati Bengals game today, a campaign adviser told NBC News.
It’s a two-minute spot that amounts to a closing argument. And while there’s contrast with Harris, it is largely positive about Trump.
Sen. Bernie Sanders slams Elon Musk's support of Trump
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., slammed tech mogul Elon Musk's support for Trump's campaign today after a Wall Street Journal article revealed that Musk has spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin multiple times.
"I don't think it's appropriate," Sanders said on NBC News' "Meet the Press."
"What really interests me is if, God forbid, Trump would win whether it would be Elon Musk running the government and Trump working for him or the other way around," Sanders added.
He also blasted Musk for campaigning for Trump even though he has business before the federal government.
"The idea that you have somebody like Musk, who has massive amounts of federal contracts, campaigning hard, putting huge amounts of money into Trump’s campaign — man, if there’s ever been a conflict of interest, that’s it," he said.
Harris and Walz to hit every battleground state in the next four days, campaign says
Harris and Walz are set to campaign in each of the seven battleground states over the next four days, the campaign announced.
Some of the rallies will also feature performances by artists including Maggie Rogers, Gracie Abrams and Remi Wolf.
Tomorrow, Harris and Walz will campaign in Michigan. On Tuesday, Harris will deliver a "closing argument" speech in Washington, D.C., and Walz will campaign in Georgia. On Wednesday, Harris will hit North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, while Walz campaigns in North Carolina. On Thursday, Harris will head to Nevada and Arizona, and Walz will travel to Pennsylvania and Michigan, according to the campaign.
Harris to campaign in neighborhoods across Philadelphia
Harris will hit a series of neighborhoods in Philadelphia, including historically Black and Latino areas, a senior campaign official said. The official described the visit as more intimate and interactive.
She is set to visit a Black church, a barbershop, a Puerto Rican restaurant and a youth basketball facility, according to her campaign.
Philadelphia is a deep-blue part of a crucial swing state, and Democrats will need to ensure high turnout in the city in order to offset expected Republican victories in more rural counties.
Trump set to rally in deep-blue New York City
Just over a week before Election Day, Trump will hold a rally in New York City at Madison Square Garden. New York City is a Democratic stronghold, and the state is not considered a swing state.
His campaign has released a list of more than two dozen speakers and performers who will also take the stage, including Vance, House Speaker Mike Johnson, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tucker Carlson.