Harris delivers presidential-style address on death of Hamas leader; NRA cancels Trump event: Live

Kamala Harris delivered a presidential-style address on the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar saying that now comes a moment “to finally end the war in Gaza”.

The vice president spoke during a campaign stop at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee as she continues to focus on the swing states, skipping Thursday’s Al Smith dinner for Catholic charities, at which presidential candidates usually make humorous remarks. Donald Trump will attend the event in New York accompanied by his wife, Melania Trump, NBC reports.

Trump has again lashed out at CBS flagship news show 60 Minutes over standard edits it made to an interview with Harris. The former president baselessly claims the conduct was criminal and wants the network’s license revoked.

The Harris campaign mocked Trump’s refusal to debate the vice president again and his ducking of interviews and appearances. On Thursday the National Rifle Association announced it has canceled a “Defend the 2nd” event due to “campaign scheduling changes”.

Meanwhile, Trump has reacted in gloating fashion to rival Harris’s tense interview with Fox News’s Bret Baier, in which the Democrat clashed with the host on illegal immigration, Joe Biden, and the threat posed by Trump himself.

Harris says Hamas leader had ‘American blood on his hands’ in statement on his death

Trump to attend Al Smith dinner as Harris campaigns in Wisconsin

Kamala Harris clashes with Fox News host over immigration, Biden and Trump in contentious interview

Trump downplays deadly Capitol riot as ‘day of love’ as he fails to impress Latino voters

Republican nominee tried to strike new hush money deal with Stormy Daniels ahead of election, report claims

Campaign schedule: Who’s doing what where on Thursday

22:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Kamala Harris slams Donald Trump’s description of January 6 as “a day of love,” during a Univision town hall last night.

“The American people are exhausted with his gaslighting. Enough, enough! We’re done. We are ready to turn the page!” she told her rally in La Crosse, Wisconsin, to cheers.

Kamala Harris: We here know January 6th was a tragic day. And what did Donald Trump say last night about January 6th? He called it “a day of love.” The American people are exhausted with his gaslighting. Exhausted with his gaslighting. Enough. pic.twitter.com/pjr8iS6ciI

— Acyn (@Acyn) October 17, 2024

22:05 , Oliver O'Connell

22:00 , Oliver O'Connell

McDonald’s is not exactly famous for having an over-complicated menu.

It’s not The Cheesecake Factory.

Don Jr boasts dad knows McDonald’s menu better than Harris ever did

21:59 , Oliver O'Connell

21:52 , Oliver O'Connell

It’s often said that Donald Trump cares a lot [A LOT!] about ratings and crowd sizes, so he probably won’t be too happy that Kamala Harris’s interview with Bret Baier of Fox News blew his last two appearances on the network out of the water.

With 7.1 million viewers of last night’s 6pm broadcast, the vice president was seen on the network by 4 million more viewers than his women’s town hall moderated by Harris Faulkner that morning.

Worse news still for the former president. Harris’s audience was bigger than his last two town halls combined when you add the ratings for yesterday’s appearance with the September town hall he did with Sean Hannity.

It gets worse (per Fox News)...

Combined with the show’s midnight airing (6-6:30 PM/ET and 12-12:30 AM/ET), Special Report’s interview with Vice President Harris secured 8.5 million viewers and 1.2 million in the 25-54 demo making it Vice President Harris’ top-rated interview since becoming the Democratic nominee. Across all FNC’s airings of its interviews with Vice President Harris and former President Trump, the network averaged over 11 million viewers on Wednesday.

21:42 , Oliver O'Connell

Entrepreneur and billionaire Mark Cuban mocked Donald Trump while campaigning for Kamala Harris in La Crosse, Wisconsin, on Thursday afternoon: “You know, in my career I've learned a lot about business, including how tariffs work ... this is the same guy who also thought Mexico would pay for the wall.”

Cuban also compared Trump to the Grinch “that wants to steal your Christmas,” arguing that the former president’s tariff policy would raise prices for consumers.

“Hear me when I say that Donald Trump wants you to have a lousy Christmas,” Cuban said, explaining that if Trump implements his proposed tariff policies, the cost of gifts and other items could go up “50 or 60 per cent or more”.

“It'll be up so much you won't be able to afford the presents that you want for your family and friends,” the Shark Tank judge said. “That's how bad the tariffs he wants are.”

He also talked about Trump’s apparent decline from the 1990s to today.

Watch below:

"I don't know what happened to him" -- Cuban highlights Trump's decline from the 1990s to today pic.twitter.com/vshjjS9pQb

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 17, 2024

21:40 , Oliver O'Connell

An Afghan man who is accused of plotting an Election Day attack in the U.S. was ordered Thursday to remain in custody as officials disclosed that he had previously worked as a security guard for an American military installation in Afghanistan.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Suzanne Mitchell in Oklahoma City issued her ruling after hearing testimony from an FBI special agent that Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, of Oklahoma City, and his brother-in-law, a juvenile, took steps to obtain AK-47 rifles and ammunition and planned to carry out an attack targeting large crowds on Election Day next month. Mitchell also determined there was probable cause to bind Tawhedi over for trial.

Continue reading...

Judge orders Afghan man accused of planning Election Day attack in US to remain in custody

21:36 , Oliver O'Connell

One of Donald Trump’s greatest adversaries (at least in New York) will be in attendance at the Al Smith dinner tonight — none other than New York Attorney General Letitia James...

Per the AP:

Trump will be joined at the dinner by his wife, Melania, who has been an infrequent presence on the campaign trail, according to a seating chart shared by organizers.

Expected to be on the stage is New York’s embattled mayor, Eric Adams, along with past mayors and business leaders. Adams was charged last month with accepting illegal campaign contributions and lavish overseas trips from Turkish officials and businesspeople. New York Attorney General Letitia James, who brought a successful civil fraud case against Trump, is also attending.

21:29 , Alex Woodward

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is getting his own media blitz off the ground with upcoming appearances on The View and The Daily Show, but his most recent interview was with the podcast We Can Do Hard Things with author and queer activist Glennon Doyle, her wife Abby Wambach, and her sister, Amanda.

Walz spent a good chunk of his time on the podcast defending trans people and queer youth and saying that a Harris administration could reshape the federal judiciary to support LGBT+ rights undermined by the judges confirmed under Donald Trump.

“We need to appoint judges who uphold the right to marriage, uphold the right to be who you are, making sure that’s the case, uphold the right to get the medical care that you need. We should not be naive. Those appointments are really, really important. I think that’s what the vice president is committed to.”

“We see it now; the hate has shifted to the trans community. They see that as an opportunity. If you’re watching any sporting events right now, you see that Donald Trump’s closing arguments are to demonize a group of people for being who they are … We’re out there trying to make the case that access to healthcare, a clean environment, manufacturing jobs, and keeping your local hospital open are what people are really concerned about. They’re running millions of dollars of ads demonizing folks who are just trying to live their lives.”

Here’s an excerpt in which Walz discusses reproductive rights:

Gov. Tim Walz is on We Can Do Hard Things!19 days until we choose.Choose wisely, America.Choose democracy.Choose freedom.Choose @KamalaHarris & @Tim_WalzThe stakes could not be higher. Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose! Listen & Vote: https://t.co/iO9d7RaVNO pic.twitter.com/hdDzHFYN7R

— Glennon Doyle (@GlennonDoyle) October 17, 2024

21:20 , Oliver O'Connell

A policy advisor for JD Vance allegedly made online posts for many years in which he proclaimed his love of drugs including cocaine, weed and opiates.

An investigation by WIRED found that Aaron Kofsky was behind the Reddit account “PsychoticMammal”, which had also posted specific details that matched his resume and education.

Kofsky’s LinkedIn page lists him as a financial policy advisor working in Vance’s office, with prior experience as a senior legislative assistant and banking legislative assistant. According to Politico he has helped Vance flesh out his opposition to some cryptocurrency regulation among other things.

Mike Bedigan has the story.

Vance policy adviser made wild posts about using drugs for years: ‘I love coke’

21:12 , Oliver O'Connell

21:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Audience’s baffled reaction to Trump’s contradictory statement on January 6 deaths

21:05 , Oliver O'Connell

NBC News reports:

Melania Trump will accompany former President Donald Trump to Thursday’s Al Smith dinner in New York City, two sources familiar with her plans told NBC News.

The former first lady has been noticeably absent on the campaign trail for much of the 2024 race. The Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in July was the last time she appeared alongside her husband at a political event.

One source familiar with the plans said that Melania Trump decided to attend the dinner because “it’s tradition,” adding that, “this could be a precursor to more activity.”

21:00 , Oliver O'Connell

John Bowden writes:

Sometimes, politics is a game of subtlety. Other times, it’s not.

On Wednesday, a series of billboards in a Chicago suburb were “hacked”, according to police, to display a series of shocking anti-Israeli messages, including “death to Israel” and “f**k Israel”.

Even stranger, they featured references to YouTube megastar Mr Beast: “paid for by Mr Beast LLC”, they declared. The YouTuber quickly rejected any suggestion of involvement in a statement.

The billboards were also condemned by a local Democratic congressman in a statement, and quickly deactivated by owner OUTFRONT Media, which told a local news station: “We are aware of this incident. The copy has been removed and the situation is being investigated.”

Continue reading to find out what is going on...

Racist billboards in Chicago pretended they were paid for by Mr Beast. Why?

20:46 , Oliver O'Connell

The latest edition of The Economist appears to have a very different take on the condition of the US economy to that which former President Donald Trump extols at his rallies.

Cover of @TheEconomist 🇺🇸 #NobodyDoesItBetter #USA pic.twitter.com/WmaAwjFqWf

— Carl Quintanilla (@carlquintanilla) October 17, 2024

And earlier today the White House threw a little shade at Bloomberg’s prediction two years ago today that “a US recession is effectively certain in the next 12 months”.

Happy two year anniversary. https://t.co/5nT4QfKS1z pic.twitter.com/yxwbq5ZlMc

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 17, 2024

20:40 , AP

A former porn shop worker who was accused by North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson of defamation has asked a court to throw out the lawsuit against him, calling the politician’s allegations “bizarre”.

Robinson, the Republican nominee for governor, filed a lawsuit in Wake County court Tuesday against CNN and Louis Love Money, of Greensboro, saying they published “disgusting lies” about him.

Continue reading...

Porn store worker hits back at ‘bizarre’ allegations by North Carolina Lt. governor

20:28 , AP

Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris said Thursday the killing of Hamas‘ top leader, Yahya Sinwar, by Israel “gives us an opportunity to finally end the war in Gaza.”

Speaking from a Wisconsin college campus where she was campaigning, Harris said the war “must end such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination.”

“It is time for the day after to begin,” she said.

As she arrived to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus, protesters shouted outside “Free, free Palestine.”

Israel says Sinwar was killed in a battle with Israeli forces in Gaza. Iaraeli Foreign Minister Katz called Sinwar’s killing a “military and moral achievement for the Israeli army.”

Sinwar was a chief architect of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel that precipitated the war and escalating conflicts across the Middle East.

20:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Robert Kraft, the billionaire owner of the New England Patriots NFL team, has said that having Donald Trump as president was like “having a drunk fraternity brother” as commander-in-chief.

Speaking on Charlamagne tha God’s iHeartRadio show The Breakfast Club, Kraft, 83, explained that, although he has been a lifelong Democrat, he became “a social friend” of the Republican presidential nominee in Florida in the early 1990s.

Joe Sommerlad has the story.

NFL owner says Trump was like ‘having a drunk fraternity brother’ become president

20:16 , Oliver O'Connell

If you enjoyed Dave Bautista’s appearance on Jimmy Kimmel last night tearing into “tough guy” Donald Trump, then you will likely also love what he just posted to X:

. #LoveAmericaAgain #Vote pic.twitter.com/yMHKp4DPXc

— Dave Bautista (@DaveBautista) October 17, 2024

20:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald 🦆 pic.twitter.com/NwCNl2ViQk

— James Singer (@Jemsinger) October 17, 2024

20:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Dave Bautista has mocked Donald Trump’s “tough guy” pose, calling the presidential candidate “a weak, tubby toddler.”

Bautista, 55, rose to fame as a WWE wrestler before building a career as an action star in movies including Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, the James Bond film Spectre and both instalments of Dune.

On last night’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, late-night host Kimmel quoted a recent New York Times poll that found Trump is leading rival candidate Kamala Harris by 17 points among male voters. “But is he the strong, alpha man these men believe him to be?” asked Kimmel. “Not according to one of the toughest guys I know, he isn’t.”

Kevin E G Perry reports from Los Angeles.

WWE star Dave Bautista tears into Trump over ‘tough guy’ pose

19:50 , Oliver O'Connell

“Peacefully and patriotically”“Nothing done wrong”“A day of love”🤔 pic.twitter.com/MrVuhyJDmc

— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) October 17, 2024

19:40 , Oliver O'Connell

There are men in North Carolina who believe women only like Kamala Harris because she’s female and who are impressed by JD Vance’s supposed coherence and bravery.

Eric Garcia spoke with them.

‘Not in a weird way, but he’s charming’: Meet the young men who love JD Vance

19:25 , Oliver O'Connell

“He had American blood on his hands,” Vice President Kamala Harris said of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind of the October 7 attacks who was confirmed killed today in Gaza.

Any terrorist who kills Americans or threatens them, “we will always bring you to justice,” she added in a presidential-style televised statement during a campaign stop in Milwaukee.

The vice president said the death of Sinwar “gives us an opportunity to finally end the war in Gaza”.

During her visit to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, the vice president also stopped by a business class, alongside business leader Mark Cuban, where she greeted students and discussed entrepreneurship and economic policy.

19:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Kind of a strange Flex here from Don Jr about his dad...

19:14 , Oliver O'Connell

The National Rifle Association has canceled a “Defend the 2nd” event in Savannah, Georgia, at which Donald Trump was supposed to speak.

In a statement on X, the NRA said there were “campaign scheduling changes”.

The gun rights group said it is “committed to ensuring Donald Trump wins in November and returns to the White House”.

Due to scheduling conflicts, our previously scheduled Defend the 2nd event in Savannah, Georgia, on October 22 has been canceled. pic.twitter.com/7fgrp5PLUe

— NRA (@NRA) October 17, 2024

The Harris campaign’s latest line of attack against the former president is that he keeps dropping out of events.

Is he okay? pic.twitter.com/CDIB2SyqC4

— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) October 17, 2024

19:05 , Oliver O'Connell

Doug Emhoff talked to Andy Cohen on his SiriusXM show about Donald Trump’s attacks on his wife, Vice President Kamala Harris.

The Second Gentleman referred to them as “a distraction”.

19:03 , Oliver O'Connell

19:00 , Oliver O'Connell

You might remember Derrick Anderson, the Republican nominee for Congress for Virginia’s 7th District, who was called out a few weeks ago for campaign material that implied he had a wife and children, when in fact he does not.

Child-free Republican candidate borrows friend’s wife and children for campaign photo

Well. House Majority PAC has produced a TV ad mocking him about that while framing him as an “extreme MAGA politician”.

Watch it here:

NEW @HouseMajPAC TV ad in #VA07: Don't be fooled by fake family @DerrickforVA!He's trying to hide that he supported letting politicians ban abortion without exceptions, and his backers would let the government track pregnancies and prosecute women. pic.twitter.com/kj9oUA6AyT

— CJ Warnke (@cjwarnke) October 17, 2024

18:52 , Oliver O'Connell

NBC News reports that the organizers of the Al Smith charity dinner will play a recorded message from Vice President Kamala Harris tonight in lieu of her attendance at the event for Catholic charities, according to Joseph Zwilling, director of communications for the archdiocese of New York.

The Harris campaign said she declined the invitation to the dinner due to conflicting events in the final weeks of the campaign. It is the first time a candidate has not attended in 40 years.

Donald Trump, who is attending and will give remarks, criticized the decision, saying it was “sad but not surprising”.

18:48 , Oliver O'Connell

There’s a big security presence as Donald Trump visits a barber shop in the Bronx.

Staggering amount of security here in the Bronx for Donald Trump’s unannounced stop at a barbershop on Castle Hill Avenue.Sniper teams, dozens of officers and large garbage trucks blocking off the avenue. Police have told locals to step away and close windows facing the street. pic.twitter.com/pMPyX59KZA

— Ben Siegel (@bensiegel) October 17, 2024

Donald Trump stops at a barber shop in the Bronx — noticeable increase in security. A big tent covering the entrance of the barber shop — his car pulling into that tent & officials closing the drape before he exited the vehicle. pic.twitter.com/x49TY1byvj

— Rachel Scott (@rachelvscott) October 17, 2024

It is unclear if he is there for a trim of his famous hair.

18:45 , Oliver O'Connell

In case you were wondering about how the free press might fare under a second Trump administration, Donald Trump has renewed his attacks on CBS and its flagship news show 60 Minutes following the program’s interview with Kamala Harris.

The former president is still apparently incensed by the practice of editing interviews for brevity, despite his own interviews sometimes being edited for clarity or sense. The Harris campaign has distanced itself from the editing decisions made by 60 Minutes. Trump began baselessly accusing the network of a crime following the broadcast.

Here’s what Trump wrote on Truth Social today:

Why won’t 60 Minutes release the fraudulent tapes of Lyin’ Kamala’s Interview with them? Could it be because it was a COMPLETE AND TOTAL DISASTER, or that they “CREATED” many additional new answers for her, not just the one where she was so embarrassingly CAUGHT. In normal times, what happened on 60 Minutes, (deceptively “doctoring” her answers), would be THE END OF ANYONE’S CAMPAIGN! Kamala is slow, incoherent, and is in no way qualified to be President of the United States. RELEASE THE TAPES FOR THE GOOD OF AMERICA. We can do it the nice way, or the hard way!

He followed that up with:

60 MINUTES SHOULD BE IMMEDIATELY TAKEN OFF THE AIR - ELECTION INTERFERENCE. CBS SHOULD LOSE ITS LICENSE. THIS IS THE BIGGEST SCANDAL IN BROADCAST HISTORY. Kamala should be investigated and forced off the Campaign, and Joe Biden allowed to take back his rightful place (He got 14 Million Primary Votes, she got none!). THIS WHOLE SORDID AND FRAUDULENT EVENT IS A THREAT TO DEMOCRACY!

The former president pulled out of his own interview with 60 Minutes as well as other interviews with major networks and has continued to refuse to debate Harris again after she was widely perceived to have won their first debate.

Donald Trump’s ‘shifting’ excuses for refusing to sit down with 60 Minutes revealed

18:22 , Oliver O'Connell

The Trump campaign has announced a pair of new battleground state events, with Donald Trump set to hold a town hall in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, on Sunday at 5pm, and a rally in Greenville, North Carolina, at 3pm on Monday.

The Greenville event will be held on the campus of East Carolina University, close to where Kamala Harris held a rally at a church on Sunday.

18:20 , AP

Americans stepped up their purchases at retailers last month as low unemployment, steady pay gains and rising stock and home values helped sustain their willingness to spend despite higher prices.

Retail sales rose 0.4% from August to September, the Commerce Department said Thursday, up from 0.1% the previous month and the third straight increase. Online retailers, restaurants, and grocery stores all reported higher sales.

Sales at gas stations fell, because of lower pump prices. The retail sales figures aren’t adjusted for inflation, and the prices of goods fell slightly last month.

With the presidential election in its final weeks, Thursday’s figures provided the latest sign that household spending is fueling a steady economic expansion even while inflation has cooled.

Continue reading...

US shoppers spent more at retailers last month in latest sign consumers are driving growth

18:00 , Oliver O'Connell

A group of 30 parents, teachers, and faith leaders are suing Oklahoma over the mandate to put Bibles in every classroom.

The only Bible that fit the original parameters of the mandate, was — surprise, surprise — the Donald Trump-endorsed “God Bless the USA Bible”.

Those parameters have since been amended. It also emerged that the Trump Bibles were made in China.

Read the lawsuit here.

17:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump has refused to admit he falsely accused Haitian immigrants of eating peoples’ pets as he doubled down on his statements during a Univision town hall Wednesday with undecided Latino voters.

The former president was asked by a Spanish-speaking audience member whether he actually believed what he said about migrants in Springfield, Ohio. Trump responded by saying that he was “just saying what was reported.”

Alex Woodward reports.

Trump claims Haitian migrants are eating other things ‘that they’re not supposed to’

17:40 , Oliver O'Connell

In addition to sitting down with Jon Stewart on The Daily Show on Monday,Variety reports that Tim Walz will also appear on ABC’s The View, as Vice President Kamala Harris did on October 8.

It will be the Minnesota governor’s first time on the flagship morning talk show.

Harris’s appearance drew an audience of 3.143 million viewers when she was interviewed by hosts Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin, Alyssa Farah Griffin, and Ana Navarro.

17:35 , Oliver O'Connell

17:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump has tried to strike yet another hush money deal with adult film star Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence ahead of the 2024 presidential election, according to a report.

The former president’s attorneys allegedly sent Daniels an offer where the amount she owed him over a defamation suit would be lowered if she agreed not to make “defamatory or disparaging statements” about him.

The details were revealed in a special report by MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, who obtained calls, documents and emails about the deal.

James Liddell reports for The Independent.

Trump accused of trying to cut another hush money deal with Stormy Daniels

17:22 , Oliver O'Connell

The rapper and activist Common will join vice presidential nominee Tim Walz on the campaign trail in Winston-Salem, North Carolina later today.

“Together, Governor Walz and Common will speak directly to North Carolinians about the power of their voice and their vote and encourage voters across the state to get to the polls and cast their vote ahead of the November 5th election,” the campaign said.

Common performed at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August.

Walz is scheduled to appear at 6.30pm this evening as part of a swing through the battleground state that would be an important pick up for Democrats who haven’t carried North Carolina since 2008.

He will also campaign in Durham at 2.30pm.

17:18 , Oliver O'Connell

If you thought that Donald Trump fawning over Bret Baier for his “tough but fair” interview with Kamala Harris would go some way to repairing the sometimes fractious nature of the relationship between Fox News and the former president, then apparently you would be wrong.

Just like on Sunday, hours after his hour-long interview with Maria Bartiromo on Sunday Morning Futures, Trump is back to bashing the Rupert Murdoch-owned network’s terrible habit of having guests who oppose him or who don’t sing his praises...

Here’s how the former president voiced his displeasure on Truth Social a few moments ago:

Why does Suzanne Scott of FoxNews keep putting on third rate “talking heads” like Jessica Tarlov, Richard Fowler, Patrick Murphy, “something” Wolf, Keisha Lance Bottoms, and other Radical Left Lunatics that lie, and make up statements, with Fox, rarely having any counter to their storytelling? It is so bad for winning the Most Important Election in the History of our Country. Likewise, not a moment goes by when I’m not looking at negative, false Ads that the other camp stuffs the Fox airwaves with. If I win and, I hope for the Country’s sake that I do, and this Radical Left Moron, Kamala, doesn’t get a chance to run the Country, it is DESPITE Fox, not because of them!

17:10 , Oliver O'Connell

...no, really.

Apparently, Vladimir Putin ordering an invasion of Ukraine had nothing to do with it.

Trump suggests Zelenskyy was wrong to fight back against Putin’s invasion of Ukraine: “He should’ve never let that war start.” pic.twitter.com/TVUVgox6Xb

— Republican Voters Against Trump (@AccountableGOP) October 17, 2024

After lying that Zelenskyy started Ukraine's war with Russia, Trump says he "largely blames" Biden for the war and adds that Biden "instigated" it. (Putin apparently is blameless in Trump's eyes) pic.twitter.com/19Wzpa3aOw

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 17, 2024

Just astonishing.

16:55 , Oliver O'Connell

Acting Service Service Director Ronald Rowe has responded to the bipartisan Independent Review Panel convened by President Joe Biden to examine the working of the agency after the first assassination attempt against Donald Trump on July 13.

Rowe says the Secret Service respects the work of the panel and remains committed to addressing the failures that contributed to the events of that day in Butler, Pennsylvania, and is “not waiting to act”.

A statement from Rowe goes on to say:

We have already significantly improved our readiness, operational and organizational communications and implemented enhanced protective operations for the former president and other protectees. This includes making changes to better integrate with our state and local law enforcement partners and augmenting our protection with support from the U.S. Department of Defense and other agencies.

Additionally, we are developing a comprehensive plan aimed at driving a fundamental transformation within the Secret Service to ensure we are appropriately configured to execute our dual integrated mission of protection and complex investigations. This plan focuses on increasing and retaining the agency’s personnel, modernizing our technology, and building a training plan that is sustainable now and into the future. We acknowledge that July 13 did not occur because of a lack of resources, however, our enhanced protective model implemented after July 13 requires additional people, equipment, and asset capabilities. The agency is also working with Congress to increase the agency’s budget so that we can make this paradigm shift a reality and ensure that our people have the resources they need to successfully carry out the mission.

The U.S. Secret Service remains steadfast in our relentless focus on fulfilling our critical mission. I am immensely proud of the dedicated U.S. Secret Service workforce. The men and women of the U.S. Secret Service answer the call to protect our nation’s leaders and major candidates while operating in a heightened and increasingly dynamic threat environment.”

16:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz will appear on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show on Monday, October 21.

Kamala Harris’s running mate will sit down in the studio with Jon Stewart, with the episode airing that night at 11pm.

It will be the Democratic vice presidential nominee’s first appearance on the show.

16:40 , Oliver O'Connell

The panel who reviewed the working of the Secret Service following the assassination attempt on Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13 has the following recommendations:

Having a unified command post at all large events where Secret Service and other law enforcement representatives are all physically in the same place

Overhead surveillance for all outdoor events

Security plans must include a way to mitigate line of site concerns out to 1,000 yards and who’s in charge at the event

More training on how to get protectees out of dangerous scenarios

The panel said the agency also needs new, outside leadership and a renewed focus on its core protective mission while expressing skepticism that the agency should continue with the investigations it currently conducts. While the Secret Service is well known for what it does to protect presidents and other dignitaries, it also investigates financial crimes.

“In the Panel’s opinion, it is simply unacceptable for the Service to have anything less than a paramount focus on its protective mission, particularly while that protective mission function is presently suboptimal,” the report said.

The panel members were Mark Filip, deputy attorney general under President George W. Bush; David Mitchell, who served in numerous state and local law enforcement roles in Maryland and Delaware; Janet Napolitano, homeland security secretary under President Barack Obama; and Frances Fragos Townsend, Bush’s assistant for homeland security and counterterrorism.

16:35 , Oliver O'Connell

16:30 , AP

The report published by the independent panel investigating the attempted assassination of Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania campaign rally delved into the culture of the Secret Service and painted a picture of an agency struggling to think critically about how it carries out its mission, especially when it comes to protecting Trump.

The panel said agency personnel operated under the assumption that they effectively had to “do more with less.” The report said the additional security measures taken to protect Trump after the Butler shooting should have been taken before.

“To be clear, the Panel did not identify any nefarious or malicious intent behind this phenomenon, but rather an overreliance on assigning personnel based on categories (former, candidate, nominee) instead of an individualized assessment of risk,” the panel wrote.

The panel also noted the “back-and-forth” between the Trump security detail and Secret Service headquarters regarding how many people were needed to protect him.

The panel also faulted some of the senior-level staff who were involved in the rally for what they called a “lack of ownership.” In one example, the panel said a senior agent on site who was tasked with coordinating communications didn’t walk around the rally site ahead of time and did not brief the state police counterpart before the rally about how communications would be managed.

It cited the relative inexperience of two specific agents who played a role in security for the July 13 rally. One was the site agent from Trump’s detail whose job it was to coordinate with the Pittsburgh field office on security planning for the rally. The panel said the agent graduated from the Secret Service academy in 2020, and had only been on the Trump detail since 2023. Before the Butler rally the agent had only done “minimal previous site advance work or site security planning.”

Another agent assigned to operate a drone detection system had only used the technology at two prior events.

16:12 , Oliver O'Connell

I wrote this cause it’s what I always wanted to say about Trump pretending to be a tough guy. But we got the amazing @DaveBautista to say it SO much better. Thanks Dave. #TrumpIsAWeakLittleBabyBitch pic.twitter.com/Mo4ZMpOPVH

— Jesse Joyce (@jessejoyce) October 17, 2024

15:57 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump’s legal team has asked Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is presiding over his federal election interference case in Washington, DC, to again postpone the unsealing of evidence filed in conjunction with special counsel Jack Smith’s brief on presidential immunity.

In a new motion, they ask Judge Chutkan to maintain the order that holds “redacted non-public Sensitive Materials” from being publicly released until November 14 — nine days after the election.

They claim it’s unfair and being used against Trump in the presidential election by Kamala Harris’s campaign.

“Thus, without any semblance of due process—including President Trump’s right to cross-examine witnesses and call his own witnesses in a court proceeding—the public has been poisoned by a one-sided prosecutorial narrative that is being used for political purposes by the incumbent administration,” they write.

Any public release is expected to be heavily redacted and likely won’t contain much in the way of new information.

Judge Chutkan ordered the unsealing of the evidentiary appendix last week but stayed the order for seven days at Trump’s request. The former president’s team wants her to extend her stay until Trump files his own immunity brief and appendix.

Trump’s lawyers repeated many of the same arguments the former president has previously made against any unsealing prior to the election: that it would interfere with the election, poison the jury pool, and that it violates the Department of Justice’s “quiet period” policy ahead of a presidential election.

15:50 , AP

A student loan cancellation program for public workers has granted relief to more than 1 million Americans — up from just 7,000 who were approved before it was updated by the Biden administration two years ago.

President Joe Biden announced the milestone on Thursday, saying his administration restored a promise to America’s teachers, firefighters, nurses and other public servants. He celebrated it even as his broader student loan plans remain halted by courts following legal challenges by Republican-led states.

“For too long, the government failed to live up to its commitments,” Biden said in a statement. “We vowed to fix that, and because of actions from our administration, now over 1 million public service workers have gotten the relief they are entitled to under the law.”

Continue reading...

The Biden administration has now canceled loans for more than 1 million public workers

15:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump is set to attend the Alfred E Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner, commonly known as the Al Smith Dinner, tonight in New York. The annual white-tie dinner is to raise funds for Catholic charities supporting children of various needs in the Archdiocese of New York.

It has become something of a tradition for politicians and presidential candidates to attend the dinner and give humorous speeches roasting themselves and their opponents.

Kamala Harris is skipping the dinner in favor of campaigning in the key battleground state of Wisconsin. This makes her the first presidential nominee to miss the dinner in decades.

In 2020, the dinner was held virtually and the traditional roast was called off given the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. In 2016, both Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton gave speeches — with Trump at one point being booed and heckled for making allegations of corruption against Clinton and saying she “hates Catholics”.

Clinton, for her part, quipped: “And whoever wins this election, the outcome will be historic. We’ll either have the first female president or the first president who started a Twitter war with Cher.”

15:32 , Oliver O'Connell

Billionaire businessman and Shark Tank judge Mark Cuban will campaign for Kamala Harris in Wisconsin, Arizona, and Michigan this week.

Cuban will appear with Harris in Wisconsin later today, at a town hall in Arizona on Saturday, and at a campaign event with second gentleman Doug Emhoff in Michigan on Sunday.

The Harris-Walz campaign said Cuban “has underscored how Vice President Harris’ new way forward agenda is pro-business and would spur economic growth that helps build up the middle class”.

Cuban, a vocal critic of Donald Trump told MSNBC on Wednesday “there's really no good reason to vote for Donald Trump as the business candidate” as business leaders want economic and political stability.

15:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Jimmy Kimmel has roasted Donald Trump for declaring himself to be the “father of IVF” during an all-female town hall on Fox News.

During the Cumming, Georgia, town hall, with moderator Harris Faulkner, which aired on Wednesday, Trump labeled Alabama Senator Katie Britt “a fantastically attractive person,” before telling the crowd: “I’m the father of IVF.”

The GOP presidential candidate’s campaign later said he was joking.

On Wednesday night’s show, the Jimmy Kimmel Live! host poked fun at Trump’s bold claim.

James Liddell has the story.

Jimmy Kimmel roasts Trump for claiming he’s the ‘father of IVF’

15:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump has been branded “creepy” for calling a female senator “young” and “fantastically attractive” in a bizarre moment while trying to court women voters at a Fox News town hall.

Rhian Lubin reports

‘Creepy’ moment Trump calls female senator ‘fantastically attractive’ at town hall

14:50 , Joe Sommerlad

Audience’s baffled reaction to Trump’s contradictory statement on January 6 deaths

14:40 , AP

Here’s a look at the key findings of the independent panel investigating the attempted assassination of Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania campaign rally on July 13:

Poor communications, no plan for key buildings

The panel echoed previous reports that have zeroed in on the failure to secure the building near the rally that had a clear line of site to where Trump was speaking and the multiple communications problems that hindered the ability of the Secret Service and local and state law enforcement to talk to each other.

“The failure to secure a complex of buildings, portions of which were within approximately 130 yards of the protectee and containing numerous positions carrying high-angle line of sight risk, represents a critical security failure,” the report said.

The panel faulted the planning between Secret Service and the local law enforcement, and said the Secret Service failed to ask about what was being done to secure the building: “Relying on a general understanding that ‘the locals have that area covered’ is simply not good enough and, in fact, at Butler this attitude contributed to the security failure.”

The panel also cited the fact that there were two separated command posts at the Butler rally: one with various local law enforcement and another with the Secret Service: “This created, at the highest level, a structural divide in the flow of communications.”

There were other communications problems.

The Secret Service had to switch radio channels because radio traffic of agents protecting first lady Jill Biden at an event in Pittsburgh was popping up on the channels of agents covering the Butler rally.

The panel also noted that all the law enforcement personnel on the ground were using a “chaotic mixture” of radio, cell phone, text, and e-mail throughout the day to communicate.

Also the panel said it was unclear who had ultimate command that day.

14:35 , AP

An independent panel investigating the attempted assassination of Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania campaign rally says the Secret Service needs fundamental reform” and that “another Butler can and will happen again” without major changes in how candidates are protected.

The review faulted the Secret Service for poor communications that day and failing to secure the building where the gunman took his shots. It also found more systemic issues at the agency such as a failure to understand the unique risks facing Trump and a culture of doing “more with less.”

The 52-page report issued Thursday took the Secret Service to task for specific problems leading up to the July 13 rally in Butler as a well as deeper one within the agency’s culture. It recommended bringing in new, outside leadership and refocusing on its protective mission.

“The Secret Service as an agency requires fundamental reform to carry out its mission,” the authors wrote Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas of the Homeland Security Department, the Secret Service’s parent agency, in a letter accompanying their report. “Without that reform, the Independent Review Panel believes another Butler can and will happen again.”

One rallygoer was killed and two others wounded when Thomas Michael Crooks climbed onto the roof of a nearby building and opened fire as Trump spoke. The former president was wounded in the ear before being rushed off the stage by Secret Service agents. That shooting, along with another incident in Florida when Trump was golfing — a gunman there never got a line of sight on the president or fired a shot — has led to a crisis in confidence in the agency.

The report by a panel of four former law enforcement officials from national and state governments follows investigations by members of Congress, the agency’s own investigators and by Homeland Security’s oversight body.

14:30 , Joe Sommerlad

A federal judge in Alabama moved yesterday to block the state from implementing a mass purge of voter registrations just weeks before Election Day, landing a major blow to Republican-led challenges to voter eligibility.

A preliminary injunction – issued on Wednesday by Donald Trump-appointed Judge Anna Manasco – arrived days after the Department of Justice and civil rights groups filed lawsuits to stop the state from stripping voter registrations for more than 3,200 people.

Alabama’s Republican Secretary of State Wes Allen claimed that those voters were “issued non-citizen identification numbers,” and are therefore ineligible to cast a ballot.

But the lawsuits uncovered that voting-eligible citizens also ended up on that list, joining thousands of people across the country who were targeted for removal from voter databases in an effort that critics fear is a concerted mass disenfranchisement campaign to suppress turnout this fall.

Alex Woodward has more.

Trump-appointed judge blocks Alabama’s mass voter purge

14:10 , Joe Sommerlad

This isn’t a great look for a democracy is it?

Kelly Rissman reports.

Three billionaires have given $220 million combined to help get Trump elected

13:50 , Joe Sommerlad

Harris vs. Trump: Expert panel make US election predictions

13:30 , Joe Sommerlad

We saw how Trump reacted to Bret Baier’s Kamala interview earlier.

Here’s what a few ex-Fox producers (and an ex-anchor!) had to say about the host’s performance.

Another ex-Fox News producer also texted me that it's "so interesting to see Bret Baier for who he really is now that I'm on the outside looking in," adding that Baier is "just so completely in the tank it's hard to believe anyone sees him as a real journalist."

— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) October 16, 2024

A former Fox News host agrees. https://t.co/lf6ibqesze

— Gretchen Carlson (@GretchenCarlson) October 16, 2024

CNN media pundit Brian Stelter meanwhile referred to the network’s studio as “a Trump field office” and suggested that Harris had used the occasion to mount a proxy debate in light of Trump’s refusal to face her again, casting Baier as his “surrogate”.

Today Kamala Harris essentially walked into a Trump campaign field office and said "ask me anything." pic.twitter.com/odB1Nu1IAs

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) October 17, 2024

Stelter also pointed out the tell-tale emphasis on immigration over abortion in Baier’s line of questioning.

Fox anchor Bret Baier began his Kamala Harris interview by asking about immigration – no surprise since Fox and Trump have prioritized the border issue for years. The economy only came up about 12 minutes in, and abortion never came up at all pic.twitter.com/6CY9vCWVDO

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) October 17, 2024

Meanwhile, several top Democratic insiders have been noting how well she did in the circumstances.

Honestly - great interview. Kamala was sharp, tough, and gave her best answers yet to some of the thornier questions she's been asked before. Combative interviews can be good. Going on Fox can be good. You just have to be prepared (she was) and stand your ground (she did!) https://t.co/CLwsFRuA3I

— Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) October 17, 2024

Kamala Harris (strong) handled an ambush Fox interview light years better than the hash Donald Trump (unstable) made of the Fox pep rally disguised as a town hall.

— David Plouffe (@davidplouffe) October 16, 2024

And this is how you do Fox https://t.co/7QexLiwbvt

— Jen Psaki (@jrpsaki) October 16, 2024

13:10 , Joe Sommerlad

This is what Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong had to say on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this morning about Trump’s insane Truth Social post about their new film.

Greg Evans has this one.

The Apprentice actors call Trump’s ‘human scum’ reaction to new biopic ‘ridiculous’

12:50 , Joe Sommerlad

GOP establishment members are becoming increasingly concerned that Trump is spending more time airing personal grievances and obsessions than talking about Harris’s policies.

Polling suggests that Trump has an advantage over Harris in many key policy areas, such as the economy, but Marc Short, former chief of staff to Mike Pence during his time as VP, said he needs to remind voters of his positions.

“He can make an appeal that gets away from personality and appeals to people who may not like him but do like his policies,” he told The Washington Post.

“Staying focused on the issues does that; if you’re commenting on other things, it I think can remind reluctant voters why they have concerns.”

Trump had an opportunity to do just that during a town hall event in Oaks, Pennsylvania, on Monday night.

Instead, after taking a few softball questions, the Republican presidential nominee spent almost 40 minutes swaying to music on the stage.

Gustaf Kilander has more.

Republicans think Trump needs to stop focusing on his ‘obsessions’

12:30 , Joe Sommerlad

12:10 , Joe Sommerlad

Rhian Lubin has more on the Fox man’s post-match comments on his encounter with Harris yesterday.

Fox News’s Bret Baier says Harris was late as he gives verdict on ‘tough’ interview

11:50 , Joe Sommerlad

11:30 , Joe Sommerlad

In an attempt to boost Trump’s record on healthcare, his running mate touted his family members obtaining private insurance for the first time under the former president’s administration.

However, he failed to mention a key fact – it was through the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare.

Here’s Ariana Baio’s report.

JD Vance claims his mother obtained health insurance under Trump. She used Obamacare

11:10 , Joe Sommerlad

The former president’s eldest son is reportedly leading an effort to compile a list of people who would be banned from serving in a second Trump administration should that come to pass.

On the list are people connected to Project 2025, first-term staffers who resigned in protest after the Capitol riot on January 6 and those seen as lacking loyalty to his father, two ex-Trump officials told Politico.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

Don Jr ‘leading charge to compile list of names banned from second Trump White House’

10:50 , Joe Sommerlad

Donald Trump had “no sense of who he was in front of or who he was talking to” when he made a shocking slur about his Democratic rival Kamala Harris during a recent dinner for billionaire donors in New York, according to New York Times journalist Maggie Haberman.

Longtime Trump observer Haberman and her colleagues Jonathan Swan and Shane Goldmacher reported over the weekend that the Republican presidential nominee had vented his frustrations about Harris out-fundraising him by launching into a grievance-filled rant at the exclusive gathering.

During the tirade, Trump had angrily referred to the vice president as “retarded” and also rebuked affluent Jewish Americans for not backing him, the report alleged.

This is what Haberman had to say about that episode and other recent examples of Trump’s erratic public behavior in conversation with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins.

Trump reportedly had no sense of ‘who he was talking to’ when he made Harris slur

10:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s a look at where the key players will be today.

Kamala Harris is touring Wisconsin, stopping off in Milwaukee, La Crosse and Green Bay.

Her running mate Tim Walz will be in Durham and Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Donald Trump will meanwhile attend the 79th Alfred E Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner in New York, a Catholic gala emceed by comedian Jim Gaffigan (who has been playing Walz on Saturday Night Live of late). Trump was busy last month rebuking Harris for not attending but made waves himself at the same event in 2016 by attacking rival Hillary Clinton during his remarks, which was not exactly in the spirit of the occasion.

His running mate JD Vance will be in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, keeping up the pressure campaign on the swing states.

Trump cheerleader Elon Musk will also be continuing his series of “talks” in the same state.

10:10 , Joe Sommerlad

The Republican also took part in a pre-taped Fox event with Harris Faulkner yesterday in which he made the embarrassing admission that he had to ask the “young, fantastically attractive” Alabama Senator Katie Britt (yuck) what IVF was before deciding whether he was for or against it, despite outrageously pronouncing himself the “father” of that science earlier this week.

But I thought he was the father of IVF https://t.co/jHUUW7qSQS

— Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) October 17, 2024

For good measure, here’s Kamala’s two-word assessment of his IVF babble, by the way.

Kamala Harris’s two-word response after Trump calls himself ‘father of IVF’

09:50 , Joe Sommerlad

MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow reported last night that Trump is again attempting to silence the adult film star Stormy Daniels over the affair she alleges she had with him in 2006, the subject of his recent hush money trial, at which he was found guilty on all 34 counts relating to the falsification of business records by a New York jury in May.

WATCH: @Maddow's new reporting on @allinwithchris that Trump is trying to get another hush money deal with Stormy Daniels ahead of the upcoming election. pic.twitter.com/09GJq6FLWF

— MSNBC (@MSNBC) October 17, 2024

James Liddell has more.

Trump accused of trying to cut another hush money deal with Stormy Daniels

09:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Before Harris appeared on Fox, Trump had addressed Latino voters during a Florida hall airing on Univision.

The Republican presidential nominee was given a pretty rough ride by an audience asking some superb questions, not least Tampa construction worker Ramiro Gonzalez, who took the former president to task over January 6, his mishandling of the coronavirus and the huge number of former members of his administration who will not now endorse him.

Voter: I am a Republican that’s no longer registered. Your inaction during your presidency was a little disturbing to me. What happened during January 6th and the fact that you waited so long to take action while your supporters were attacking the Capitol. Coronavirus, I thought… pic.twitter.com/Z6JFVUouZX

— Acyn (@Acyn) October 17, 2024

Just look at the reaction Trump’s insistence that Jan 6 was “a day of love” and not a deadly attempt to overthrow the government drew from these entirely unimpressed ladies in the audience.

Trump, of course, answered with a stream of lies. But these women in the audience don’t look like they were buying them. https://t.co/6He7ih8B4D pic.twitter.com/pB7mj0feAz

— George Conway (@gtconway3d) October 17, 2024

Trump also gave desperate and unconvincing answers on gun control and climate change and was backed into a corner on his lie about Haitian migrants eating dogs and cats in Springfield, Ohio.

Q: Could you explain your gun control policy to the parents of the victims of school shootings?Trump: I could. You need guns. You need them for entertainment, for sport, and other things pic.twitter.com/azFYENbdAP

— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) October 17, 2024

Q: Given the amount of the mounting evidence of climate change, do you still believe it's a hoax?Trump: I get awards environmental awards for the way I build it for the water, the way I use the water, the sand, the mixing of the sand and the water, I mean, many different, but… pic.twitter.com/CPEBBdxXFl

— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) October 17, 2024

“This was just reported,” he said when asked about the latter claim.

“I was just saying what was reported, that’s been reported, and eating other things, too, that they’re not supposed to be.”

Question: Do you really believe that these people are eating people’s pets?Trump: I was just saying what was reported. And eating other things too that they’re not supposed to. pic.twitter.com/GAXezwPkqe

— Acyn (@Acyn) October 16, 2024

Here’s more from Alex Woodward.

Trump refuses to admit he falsely accused Haitian immigrants of eating pets

09:10 , Joe Sommerlad

Having predicted in advance that Baier would be “weak and soft” on Harris, Trump was full of praise for the conservative saying he had done a “great job” and in fact been “tough but very fair”.

Uh huh.

A crowing Trump again repeated his opinion that Harris is “totally incompetent” and in need of a psychological exam – this just 24 hours after his “Ave Maria” dance party in Pennsylvania, essentially an off-Broadway nervous breakdown.

Great job by Bret Baier in his Interview with Lyin’ Kamala Harris. She has a massive and irredeemable case of TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME - So bad, in fact, that she is barely able to talk about any subject other than the man who had the best economy ever, the strongest border in…

— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) October 17, 2024

His not very bright and seldom-hugged middle son Eric was also on the same network last night to insist the VP had given a poor showing (what else would he say?).

Eric Trump: She’s never actually had a real job. She’s never signed the front of a check. pic.twitter.com/dFzy3qVFnu

— Acyn (@Acyn) October 16, 2024

Here’s Baier himself giving a more cautious assessment of their encounter.

Baier: I think she had a mission. Maybe she wanted to have a viral moment or pushback. She came to Fox News right. She wanted to have a go after Donald Trump viral moment that plays on a lot of other channels and on social media. She may have gotten that pic.twitter.com/xzi9z5PyKK

— Acyn (@Acyn) October 17, 2024

08:50 , Joe Sommerlad

Good morning!

Kamala Harris sat down for her first formal interview with Fox News on Wednesday and anchor Bret Baier went in hard on the Vice President over the Biden administration’s record on illegal immigration.

Baier is really going for blood here. Harris does a nice job standing her ground. pic.twitter.com/7EgUWHjl0j

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 16, 2024

The interview, which lasted 27 minutes, included several heated exchanges between the Democratic nominee and the the conservative, the pair frequently talking over each other, with Harris much more animated than she has appeared in many of her recent media appearances with friendlier outlets.

Kamala Harris: May I please finish may I finish responding please? Baier: You had the white house, the house and the senate.Kamala Harris: I am in the middle of responding to the point you are raising. pic.twitter.com/9bsnubFDH4

— Acyn (@Acyn) October 16, 2024

Baier tried to take the Democrat to task over the “cover up” of Joe Biden’s cognitive decline and how she might hope to differentiate herself from his presidency.

Baier: You didn't have any concerns about Biden?Kamala Harris: I think the American people have a concern about Donald Trump, which is why the people who know him best have all spoken out, have said he is unfit pic.twitter.com/BIKDyTBkUd

— Acyn (@Acyn) October 16, 2024

Kamala Harris: Let me be very clear, my presidency will not be a continuation of Joe Biden's presidency pic.twitter.com/CvVzT35W6l

— Acyn (@Acyn) October 16, 2024

Harris, in turn, hit back on the threat Donald Trump poses and by taking Baier to task for not running a clip of the Republican nominee threatening to send in the military to tackle “the enemy within”, meaning America’s left-wing politicial activists.

Kamala Harris on Fox News on Trump: He's unfit to serve. He's unstable. He's dangerous. And people are exhausted. pic.twitter.com/7nBtI6qmvT

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 16, 2024

WOW -- Kamala Harris forcefully calls out Bret Baier for playing a deceptive clip whitewashing Trump's comments about "the enemy within" pic.twitter.com/JmIwSQXVjv

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 16, 2024

Here’s Katie Hawkinson’s report.

Harris’s Fox News interview starts off with heated exchange over border security

07:00 , Katie Hawkinson

Check out The Independent’s analysis of the latest national polls:

Can Kamala Harris beat Donald Trump? Latest poll updates from the 2024 election

06:00 , Associated Press

The owner of the Kansas City Chiefs said Wednesday that he has no issue with kicker Harrison Butker forming a political action committee designed to encourage Christians to vote for what the PAC describes as “traditional values.”

Butker announced his UPRIGHT PAC last weekend, during the Chiefs’ bye, in a series of postings on social media.

Read more:

KC Chiefs owner backs controversial kicker Harrison Butker’s new PAC values

05:01 , Katie Hawkinson

04:06 , Rhian Lubin

Donald Trump has said he likes Mark Zuckerberg “much better now” that he is “staying out of the election.”

The Republican candidate, who has previously referred to Facebook as “a true enemy of the people,” appears to be warming up to the billionaire since he has pulled back from politics.

“I actually believe he’s staying out of the election, which is nice,” Trump told Barstool Sports’s podcast Bussin’ With The Boys in an episode released on Tuesday.

Read more:

Trump says he likes Zuckerberg more now that he’s ‘staying out of the election’

03:47 , Alex Lang

Trump promises that under his White House, companies will be brought back to America from overseas.

“You are not going to be looking at one job. You are going to be looking at a job that you want. You’re going to have your choice,” Trump said during a Thursday town hall with Latino voters airing on Univision.

The former president has long stressed that he is going to bring back jobs that companies have moved to other countries. He has said he plans to use tariffs but offered few other details on how he plans to achieve his goal. Still, it has become a major talking point during his rallies.

President Trump at Univision Town Hall: "You are not going to be looking at one job. You are going to be looking at a job that you want. You're going to have your choice."pic.twitter.com/aZXjQuPz2L

— AJ Huber (@Huberton) October 17, 2024

03:29 , Alex Lang

Donald Trump said he is the “best thing” to ever happen to farmers as he’s was asked about who will work the jobs if he deports undocumented migrants.

The former president made the comment as he spoke during a town hall airing on Univision. He then went on a rant about illegal entry into the US

“The people that are the most against it are Hispanic people, they are totally against it,” Trump says. “The other thing I can say, a lot of the jobs you have and other people have are being taken by these people coming in.”

The Republican nominee also said that the Black and Hispanic populations are losing jobs to people illegally entering the US.

📌 A Latino farmer asks Donald Trump who will do the hard jobs if he deports undocumented immigrants.This is what Trump said at the Univision town hall #LosLatinosPreguntan.Watch today at 10 PM ET/9C/7PAC on @univision, @ViX, and our digital platforms. pic.twitter.com/WCoP1qFZC5

— Univision Noticias (@UniNoticias) October 16, 2024

03:09 , Alex Lang

X owner and Trump backer Elon Musk is set to host a town hall in Pennsylvania and Thursday with America PAC, his group backing the former president.

Musk said there is no cost to attend his event, but “you need have voted in Pennsylvania.”

The event is set for 4 p.m in Folsom, Pennsylvania. The PAC’s website lists future events in Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, but no dates were given.

"Musk will be speaking to Pennsylvanians to promote absentee voting and early voting, as well as voter registration in the Commonwealth," the group stated

02:50 , Alex Lang

Former Lt. Governor of George Geoff Duncan said Harris did ‘extremely well’ in her interview with Fox News. Duncan made his comments on CNN moments after the interview ended.

“She dove into the deep end of the pool,” Duncan said. “She answered the questions on message.”

He said Harris is trying to reach out to Republicans who were going to sit at home and not vote. Ducan added the goal was to get them to vote for a liberal instead of a person who constantly lies to them.

02:18 , Alex Lang

Harris attacked Donald Trump throughout her interview with Fox News. At one point, she noted that he has spent $20 million on ads to create fear among voters.

The vice president added, “he actually has no plan in this election that is about focusing on the needs of the American people.”

Kamala Harris: Like I said, I think he spent $20 million on those ads trying to create a sense of fear in the voters because he actually has no plan in this election that is about focusing on the needs of the American people pic.twitter.com/CuED3yTfsj

— Acyn (@Acyn) October 16, 2024

01:39 , Alex Lang

During her Fox interview, Harris backed Joe Biden and his mental fitness. She said she has watched him in the White House and that he has the judgment and experience to make decisions.

The discussion then got heated as Harris mentioned Biden is not on the ballot and instead began to attack Trump.

Harris on concerns about Biden's decline: I think the American people have a concern about Donald Trump which is why the people that know him best have all spoken out & said he's unfit & dangerous & should never be POTUS again including his former VP which is why the job was open pic.twitter.com/bdVASZMJG5

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 16, 2024

01:16 , Graeme Massie

Vice President Kamala Harris leads former President Donald Trump by 48 per cent to 45 per cent among registered voters in the latest Economist/YouGov poll, little changed from recent weeks.

Harris leads by four points among likely voters — those who either have voted, say they definitely will vote, or both say they will probably vote and also have voted in either 2020 or 2022.

Nearly all supporters of Harris (97 per cent) and Trump (98 per cent) believe their minds will not change before election day.

Slightly more registered voters say they think Harris will win than say they think Trump will (41 per cent to 37 per cent).

About two-thirds of both Democrats and Republicans say they are very or extremely enthusiastic about voting for president.

Harris leads by 51 per cent to 47 per cent among registered voters choosing only between her and Trump; two per cent say they prefer both equally.

Among likely voters, Harris leads among college graduates, women, and Black and Hispanic Americans; Trump leads among non-college graduates, men, and white Americans.

The poll was conducted between October 12-15, 2024 and 1,624 US adult citizens were surveyed.

Read the full poll results here

01:01 , Graeme Massie

Dana Perino recognized that the vice president was “fairly effective” in going after Donald Trump in the eagerly-anticipated interview.

Thursday 17 October 2024 00:45 , Katie Hawkinson

Kamala Harris’s two-word response after Trump calls himself ‘father of IVF’

Thursday 17 October 2024 00:30 , Alex Woodward

Donald Trump has refused to admit he falsely accused Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio of eating peoples’ pets as he doubled down on his statements during a Univision town hall with undecided Latino voters on Wednesday despite heaps of reporting that debunked his claims.

The former president was asked by a Spanish-speaking audience member whether he actually believed what he said. He responded by saying that he was “just saying what was reported.”

“This was just reported. I was just saying what was reported, that’s been reported, and eating other things, too, that they’re not supposed to be,” Trump responded.

Read more:

Trump refuses to admit he falsely accused Haitian immigrants of eating pets

Thursday 17 October 2024 00:15 , Katie Hawkinson

Kamala Harris sat down for her first formal interview with Fox News on Wednesday, at times sparring with anchor Bret Baier over the border and her opponent, Donald Trump.

Check out The Independent’s re-cap of Harris’s nearly 30-minute interview:

Harris’s Fox News interview starts off with heated exchange over border security

Thursday 17 October 2024 00:00 , Oliver O’Connell

Eric Garcia reports from Cummings, Georgia:

At former President Donald Trump’s Fox News town hall this week, a woman named Alicia stood up to ask question, noting she was from Fulton, Georgia.

“Where I cast my vote for you today,” she added. “I hope they count it.”

Trump has spent years spreading lies and misinformation about the 2020 presidential election being stolen. And as part of that, he has repeatedly argued against early voting, at one point insisting, “the Democrats used Covid inspired Mail In Ballots to CHEAT.”

Continue reading...

Trump has demonized early voting. Republicans in Georgia are doing it anyway

Wednesday 16 October 2024 23:37 , Katie Hawkinson

Vice President Kamala Harris distanced herself from President Joe Biden during her Fox News interview, telling anchor Bret Baier her presidency “will not be a continuation of Joe Biden’s presidency.”

”Like every new president that comes into office, I will bring my life experiences, my professional experiences, and fresh and new ideas, I represent a new generation of leadership,” Harris said.

Wednesday 16 October 2024 23:21 , Katie Hawkinson

Fox News’s Bret Baier asked Kamala Harris if she supports “using taxpayer dollars to help prison inmates or detained illegal aliens to transition to another gender.”

The question comes after a 2019 questionnaire filled out by Harris came to light.

Her responses, which she gave while serving in the Senate, indicated she supported taxes being used to fund gender-affirming care for federal prisoners and detained immigrants.

“I will follow the law, and it’s a law that Donald Trump actually followed, you’re probably familiar with it now,” Harris told Baier. “It’s a public report that under Donald Trump’s administration, these surgeries were available on a medical necessity basis to people in the federal prison system.”

Wednesday 16 October 2024 22:58 , Katie Hawkinson

Fox News is airing Bret Baier’s interview with Kamala Harris at 6 pm Eastern time. The conversation marks the first time Harris has appeared on the network.

Follow along for live updates.

Wednesday 16 October 2024 22:50 , Oliver O'Connell

In an attempt to boost Donald Trump’s record on healthcare, JD Vance touted that his family members obtained private insurance for the first time under the former president’s administration.

However he failed to mention a key fact - it was through the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare — the very same legislation that Trump tried to repeal.

Ariana Baio reports.

JD Vance claims his mother obtained health insurance under Trump. She used Obamacare

Wednesday 16 October 2024 22:40 , Stuti Shukla Mistry

Wednesday 16 October 2024 22:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Jimmy Carter cast his ballot in the 2024 election Wednesday.

The former president voted by mail, the Carter Center confirmed in a statement. It happened barely two weeks after Carter celebrated his 100th birthday on Oct. 1 at his home in Plains, Georgia, where he’s been living in hospice care.

His son Chip Carter said before the family gathering that his father had this election very much in mind.

“He’s plugged in,” Chip Carter told The Associated Press. “I asked him two months ago if he was trying to live to be 100, and he said, ‘No, I’m trying to live to vote for Kamala Harris.’”

The Carter Center’s brief statement said it had no more details to share.

Georgia’s registered voters have been turning out in record numbers since early voting began Monday. Nearly 460,000 had voted in-person or cast absentee ballots by Tuesday afternoon, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said.

Carter’s vote should count even if he’s no longer alive by Election Day on Nov. 5.

Robert Sinners, a spokesman for the secretary of state’s office, noted that Georgia election rules state that when an absentee ballot is received by local election officials “it shall be deemed to have been voted then and there.”

Wednesday 16 October 2024 22:15 , Oliver O'Connell

A federal judge in Alabama has blocked the state from implementing a mass purge of voter registrations just weeks before Election Day, landing a major blow to Republican-led challenges to voter eligiblity.

A preliminary injunction — issued on Wednesday by Donald Trump-appointed Judge Anna Manasco — arrived days after the Department of Justice and civil rights groups filed lawsuits to stop the state from stripping voter registrations for more than 3,200 people.

Alabama’s Republican Secretary of State Wes Allen claimed that those voters were “issued noncitizen identification numbers,” and are therefore ineligible to cast a ballot.

But the lawsuits uncovered that voting-eligible citizens also ended up on that list...

Andrew Woodward explains how this fits in with wider attempts at voter suppression.

Trump-appointed judge blocks Alabama’s mass voter purge

Wednesday 16 October 2024 22:13 , Oliver O'Connell

Fulton Country District Attorney Fani Willis is asking a Georgia appeals court to reinstate six charges against Donald Trump and his co-defendants in the sprawling Georgia 2020 election interference case. This includes three charges against Trump himself.

Read the full filing here

Wednesday 16 October 2024 22:00 , Oliver O'Connell

After Jake Tapper plays a clip of Trump's "enemy within" comments, Sen. Markwayne Mullin claims Trump is being taken out of context and then serves up a word salad. pic.twitter.com/cMniHhagYi

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 16, 2024

Click here to read the full blog on The Independent's website