October 3, 2024, presidential campaign news

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Kamala Harris speaks alongside Liz Cheney, left, during a campaign event at Ripon College in Ripon, Wisconsin, on October 3.

Vice President Kamala?Harris on Thursday?applauded?striking?members of the International Longshoremen’s Association?and?the?management?group?representing shipping lines, terminal operators?and?port authorities?for?reaching?a?tentative?deal?on wages.

The agreement allows members?to?resume work at the?ports?on Friday, the union announced Thursday evening. A tentative deal would still need to be ratified by the rank-and-file ILA members before it would take effect.

A prolonged economic stoppage would have almost certainly caused higher prices and potential supply chain back-ups weeks before Election Day.

“This step indicates progress?toward a strong contract?and?represents the power of collective bargaining. As I have said, this is about fairness –?and?our economy works best when?workers?share in record profits.?Dockworkers deserve a fair share?for?their hard work getting essential goods out?to?communities across America,” Harris added in the statement.

Democratic US Sen. Bob?Casey?and?his GOP opponent Dave?McCormick met on Thursday night for their first?debate?in the Pennsylvania US?Senate?race. The showdown touched on immigration, abortion, the economy?and?energy, among other issues.

The roughly hourlong?debate grew slightly tense?over?McCormick’s time as CEO of a hedge fund, his ties to China?and?reports about?McCormick’s?residency.

McCormick?slammed?Casey?as?a “career?politician”?and?said this “is not the Bob?Casey?you elected for office 30 years ago,”?while trying to make the case that he’s not going to always fall in line with former President Donald Trump.

Casey later?went after?McCormick?with?an?Associated Press?report that the former businessman was living in Connecticut, and?he accused?McCormick?of lying about living in Pennsylvania.

“We’ve heard a couple of times tonight about telling lies. But probably the biggest lie told in this whole election — that probably most Pennsylvanians have never heard a bigger lie — was the lie when my opponent said he lived in Pennsylvania, when he was living in Connecticut,” Casey said.

McCormick?defended himself, saying that he’s spent the “majority of my life” in Pennsylvania.

More than one million ballots have been cast as of Thursday across 30 states for which data is available, with 33 days until Election Day.

That’s according to data from election officials, Edison Research and Catalist, a company that provides data, analytics and other services to Democrats, academics and nonprofit advocacy groups, including insights into who is voting before November.

Visit CNN’s voter handbook to learn about voting guidelines where you are.

More on the figures: These ballots are still less than one percent of the roughly 158 million votes cast for president in the 2020 election.

Virginia has reported, by far, the most ballots cast as of Thursday, at more than 386,000.

More than 100,000 ballots have been cast in three more states: New Jersey, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Maryland, at just under 96,000, is just behind.

Fresh off?his vice presidential debate, Tim Walz arrived Wednesday evening at a Puerto Rican-owned restaurant here in southeast Pennsylvania to speak with Latino voters.

“This thing’s gonna come down to our ‘blue wall’ states, come down to Pennsylvania,” the Minnesota governor said at Mofongo Restaurant as diners sipped on colorful drinks.

“Might come right through this restaurant,” he added.

At the same time, just blocks away, a campaign office for?Donald Trump?hummed with activity, as Latino supporters of the former president worked the phones in English and Spanish.

Marcia Heras, an immigrant from Ecuador, drove the hour from Allentown to make calls.

“Familia, la vida y fin de la guerra,” Heras told CNN were the longtime conservative’s reasons for supporting Trump: family, life, and the ending of war.

This snapshot of dueling outreach efforts on a rainy weeknight provides a small glimpse into how crucial the?Latino vote?is to the Trump and Kamala Harris campaigns in Pennsylvania,?a key battleground state?where the past two presidential elections have been decided by a single point.

Keep reading here about this key demographic in Pennsylvania.

Kamala Harris, left, is greeted by Liz Cheney, during a campaign event at Ripon College in Ripon, Wisconsin, on October 3.

Vice President Kamala Harris thanked Liz Cheney for her support as the former Republican congresswoman appeared on the campaign trail with her for the first time after announcing that she will cast her presidential vote for Harris this year.

The vice president also praised Cheney, who lost her congressional seat after standing against former President Donald Trump in the wake of the January 6 riots, for her “leadership and courage.”

Harris said Cheney not only “recognizes that character is among the most important attributes of leadership, but she also personifies that attribute, and she possesses some of the qualities of character that I most respect in any individual and any leader, courage, especially at a moment like this, where there are so many powerful forces that have been intent on trying to demean and belittle and make people afraid.”

She acknowledged Cheney’s “conviction to speak truth,” even when it is “difficult to do in an environment such as this,” adding, “Liz Cheney really is a leader who puts country above party and above self, a true patriot, and it is my profound honor, my profound honor, to have your support.”

Harris also thanked Cheney’s father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, who announced last month he would also be casting his vote for Harris, saying, “every endorsement matters, and this endorsement matters a great deal.”

She said Liz Cheney’s endorsement carries “special significance” because though, “we may not see eye to eye on every issue, and we are going to get back to a healthy two party system, I am sure of that, where we will have vigorous debates.”

Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign is targeting red and rural counties in the final sprint to Election Day, according to campaign aides, with?her appearance in Ripon, Wisconsin,?on Thursday just part of a strategy to compete everywhere and narrow Donald Trump’s margins in those counties.

Part of the campaign’s organizing on the ground includes having a greater presence in counties where there may be fewer Democrats and more disaffected Republican voters.

In the coming days, the campaign plans to host events meant to appeal to voters disenchanted with Trump, including in the critical states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, North Carolina and Wisconsin.

Harris campaign officials have frequently touted Republican endorsements and support, including this week, when the vice president appeared with former Rep. Liz Cheney, marking their first joint appearance since the Wyoming Republican announced she’d vote for Harris.

But where they chose to appear together perhaps carried more weight — Ripon, the birthplace of the Republican Party. Fond du Lac County, which includes Ripon, voted for Trump in 2020, 62%-36%.

Kamala Harris, right, and Liz Cheney, greet attendees during a campaign event at Ripon College in Ripon, Wisconsin, on October 3.

President Joe Biden praised former GOP Rep. Liz Cheney’s speech at a Thursday campaign event backing Vice President Kamala Harris, saying Cheney’s endorsement of the Democratic presidential nominee shows character.

Biden said the former Wyoming congresswoman and her father — former Vice President Dick Cheney, who has also said he will vote for Harris — have “character.”

“Character,?damn it,?is what we need in this country. Character. And there’s not enough of it in terms of how we conduct our politics.”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Thursday made his pitch to Muslim voters, reiterating his calls for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and emphasizing “it must end now” amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.

“We all know on here, this war must end, and it must end now. The Vice President is working every day to ensure that to make sure Israel’s secure, the hostages are home, the suffering in Gaza ends now, and the Palestinian people realize the right to dignity, freedom, and self-determination,” he continued.

During his remarks, Walz condemned Islamophobia and “anti-Arab hate in the country, telling attendees on the virtual call: “We cannot allow tragedies like these to continue, and they must be condemned.”

More context: Walz’s appearance at the summit was an effort to appeal to the key demographic as Harris works to win back Arab and Muslim American supporters who may be dissatisfied with her party’s unwavering support for Israel. The Minnesota governor also contrasted the Harris-Walz ticket with former President Donald Trump.

“Donald Trump has made it clear where he stands with his anti-Muslim bigotry, with his threats to a Muslim ban,” Walz said.

Republican former Rep. Liz Cheney asked voters to “reject the depraved cruelty” of Donald Trump and back Vice President Kamala Harris in November’s election.

Cheney officially endorsed Harris at a rally at Ripon College in Ripon, Wisconsin, where she said the Republican Party was founded, and talked about the history of the party and her lifelong ties to the GOP through her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney.

“In other words, I was a Republican even before Donald Trump started spray tanning,” Cheney sniped.

She then strongly criticized the former president for actions she characterized as undermining American democracy, citing in detail his actions leading up to and during the insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6th, 2021.

Cheney also cited evidence of Trump’s actions uncovered by the House Select Committee on the January 6th?attack, which she co-chaired, and also referenced new details revealed in the lengthy filing submitted on Wednesday by special counsel Jack Smith in the federal investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Cheney accused Trump of “being willing to… violate the law and the Constitution” to remain president, which she lambasted as “depravity.”

Cheney also noted the impact Harris’ election could have on young girls, and frequently alluded the potential for Harris to make history as the first female US president.

Cheney referenced a quote from former President John Adams, who wrote upon ascending to the presidency “may none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof.”

“I am confident that John Adams meant women, too,” she said.

WATCH Cheney’s full remarks

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Updated 11:50 PM EDT, Thu October 3, 2024

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Liz Cheney slams Trump while endorsing Kamala Harris in key swing state

18:16 - Source: CNN

Bruce Springsteen at the Roy Thomson theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on September 8.

Music superstar?Bruce Springsteen?is throwing his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, in the presidential race.

In a?video?posted to his official Instagram on Thursday, Springsteen said he is supporting Harris in the 2024 contest, calling it “one of the most consequential elections in our nation’s history.”

Other big names in the music world who have publicly endorsed Harris include?Taylor Swift, Carole King and?Chappell Roan.

Springsteen, a Democratic Party donor who?lent his voice?to an advertisement for Joe Biden’s campaign in 2020, has been critical?in the past of?former President Donald?Trump, the Republican presidential nominee. In 2017, he was featured in a protest anthem from Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers called,?“That’s What Makes Us Great.”?He also?co-hosted?a podcast with former President Barack Obama.

“Perhaps not since the Civil War has this great country felt as politically, spiritually and emotionally divided as it does than at this moment,” Springsteen said in his endorsement video, adding that “it doesn’t have to be this way.”

“The common values and the shared stories that make us a great and united nation are waiting to be rediscovered and retold once again.”

GOP vice presidential candidate JD Vance is encouraging Republicans to vote early and by mail, despite?his running mate sowing skepticism about?those?voting methods.

Vance said that, with hard work, he believes Republicans can win all seven battleground states.

The Ohio senator said the Trump campaign feels confident in the Sun Belt states, but they’ve got “a lot of work to do” in the Rust Belt. “We’re sort of really making a play for Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania. I’m just in those three states all the time,” Vance said.

Some context: While former President Donald?Trump and his campaign?have encouraged voters to use mail-in ballots and early voting options,?Trump recently told Dr. Phil that he believes mail-in ballots “shouldn’t be allowed,” and?said Republicans must gain control and change the rules to same-day voting.

In September,?Trump also?claimed?that an “election expert” interviewed by right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson had suggested a large percentage of mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania are fraudulent. That claim was shown to have no valid basis in a?fact check by CNN’s Daniel Dale.

Liz Cheney, speaks at a campaign event for Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris at Ripon College in Ripon, Wisconsin, on October 3.

Former President Donald Trump on Thursday bashed former GOP Rep. Liz Cheney as she campaigns with Vice President Kamala Harris in Wisconsin.

“Well, Liz Cheney lost for?Congress.?She was terrible,” Trump told Fox News.

“I think frankly if Kamala – I?think they hurt each other. I?think they are so bad, both of?them,” he added.

More background: Cheney’s opposition to Trump and his efforts to overturn the 2020 election – including her vote to impeach him – led the House GOP to oust her as conference chair and replace her with a top Trump ally, New York Rep. Elise Stefanik.

Cheney went on to serve as vice chair of the House select committee that investigated the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the US Capitol. She ultimately lost her seat in Congress in a 2022 primary to a Trump-backed challenger.

Cheney previously told CNN she was committed to doing what was necessary to stop Trump from returning to the White House.

US Senator and Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance speaks during the Vice Presidential debate with Minnesota Governor and Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, hosted by CBS News in New York City, on October 1.

Ohio Sen. JD Vance says his strategy in the vice presidential debate Tuesday night was to focus on Vice President Kamala Harris, rather than Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who he was facing onstage.

In an appearance on the conservative Ruthless Podcast, which was recorded yesterday in Michigan, Vance invoked the old Sun Tzu quote, “Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake,” suggesting Walz got in his own way during the debate.

“He buried himself,” Vance said of his opponent, adding, “I was just like, ‘Shut up. Do not say a damn thing, JD. Silence,’”

Vance said he and former President Donald Trump had decided before the debate that it wouldn’t be as effective to attack Walz as it would be to go after Harris.

Vance said while “everybody has an opinion” about Trump and President Joe Biden, “People really don’t know Kamala Harris.”

“Why not use this as an opportunity to get the word out about who Kamala Harris really is?”

Vance said he understood?the?debate opportunity as an appeal to undecided voters and tried to use that to his advantage when Walz made his own appeals to the middle.

Some background: In the weeks ahead of the debate on the campaign trail, Vance had been forecasting this debate strategy. While he hit Walz hard after he was first chosen as Harris’ running mate, Vance rarely mentioned Walz unless prompted at his events, and his stump speech focused on attacking Harris.

More than?43 million viewers?watched the debate on TV Tuesday night, according to Nielsen estimates, which was significantly less than 2020 viewership.

Former President Donald Trump said Thursday in an interview that he spoke with former first lady Melania Trump about her including her support of abortion rights in her forthcoming memoir and that he told her to “write what?you believe.”

Trump said, “She is very beloved.?People love our former first?lady.?I can tell you that. But I said you?have to stick with your heart.?I’ve said that to everybody, you?have to go with your heart. There?are some people very, very far?right on the issue, meaning?without exceptions, and then?there are other people that view?it a little bit differently than?that.”

The Guardian reported excerpts from the former first lady’s book that is set to publish next week that in which she says she supports abortion rights “free from any intervention or pressure from the government,” which puts her at odds with Trump on the issue roughly a month from Election Day.

Melania Trump then posted a new video Thursday confirming her support and said she believes there is “no room for compromise” when it comes to a woman’s “individual freedom.”

Republican former Rep. Liz Cheney is campaigning with Vice President Kamala Harris in Wisconsin on Thursday, where she touted her endorsement of the Democratic presidential nominee in the crucial battleground state.

The hundreds gathered at Ripon College reacted with applause and by chanting “Thank you, Liz.”

Cheney responded to the chants by saying, “But mostly, we are not going back.”

“Vice President Harris is standing in the breach at a critical moment in our nation’s history. She is working to unite reasonable people from all across the political spectrum,” Cheney said.

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Updated 11:50 PM EDT, Thu October 3, 2024

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Liz Cheney slams Trump while endorsing Kamala Harris in key swing state

18:16 - Source: CNN

The campaign event marks the latest effort from the former Wyoming congresswoman to move undecided voters away from Donald Trump with less than five weeks until Election Day. Cheney, who previously told CNN she was committed to doing what was necessary to stop the former president from returning to the White House,?endorsed Harris last month?in North Carolina, another swing state.

At the Thursday campaign event in Ripon —?home to a schoolhouse known as the birthplace of the Republican Party — Harris will make a direct appeal to Republican and independent voters, according to the campaign official. She is expected to note the historical significance of Ripon and promise voters that she will uphold the rule of law and the Constitution, even if they disagree with her on policy issues.

Read more about the joint campaign appearance.

Donald Trump on Thursday falsely claimed Vice President Kamala Harris “stole” money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and used it on housing and gift cards for undocumented immigrants, as the former president slammed the administration’s response to Hurricane Helene.

During a campaign event in Saginaw, Michigan, Trump said, “Now we have a horrific disaster in North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida and Virginia. That’s how big this hurricane was, and the Harris-Biden administration says they don’t have any money. They’ve spent it all on, they spent all of their money.”

Key context: While FEMA does manage grants for shelters housing and helping migrants, that is a separate account and unrelated to the disaster relief funds.

The White House also knocked down the claim Thursday.

“This is FALSE. The Disaster Relief Fund is specifically appropriated by Congress to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate impacts of natural disasters. It is completely separate from other grant programs administered by FEMA for DHS,” White House spokesperson Angelo Fernández Hernández posted on X , in response to Texas GOP Rep. Troy Nehls making the same claim.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro?Mayorkas?told reporters this week the agency needs additional funds to assist states with the hurricane aftermath, saying: “FEMA does not have the funds to make it through the season and what, what is imminent,” and said it was “meeting the immediate needs with the money that we have.”

The presidential campaigns and their allies are using advertisement spending to try and shore up key areas on the electoral map, with the Harris campaign prioritizing the Midwestern “blue wall” states and the Trump campaign placing a greater emphasis on some Sun Belt battlegrounds.

According to AdImpact data, the Harris campaign, the Trump campaign and allied outside groups have a total of nearly $102 million in ad reservations between October 1 and October 7 (advertising weeks are split Tuesday-Tuesday), and Democrats currently lead Republicans by about $60.7 million to $41.2 million.

The Harris campaign is targeting a familiar series of key battlegrounds: spending $5.1 million in Pennsylvania, $3.8 million in Michigan, and $2.6 million in Wisconsin, the aforementioned critical “blue wall” states.

It is also investing in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and North Carolina, along with some ads targeting the up-for-grabs electoral vote in Nebraska.

The Trump campaign is targeting the same set of battlegrounds, but with a greater emphasis on the Sun Belt. The campaign has $3.7 million booked in Pennsylvania, $3.3 million in North Carolina, $2.9 million in Georgia, $2.3 million in Michigan, $2.3 million in Wisconsin, $1.7 million in Arizona, and $1.1 million in Nevada.

Top Harris ad: The?biggest ad?from the Harris campaign this week is a spot focused on in vitro fertilization, warning that Republican policies could limit access, and told from the perspective of a military family.

Top Trump ad: The top ad on the airwaves from the Trump campaign this week is a stark attack spot that slams Harris for?expressing support?for taxpayer-funded gender transition surgeries?for detained immigrants and federal prisoners, a position she took during the course of her 2020 presidential campaign.

The International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) has decided not to endorse a presidential candidate this election cycle in an effort to “preserve and strengthen” unity, according to a statement from the organization’s president.

The Trump campaign called decision to decline to endorse a 2024 candidate “another blow” to Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, noting the union’s endorsement of then-candidate Joe Biden ahead of the 2020 election.

The campaign also pointed to the Teamsters Union’s non-endorsement last month, a major union that has backed the Democratic presidential nominee in the past several elections.

Both the Democratic and Republican vice presidential nominees, Walz and Ohio Sen. JD Vance, spoke at the IAFF convention in Boston in late August.

Vance?was booed?during parts of his speech, one time particularly after he said he and former President Donald Trump are “proud to be the most pro-worker Republican ticket in history.”

This post has been updated with the Trump campaign’s reaction.

Actress Jennifer Garner will campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris in the key battleground state of Arizona this weekend, according to the Arizona Harris-Walz campaign.

The “13 Going on 30” actress will participate in a “Democracy Across the Aisle” discussion Saturday with former?Trump?White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham, who has?endorsed Harris. Garner also will attend a “Moms for Harris” event.

The Arizona Republic was first to report on Garner’s visit to Arizona.

Former President Donald Trump speaks to attendees during a campaign rally at the Johnny Mercer Theatre on September 24, 2024 in Savannah, Georgia.

Donald Trump’s lawyers are arguing to a federal judge?that the?criminal charges?he faces related to?his attempts to overturn?the 2020 election should be thrown out because of?a?Supreme Court?ruling on how prosecutors bring obstruction cases.

The argument, in a new court filing Thursday, builds upon arguments that have been before Judge Tanya Chutkan in the DC District Court for months.

Over the summer, the Supreme Court narrowed how the Justice Department could use a felony obstruction charge to prosecute January 6 rioters, in its decision called US v Fischer. The ruling has prompted Justice Department prosecutors to drop that charge against a handful of the riot defendants and led to judges resentencing rioters.

Trump is charged with the same alleged crime?– obstruction?of a congressional proceeding.?Trump’s lawyers say the other three charges should be dismissed as well.

Trump’s lawyers argue that the Supreme Court ruling requires prosecutors to not only show proof that the congressional proceeding to certify the election results on January 6, 2021, was impaired but also to show “corrupt intent.”

Prosecutors have previously said in court that Trump’s case?is?different than the January 6 rioters affected by the Fischer ruling. They point to Trump’s?plan to gather fake elector certificates that would support him in battleground states and could be used to?throw the certification into doubt and?disrupt the transfer of power.

In a different ruling, the Supreme Court decided this summer that Trump is entitled to some immunity for his official acts as president.

Meanwhile, Judge Chutkan gave Trump additional time to respond to special counsel Jack Smith’s immunity brief that laid out a sprawling narrative of the federal election subversion case against the former president.

Correction: An earlier version of this post?misstated that the Trump legal team is asking the federal judge to dismiss only one of the four criminal charges?against?the former president in this?case.?They requested all charges be dismissed.

CNN’s Tierney Sneed contributed reporting to this post.

Vice President Kamala Harris holds 49% support to former President Donald Trump’s 48% in the race for president, according to the latest national CNN Poll of Polls, suggesting no clear leader in the race for the presidency.

The current average matches where the race stood just before the September 10 presidential debate, and includes four polls conducted in late September through early October.

All were completed by October 1, when vice presidential candidates Tim Walz and JD Vance met for their only debate of the campaign cycle. All but one of the included polls found a race within that poll’s margin of sampling error.

More about the polls: The CNN Poll of Polls is an average of the four most recent non-partisan, national surveys of registered or likely voters that meet CNN’s standards and ask about a 2024 presidential general election between Harris and Trump. The Poll of Polls includes results from the CBS News poll conducted Sept. 18-20, the Quinnipiac University poll conducted Sept. 19-22, the CNN poll conducted Sept. 19-22 and the NPR/PBS News/Marist poll conducted Sept. 27-Oct. 1.

Former President Donald Trump will travel to Evans, Georgia, on Friday to receive a briefing on Hurricane Helene damage and deliver remarks to the press at 3:45 p.m. ET

He will be joined by GOP Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.

Rep. Liz Cheney, former Trump White House aides Cassidy Hutchinson, Sarah Matthews and Alyssa Farah Griffin.

Former House GOP Conference chair Liz Cheney, as well as former Trump White House aides Alyssa Farah Griffin, Cassidy Hutchinson, and Sarah Matthews, will make the case against the reelection of Donald Trump in a fireside chat in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, on October 9, CNN has exclusively learned.

The event will be hosted by the group Democracy First in one of the all-important?“collar counties” outside Philadelphia, in one of the most competitive battlegrounds in the 2024 presidential election.

Cheney, Hutchinson, and Matthews have endorsed Harris. Griffin has not, though she often uses her platforms on CNN and on “The View” to warn of the peril she sees in a second Trump term.

This is likely the first of many events like this for the four GOP women to be held in battleground states. It is not an official event for the Harris-Walz campaign.

Florida’s?Republican Gov. Ron?DeSantis did not meet?Thursday with?President?Joe Biden?as the president arrived for a tour of?Hurricane Helene damage in the Sunshine State.

Instead, the?governor?held his own?news?conference, criticizing?the?Democratic?administration’s handling of the?dockworkers’ strike?affecting most of the nation’s ports.

DeSantis spoke at a pier in Manatee County, more than 200 miles from Keaton Beach, where the president was scheduled to see the worst of?Florida’s damage. A list of dignitaries provided by the White House showed a number of?local – but no state – government?officials met Biden at his Air Force One arrival in Tallahassee.

DeSantis announced he is authorizing the?Florida?Highway Patrol to provide escorts to commercial trucks leaving ports, if requested, and the deployment of?Florida?National Guardsmen to ports.

“Our?guardsmen?are prepared to perform several key tasks, including heavy equipment operations, warehouse operations, security operations, and?command?and control,” said Maj.?Gen. John Haas,?Florida?adjutant general.

A spokesperson for former President Donald Trump’s campaign responded to former GOP Rep. Liz Cheney campaigning with Kamala Harris in Wisconsin by highlighting a 2020 social media post where Cheney was critical of the vice president.

Asked for a comment regarding the pair’s appearance together on Thursday, Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt pointed CNN to a 2020 tweet posted by the Wyoming Republican:

”.@KamalaHarris?has a more liberal voting record than Bernie Sanders & Elizabeth Warren. Her radical leftist views-raising taxes, banning gun sales, taxpayer $ for abortion & illegal immigrant health care, eliminating private health insurance-would be devastating for America,” Cheney said in the post on August 12, 2020.

Republican Rep. Brian Mast of Florida also criticized Cheney’s support of Harris on Thursday.

“You have two different directions that you’re going here, and she doesn’t support the direction of America first,” Mast told CNN’s Manu Raju. “I don’t think she pulls one vote from the GOP or President Trump in any way, whatsoever. And again I just say, standing next to Harris shows really the lengths to which she will go to support extreme policies,” he added

More on the campaign event: Harris will?campaign?with Cheney in Ripon, Wisconsin, which is commonly recognized as the birthplace of the GOP. The campaign event marks the latest effort from the former Wyoming congresswoman to move undecided voters away from Trump with less than five weeks until Election Day. Cheney, who previously told CNN she was committed to doing what was necessary to stop Trump from returning to the White House, endorsed Harris last month in North Carolina, another swing state.

CNN’s Piper Hudspeth Blackburn and?Eva McKend contributed to this report.

This post has been updated with additional GOP criticism of Cheney’s campaign stop.

Former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson poses for a portrait in New York on Tuesday, September 26.

Former Trump White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson?endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday night.

“I’ve known for quite a long time, number one that I would never in my life vote for Donald Trump again. I’ve also known for a long time whether the nominee was at one point Joe Biden or Kamala Harris, that I would cast my vote for either candidate — now Kamala Harris and Tim Walz,” Hutchinson said during an interview with MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell.

“I am really, really proud as a conservative to have the opportunity to vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in this election. Policy is important,” she added.

Hutchinson, an assistant to then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, delivered shocking testimony before the House select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol. Last year, she also?released a book that?painted the closing days of the Trump White House as even more chaotic and lawless than she previously disclosed.

While Hutchinson said there are “few issues” that she agrees with Harris on, she hopes that they will be able to come to a consensus and she argued that Trump and Sen. JD Vance can’t “uphold our rule of law.”

“Donald Trump and JD Vance cannot be trusted with the Constitution. They cannot be trusted to uphold our rule of law and they can’t be trusted to enact responsible policy. That in and of itself is disqualifying,” she added.

Hutchinson said in addition to voting for Harris, she plans to cast her votes for down-ballot Democrats in the upcoming election in an effort to “get past this period” of Trump.

Hutchinson is the latest Republican to publicly endorse Harris’ presidential bid, including:

Later today, Harris will?campaign?with Liz Cheney in Ripon, Wisconsin–the birthplace of the GOP.

Caroline Rose Giuliani speaks with CNN in an interview.

Caroline Rose Giuliani, daughter of Rudy Giuliani, has broken from her father and endorsed Kamala Harris for president — a decision she said was difficult but necessary given the stakes of this election.

“I really want to have children, and when I thought about the future that I would be able to give them, I just knew that the stakes were far too high to not share this personal story and make sure that everyone who’s voting understands these stakes,” Caroline Rose Giuliani told CNN’s Sara Sidner on Thursday.

Caroline Rose Giuliani said that she believes her story of differing in political views from her father is relatable because she personally knows those who have lost relationships over Trump. She added that it’s hard to maintain a relationship with someone who supports Trump’s “toxic cruelty,” adding that the former president “threatens the very existence” of many minority groups, including women, people of color and people with disabilities, “of anyone who doesn’t look exactly like him.”

She added that people should always try to find common ground, but another Trump presidency will make that difficult. She added that she believes that a Harris presidency is the only path in healing the country.

Read more on Caroline Rose Giuliani’s decision to endorse Harris.

With barely a month to go before the US presidential election, a trifecta of economic shocks is threatening to sap Vice President Kamala Harris’ momentum on voters’ No. 1 issue: a port strike, a hurricane and an escalation of fighting in the Middle East.

None of these developments are good news for the US economy, which, while strong on many levels, is in a bit of an awkward phase.

But all of them offer political ammunition to Republicans trying to cast the vice president as part of a failed administration that has left American consumers hobbled by years of high prices (while conveniently ignoring three-plus years of relentless job growth and consumer spending).

Former President Donald Trump hasn’t wasted any time trying to pin the sense of chaos on his rival, perhaps hoping that voters simply forget the chaos of his own presidency. “The world is on fire and spiraling out of control,” he said in Tuesday.

Representatives for Harris, who met with?first responders in Georgia?on Wednesday, declined to comment.

Obviously, no single person or administration caused these events. But in an election in which the Republican and Democratic candidates are?virtually tied?and voters are fixated on the economy’s health, the optics of this week’s news look worse for the party in power.

Read the full analysis of the economic issues looming over the presidential election.

Former President?Donald Trump?on Wednesday said that he would revoke temporary protected status — which shields migrants from deportation — for the?Haitian migrants?in Springfield, Ohio, if he is reelected in November.

“You have to remove the people, and you have to bring them back to their own country. They are, in my opinion, it’s not legal,” Trump said in an interview with NewsNation.

Asked if he would revoke the migrants’ temporary protected status, Trump said,
“Absolutely. I’d revoke it, and I’d bring them back to their country.”

The former president and his allies have continued to spread?misinformation about Haitian migrants in the city of Springfield.

Many Haitians came into the country under a?Biden-Harris administration parole program?that gives permission to enter to vetted participants with US sponsors. And many have “temporary protected status,” as CNN has?previously reported, which shields them from deportation and allows them to live and work in the country for a limited period of time.

Some received that protection after the Biden-Harris administration?expanded the number of Haitians eligible?in June. Others have been living in the US with Temporary Protected Status?since before the Biden-Harris administration.

Trump, pressed in the Wednesday interview on what would happen if Haiti refused to receive them, said: “They will,” without providing additional details.

“Well, they’re going to receive them, they’ll receive them. If I bring them back, they’re going to receive them,” Trump said.

During Trump’s term as president, the Department of Homeland Security tried to terminate what’s known as temporary protected status for tens of thousands of Haitian immigrants. But the way the Trump administration did so — and the argument that the protections were no longer merited — came?under intense scrutiny.

The Trump administration’s move to terminate the protections were?ultimately challenged in court and blocked.

Read the full story.

Rep. Liz Cheney attends the final meeting of the US House Select Committee investigating the January 6 Attack on the US Capitol in Washington, DC in December 2022.

Republican former Rep. Liz Cheney will campaign with Vice President Kamala Harris in Wisconsin on Thursday, touting her endorsement of the Democratic presidential nominee in the crucial battleground state, a senior campaign official told CNN.

The campaign event marks the latest effort from the former Wyoming congresswoman to move undecided voters away from former President Donald Trump with less than five weeks until Election Day. Cheney, who previously told CNN she was committed to doing what was necessary to stop Trump from returning to the White House, endorsed Harris last month in North Carolina, another swing state.

At the Thursday campaign event in Ripon –?home to a schoolhouse known as the birthplace of the Republican Party – Harris will make a direct appeal to Republican and independent voters, according to the campaign official. She is expected to note the historical significance of Ripon and promise them that she will uphold the rule of law and the Constitution, even if they disagree with her on policy issues.

Read the full story.

Former first lady Melania Trump arrives at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on on Wednesday, July 17.

Former first lady Melania Trump said in a new video posted Thursday that she believed there was “no room for compromise” when it comes to a woman’s “individual freedom,” after the Guardian reported excerpts from her forthcoming book in which she says she supports abortion rights “free from any intervention or pressure from the government.”

The former first lady’s defense of abortion rights puts her at odds with her husband’s position roughly a month from Election Day. Trump regularly takes credit for overturning Roe v. Wade, which eliminated the constitutional right to an abortion and caused some states to enact strict abortion restrictions. Trump said he would veto a federal abortion ban and that the issue should be left up to the states to legislate.

According to the Guardian, the former first lady says in her book, which is slated to be published next week, “Why should anyone other than the woman herself have the power to determine what she does with her own body? A woman’s fundamental right of individual liberty, to her own life, grants her the authority to terminate her pregnancy if she wishes.”

Special Counsel Jack Smith and former President Donald Trump.

A federal judge in Washington, DC, released the most comprehensive narrative to date of the 2020 election conspiracy case against Donald Trump, outlining what special counsel Jack Smith describes as the former president’s “private criminal conduct.”

Throughout the document, Smith argues that the actions Trump took to overturn the election were in his private capacity — as a candidate — rather than in his official capacity, as a president. That argument flows from the Supreme Court’s decision in July, which granted the former president sweeping immunity for official actions but left the door open for prosecutors to pursue Trump for unofficial steps he took.

The document is broken into four sections:

Here are some of the key points:

Catch up on all of the details in the filing

Both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump will be in battleground states on Thursday.

Harris will be campaigning in the key state of Wisconsin. Republican former Rep. Liz Cheney will join the vice president, touting her endorsement of the Democratic presidential nominee in the key state, a senior campaign official told CNN.

She is also expected to travel to North Carolina “in the coming days,” according to the White House on Wednesday. The vice president is expected to survey damage from Hurricane Helene, provide updates on federal response and meet with impacted communities during the upcoming visit.

Trump is scheduled to hold a rally in Saginaw, Michigan, on Thursday afternoon — another critical state on the path to the White House.

In this photo illustration, an absentee voter mail-in ballot shows the names of the presidential and vice presidential candidates for the November 5 US general election, including Democratic party candidates Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, and Republican party candidate former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, on September 25, 2024 in Arlington, Virginia.

A bipartisan group of election officials briefed reporters Wednesday about the?voting already underway in their states, and what they’re doing to make sure the election goes smoothly over the next few weeks.

Here’s what they said:

The latest?CNN Poll of Polls of recent presidential election surveys?in battleground Wisconsin?finds no clear leader in the state, with?Vice President Kamala Harris averaging 49% support among likely voters, compared with 46% for former President Donald Trump.

The average includes five surveys conducted in mid-to-late September. Two — a?Marquette Law School poll?released Wednesday, and a MassINC/Wisconsin Watch survey released early last week — show Harris with a slight advantage among likely voters, while the remaining polls show a tighter race, with only a 1- or 2-point margin separating the candidates.

When multiple versions of the ballot test are available on a survey, the average includes the version more closely matching the list of candidates slated to appear on the state’s ballot.

In the Marquette poll, 49% of likely voters support Harris and 44% support Trump when third-party candidates are included, with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (who remains on the state’s ballot) at 3% support. President Joe Biden’s job approval rating in Wisconsin stands at 43% among the state’s registered voters, Marquette finds, while retrospective approval for Trump’s time in office now stands at 47%.

The Marquette poll also looks at Wisconsin’s Senate race, where it finds Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin with a modest edge over Republican Eric Hovde among likely voters (51% to 45% when third party candidates are included, and 53% to 46% in a head-to-head matchup).