What's happening today on the campaign trail
- Vice President Kamala Harris discussed her plans to boost small-business growth at a campaign event in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, this afternoon.
- Former President Donald trump will be in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, tonight for a town hall moderated by Fox News host Sean Hannity.
- Both Harris and trump commented on today's mass shooting at a high school in Georgia. Harris said it was a "senseless tragedy," while trump called the suspected shooter "a sick and deranged monster."
- Harris' running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, is in Pennsylvania today for campaign events in Lancaster and Pittsburgh.
- trump's running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, is delivering campaign remarks in Mesa, Arizona, at an event hosted by the conservative group Turning Point Action.
trump and Harris campaigns agree to rules for ABC debate
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald trump are set to debate each other next week for the first time after their campaigns on Wednesday agreed to the ground rules set by host network ABC.
The Sept. 10 event in Philadelphia will use the same rules and format as the June debate between trump and President Joe Biden.
Both campaigns had previously agreed to hold the debate on that date, but the agreement appeared to be in jeopardy after trump suggested he might back out and Harris’ team sought to change the rule on muted microphones.
The state of the economy in key counties across the country could have major impacts on the 2024 presidential race. NBC News’ Christine Romans looks deeper at the economic statistics in certain states that could impact the 2024 election.
trump campaign says the former president believes ‘anyone convicted of a crime’ should be jailed
From Donald trump’s perspective, his upcoming sentencing in the New York hush money case should include jail time.
A spokesperson for his 2024 campaign commented this week on reports of a trump clemency recipient being convicted of a domestic violence-related charge by saying, “President trump believes anyone convicted of a crime should spend time behind bars.”
Liz Cheney endorses Harris for president
Reporting from Washington, D.C.
Former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., on Wednesday endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president, the latest high-profile Republican endorsement for Democrats.
Cheney’s comments took place during an appearance at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy.
Muscly monsters and galloping horses could let people know you voted
New "I voted" stickers may be coming to a polling place — or Instagram post —near you this fall, after officials in at least two states let citizens have a hand in updating the familiar red, white and blue designs that are often featured in selfies posted by Americans after they cast their ballot.
Election officials in Michigan and Kentucky each held their first-ever open design contests this year, inviting grade-school students and the general public to submit fresh ideas.
In Michigan, the secretary of state's office today announced nine new contest-winning options that local election clerks can order and offer to voters at polling places this year.
The designs are irreverent and homespun, with a Midwest-themed “Ope, I voted” and a more whimsical portrayal, submitted by an elementary school student, of a muscly monster ripping off its shirt, perhaps in ecstasy over civic participation.
In Kentucky, home to horse racing's biggest event, the state's winning design belongs to a middle schooler, who drew a galloping horse in front of an American Flag (it narrowly edged out a "Lizard Man").
Rep. Mike Collins' congressional campaign ad featuring a gun resurfaces after shooting in his district
Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., who represents Barrow County, displayed a gun in his ad when he was running for his seat in Congress. The ad is now resurfacing after the shooting today.
In the video, Collins did not address gun rights, but at the end of the video, he can be seen firing the gun at a target. This is one of several ads from Collins that displays a gun.
Vance to speak at event hosted in part by pastor with history of homophobic remarks
As Vance heads out west through the weekend for a mix of campaigning and fundraising, his first stop of the multi-day swing features remarks with conservative media personality Charlie Kirk as a part of Turning Point Action’s “Chase the Vote at the Church” event.
The gathering is set to take place at the Generation Church in Mesa, Arizona, where lead pastor, Ryan Visconti, has a history of anti-gay comments on social media.
In one post on his X account from July of this year, Visconti wrote that in order for “America to be ‘great again,’ we need to go back to opposing the abomination of gay mirage [sic] & abortion as we did before.” A separate post from the fall of 2023 features Visconti saying that in “God’s eyes, there’s no such thing as ‘gay marriage,’ and argued in a lengthy thread posted earlier that year that “God wants homosexuals to repent and change.”
In a post on Instagram last week, Visconti wrote that he is “honored” to host Vance as a part of the Turning Point event.
“Senator Vance supports every American’s right to freely practice their religion,” Vance spokesperson Luke Schroeder said in a statement provided to NBC News. “It’s a shame the media is attacking a pastor over his religious beliefs simply because he is hosting an event at his church,” he continued.
Vance, for his part, said in a debate during a run for the US Senate in 2022 that marriage equality is “the law of the land in this country, and I’m not trying to do anything to change that.”
Representatives for Turning Point Action did not respond to a request for comment.
Republican House panel subpoenas Walz in investigation of Minnesota nonprofit that ran a Covid aid scheme
Reporting from Washington
The House Education and Workforce Committee issued subpoenas today to Walz, the Minnesota Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Agriculture for how they responded to what federal prosecutors have called the largest pandemic fraud schemes in the country.
The subpoenas, obtained first by NBC News, demand that Walz, Minnesota Commissioner of Education Willie Jett, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Agriculture Inspector General Phyllis Fong turn over documents concerning oversight of the nonprofit Feeding Our Future, which is alleged to have misused millions of dollars intended to feed children during the pandemic.
Walz’s record has faced new scrutiny since Harris tapped him as her running mate last month, though this new request by the Republican-led committee is part of an investigative effort that goes back to 2022.
Menendez co-defendant Fred Daibes to plead guilty to bank fraud
Fred Daibes — the man convicted of bribing now-former Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., with gold bars and cash — is expected to plead guilty in federal court tomorrow to separate bank fraud charges, his attorney Larry Lustberg told NBC News.
Daibes, a N.J. developer, and Menendez were convicted in July as part of a wide-ranging bribery scheme in a case prosecuted in New York’s Southern District.
One part of the bribery scheme was an attempt by Daibes to pay Menendez cash and gold bars and in exchange, prosecutors said, Menendez tried to use his power to interfere with the New Jersey U.S. Attorney and that office’s separate bank fraud case against Daibes.
Daibes was originally offered probation in the bank fraud case that had 16 separate criminal counts. Justice Department officials say the senator’s attempts to improperly impact the outcome of that bank fraud case played no role in the decision by federal prosecutors to offer Daibes probation for bank fraud.
After the separate "gold bar" bribery indictment was announced in New York, New Jersey Judge Susan Wigeton in October 2023 threw out the original Daibes bank fraud plea deal and the Justice Department's proposed sentence of probation.
Tomorrow, the court is expected to have a new bank fraud plea — and a possibly a new sentencing recommendation by the Justice Department.
Menendez and Daibes are scheduled to be sentenced in New York on Oct. 29 for their bribery convictions. Menendez resigned from the Senate last month.
trump, previously opposed to mail-in ballots, urges people to vote by any method
In a TikTok posted last night, trump encouraged people to vote by any means despite his previous, long-held opposition to mail-in ballots.
"It’s time to start thinking about let’s vote," he said. "So important. This will be the most important election in the history of our country. So whether it’s mail in ballots, early voting, voting on the day, you gotta get out and vote. We want to save our country. We’re the only ones going to save it. That other group of people, they’re going to destroy our country."
This is a shift for trump, his allies and many Republican Party leaders, who falsely claimed that fraudulent voting by such means resulted in trump's 2020 loss. After his defeat, some GOP states, like Texas and Georgia, tightened their requirements on absentee voting.
trump calls suspect in Georgia shooting 'a sick and deranged monster'
Reporting from Washington
In a post to Truth Social, trump weighed in on today's mass shooting at a Georgia high school.
"Our hearts are with the victims and loved ones of those affected by the tragic event in Winder, GA," he wrote. "These cherished children were taken from us far too soon by a sick and deranged monster."
His post came shortly after Harris commented on the shooting, calling it a "senseless tragedy."
trump campaign confirms Barron trump is attending NYU
The trump campaign today confirmed a Daily Mail report that the former president's son Barron trump is attending New York University. The elder trump told the news outlet that his son had been accepted to several colleges, but he landed on the Stern School of Business.
“He’s a very high aptitude child, but he’s no longer a child," trump said. "He’s just passed into something beyond child-dom. He’s doing great.”
trump also said his son had been considering the former president's alma mater, the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, but added: "We didn't do that. We went for Stern."
In a first-of-its-kind survey, NBC News polled Gen Z voters ahead of the 2024 election and the results were surprising. The poll explored voter sentiments and issues surrounding the election. NBC News’ Savannah Sellers spoke with some young voters about the 2024 election and their views on the Harris campaign.
Harris: Georgia shooting was a 'senseless tragedy'
During remarks in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Harris addressed the school shooting in Georgia, telling attendees, "Our hearts are with the students, the teachers and their families, of course."
She called the incident a "senseless tragedy on top of so many senseless tragedies" and called it "outrageous" that "everyday in our country ... parents have to send their children to school worried about whether or not their child will come home alive."
The vice president also said that "we have to end this epidemic of gun violence in this country once and for all ... it doesn't have to be this way."
John Kirby: RT is no longer 'just a propaganda arm' for the Kremlin
Following the announcement of new sanctions targeting what the Biden administration describes as Russian government-sponsored attempts to manipulate U.S. public opinion, White House National Security spokesman John Kirby told reporters that "RT is no longer just a propaganda arm of the Kremlin; it’s being used to advance covert Russian influence actions."
Kirby said that the RT network was being used "to funnel disinformation through outlets and social media influencers that a certain number of Americans find credible. We will not stand for that."
He added that the U.S. government believes Russian officials, as high as Russian President Vladimir Putin, were weighing in on RT's operation.
Biden calls on GOP to pass 'common-sense gun safety legislation' after Georgia school shooting
Reporting from Washington
President Joe Biden criticized Republicans’ stance on gun control and said that the White House was closely working with state, local and national law enforcement after a mass shooting at a high school in Georgia.
“After decades of inaction, Republicans in Congress must finally say ‘enough is enough’ and work with Democrats to pass common-sense gun safety legislation," the president said in a statement. "We must ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines once again, require safe storage of firearms, enact universal background checks, and end immunity for gun manufacturers.”
Speaker Mike Johnson praises law enforcement response in Georgia shooting
Reporting from Washington
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., praised law enforcement for their response in today's Georgia high school shooting.
"Our prayers go out today for the Apalachee High School community, and especially the victims and their families who have endured this terrible tragedy," he wrote in a post on X. "The officers of the Winder Police Department are commended for their quick action in apprehending the suspect. May justice here be swift."
Walz says he's been briefed on the Georgia high school shooting
During a campaign stop in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Walz addressed the high school shooting in Georgia.
"We don’t know any of the details on it yet, but it’s a situation that’s all too common, and our hearts are out there right now," he said, adding that "work" should be focused on how to "prevent these in the future."
Attorney General Merrick Garland addresses shooting, says FBI and ATF are on scene
Ahead of his news conference on election threats, Attorney General Merrick Garland addressed the shooting at a high school in Winder, Georgia. He said the FBI and ATF are on scene to assist local law enforcement.
"I'm devastated for the families who have been affected by this terrible tragedy," he said. "The Justice Department stands ready to provide any resources or support that the Winder community needs."
Rep. Lucy McBath, whose son was killed in 2012: 'No family should have to go through this'
Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Ga., who lost her son Jordan Davis to gun violence in 2012, said in a post on X: "I am praying for the students of Apalachee High School and the community of Winder. I am praying for families across our state and entire country. Too many continue to experience the pain of gun violence. No family should have to go through this."
McBath became active in efforts to curb gun violence after her son's killing and made the issue a main thrust of her campaign for Congress in 2018.
Georgia governor says he's directed state resources to deal with high school shooting
Gov. Brian Kemp said in a statement on X that he has ordered the state to aid in the response to the shooting at a high school in Winder, Georgia.
"I have directed all available state resources to respond to the incident at Apalachee High School and urge all Georgians to join my family in praying for the safety of those in our classrooms, both in Barrow County and across the state," he wrote.
Biden has also been briefed by his homeland security adviser, Liz Sherwood-Randall, as his administration coordinates with state and local partners, a White House official said.
Rep. Mike Collins of Georgia, who represents Barrow County, also posted about the incident.
"We extend our gratitude to law enforcement for their swift action to secure the school and get the shooter in custody," he wrote. "I have spoken with Sheriff Smith and told him my team and I are available to assist in any way necessary. We will continue to monitor and provide updates as prudent."
trump acknowledges he lost the 2020 election ‘by a whisker’
trump publicly acknowledged that he did not win the 2020 presidential election, telling podcaster Lex Fridman that he “lost by a whisker.”
Fridman asked trump about his expectations for his debate next week against Harris, in a podcast episode released yesterday.
trump initially answered, “I’ve done a lot of debating ... I’ve done well with debates,” before embarking on a tangent about the number of votes he received in 2020, saying: “I became president. Then the second time I got millions more votes than I got the first time.”
“I was told if I got 63 million, which is what I got the first time, ‘You would win. You can’t not win.’ And I got millions more votes than that and lost by a whisker,” trump added.
The latest hiccup in trump’s crypto launch: Deleted posts and a hacking claim
The X accounts of two family members of Republican presidential nominee Donald trump appeared to have been hacked on Tuesday in order to promote a scam aimed at cashing in on the trump family’s nascent crypto venture.
The hacks come as the former president prepares to release his crypto policy platform and his campaign wrestles with the fallout of a foreign cyberattack.
Shortly after 8:15 p.m. ET, the X account belonging to trump’s daughter-in-law, Republican National Committee co-chair Lara trump, appeared to announce that the digital currency project, dubbed World Liberty Financial, had been launched.
The account provided several links to trump’s 1.7 million followers to a coin and websites claiming to be “the only official channels of World Liberty Financial.”
Biden administration to hit Russia with sanctions over efforts to manipulate U.S. opinion ahead of the election
Reporting from Washington
The Biden administration will announce a series of actions Wednesday targeting what it says are Russian government-sponsored attempts to manipulate U.S. public opinion ahead of the November election, two senior officials told NBC News.
Some of the alleged manipulation has been through RT, a Russian-backed media network, the sources said. The expected moves include Treasury sanctions and a law enforcement action by the Justice Department. Attorney General Merrick Garland is expected to speak publicly Wednesday afternoon about the announcement.
U.S. intelligence agencies have previously assessed that Russia wants to interfere in the 2024 election and flagged RT as a source of Russian propaganda and disinformation and required it to register as a foreign agent.
trump is dismissing national polls that show Harris is outperforming him, within the margin of error. It comes as the vice president is set to propose a series of new benefits for small-business owners in an effort to support the creation of millions of new businesses and bolster her economic policies. NBC News’ Peter Alexander reports for "TODAY."
trump downplays debate prep ahead of face-off with Harris
As Harris hits the campaign trail in New Hampshire today, trump interviewed with a local media outlet and said there's not much preparation he can do ahead of the debate on Tuesday.
"You have to know your subject. You’re living with your subject. I live with my subject. I live with all of these, these horrible problems that they’ve caused because we’ve got to straighten them out," he said. "We’re going to make America great again. So, you know, I do, I have meetings on it. We talk about it, but there’s not a lot you can do. Either know your subject or not, either have good policy or not."
trump's nephew recounts 'grotesque' comment former president made about his disabled son
trump's nephew Fred trump III said in an interview this morning on CNN that last year, when he called this uncle asking for financial help for his disabled son William, the former president told him, "'He doesn't recognize you. Let him die and move down to Florida.'"
"Now I don't know how anyone could say that about any other human being, but to say it about your grandnephew is pretty grotesque," said trump's nephew, the son of Fred trump Jr., the former president's brother who battled alcoholism and died of a heart attack in 1981.
William has the genetic variant KCNQ2 and suffers from seizures.
Fred trump, 61, explained that he believes the former president and other family members kicked him out of his grandfather's will years ago, and later on, he said the former president and his aunt agreed to set up a fund to help with William's care. He said the money "never really materialized" and last year, when he called the former president to ask for financial assistance for William's therapeutic care, his uncle made the comment to him.
"I said, 'No, he does recognize me,'" said Fred trump, who recently published a book about his experience in the trump family. His sister, Mary trump, previously published a similar book and has been a longtime critic of their uncle.
When reached for comment, trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung said the former president's nephew's story was "completely fabricated and total fake news of the highest order."
"It is appalling a lie so blatantly disgusting can be printed in media," Cheung said. "Anyone who knows President trump knows he would never use such language, and false stories like this have been thoroughly debunked. This is nothing more than a cheap shot to sell copies of a book that belongs in the bargain bin of the fiction section.”
The former president's nephew said he believes in Vice President Kamala Harris' policies and would be willing to campaign for her, including in key battleground states where he has ties.
"If I'm asked, I will campaign on behalf of the Harris campaign and get the word out. My mom was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan. I'd love to go to Michigan," he said. "I went to Lehigh University, as did my dad, as did my son, Cristopher. Andrew went to school in Philadelphia. I have family in Pennsylvania, very important state, and I say I'm a different kind of trump. I think I can fit in with any group of people."
NBC News has also reached out to the Harris campaign for comment.
House GOP leaders weigh options as trump pushes for a government shutdown fight
trump is pressuring Republicans to shut down the government at the end of this month if Congress doesn’t pass a GOP-backed proposal to establish new election rules nationwide.
trump has called on Republicans in Congress to link funding the government with the SAVE Act, which would require proof of citizenship to vote — in a bid to target noncitizen voting, which is already illegal. And House Republican leaders are considering adopting the strategy and picking a fight with Democrats.
trump repeats attacks on Jewish political leaders and voters as battle for key group heats up
As trump tries to win over Jewish voters in the 2024 election, he’s made a point of attacking Jewish Democrats — targeting the faith of three of the most prominent Jewish Americans in politics and criticizing any Jew who backs Democrats as an “absolute fool” who needs “their head examined.”
Those attacks have increasingly colored the background of a pivotal fight for potential swing voters: Jewish Americans in critical battleground states, a group that has consistently supported Democrats in past elections and, this year, is increasingly concerned about issues including rising antisemitism at home, U.S. support for Israel in its war in Gaza, and the hostages held by Hamas — six of whom, including one American, were recently killed in Hamas captivity.
A number of Jewish advocates, quick to note Jewish voters are voting on an array of issues beyond Israel, say trump’s attacks are blatantly antisemitic and lean on age-old tropes suggesting “dual loyalty” for American Jews between the U.S. and the Jewish state. Even some of trump’s allies on the right view the comments as increasingly unhelpful in the broader effort to win over a small but meaningful number of Jewish voters in a close election.
What is Vance doing today?
Vance will deliver campaign remarks in Mesa, Arizona, tonight. The event is hosted by the conservative group Turning Point Action.
The Harris and trump campaigns are hitting Pennsylvania and other key battleground states this week with just over two months to go before the election. The candidates were also preparing for their first debate next week. NBC News’ Gabe Gutierrez reports.
Where is Walz today?
Walz is headed to Pennsylvania for a pair of campaign events: one in Lancaster, the other in Pittsburgh.
Young voters harbor deep worries about inflation, debt, housing
Three in 10 voters under 30 years old say that inflation and the cost of living is the most important problem currently facing the country — three times more than the share calling “threats to democracy” their most important issue, which was the next highest issue among young voters.
That category came in at 11% in the new NBC News Stay Tuned Gen Z poll powered by SurveyMonkey.
Abortion is the third most selected issue at 9%, followed by the Israel-Hamas war and “crime and safety” — both of which were selected by only 8% of young voters.
trump continues to deny any confrontation at Arlington National Cemetery
trump said in a phone interview on Sean Hannity's show yesterday that there was "no conflict" when he visited Arlington National Cemetery last week despite cemetery officials saying there was an "incident" and the Army confirming one took place in a statement.
"What happened is so horrible. If you look at just the records, there was no conflict, there was no fight, there was no anything," trump said.
trump said he got home that night and his staffer said that there was a story in the press about what happened.
"The nice thing, the beautiful thing, was all the parents and relatives got together and they said, ‘That’s a false story.’ It was totally false. I get enough publicity. Believe me, I’d like to get less publicity," trump added.
The Army said in a statement last week that a trump aide had "abruptly pushed aside" an employee working at the cemetery who was trying to prevent trump's team from taking photos and videos at Section 60 where recent Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are buried.
Harris slammed trump over the situation Saturday, saying the former president "disrespected sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt."
“If there is one thing on which we as Americans can all agree, it is that our veterans, military families, and service members should be honored, never disparaged, and treated with nothing less than our highest respect and gratitude,” she wrote.
Poll: Half of Gen Z voters support Harris, one-third back trump
Half of Gen Z voters say they’ll vote for Harris in November, while one-third say they’ll vote for trump — a bigger gap for the Democratic nominee than some other polls this year but not quite at 2020 levels for the party, according to a new survey of registered voters under 30.
The results of the NBC News Stay Tuned Gen Z Poll, powered by SurveyMonkey, come as young voters grapple with new economic and cultural challenges in 2024, including rising costs and concerns about debt that are prompting delays to some critical life events.
Another 1 in 10 respondents to the poll said they will not vote in the presidential election.
What trump is doing today
trump will be in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, for a town hall tonight. The event will moderated by Fox News host Sean Hannity.
Here's what Harris is doing today
Harris is expected to deliver remarks at a campaign event in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, this afternoon, where she will discuss her plan to boost small businesses, including expanding tax deductions for startup expenses. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan and Rep. Chris Pappas also are expected to speak.
Harris did not hold any campaign events yesterday.