Connect with us

CNN

The latest on the 2024 presidential race

Published

on

Shania Shelton

By Shania Shelton, CNN

Updated 3:26 PM EDT, Sat September 28, 2024

Heading into the VP debate spotlight, Walz is fighting nerves

From CNN’s Edward-Isaac Dovere

Tim Walz is telling people he’s just as nervous about facing JD Vance as he was the Sunday afternoon in August when he warned Kamala Harris in his running mate interview that he was a bad debater.

Maybe more nervous, according to multiple people who’ve spoken to him.

Advertisement

And the pressure is even higher, when for the first time in modern campaign history, the vice presidential debate Tuesday is likely to be the last marquee event before Election Day. With many voters still saying they don’t know enough about Harris, it could be up to Walz to help convince them to trust a vice president he barely knew himself before she picked him.

Talking to the aides who have coalesced around him in Minnesota, Walz constantly comes back to how worried he is about letting Harris down, according to close to a dozen top campaign staffers and others who have been in touch with the governor and his team. He doesn’t want Donald Trump to win. He doesn’t want Harris to think she made the wrong choice.

He feels genuine contempt for and confusion over what he views as Vance’s abandonment of their common roots, and for flipping so many of his positions to fit with Trump. The digs he takes at Vance by saying he didn’t know many Midwesterners who went to Yale are a glimpse into his anxiety that his opponent learned to be a sharp debater there, according to people who know Walz.

Walz’s debate strategy: The plan for Tuesday night, several people involved told CNN, will be to largely skip Vance and go right at Trump — but to also squeeze the Ohio senator between his attempts to appeal to undecided voters.

Read more here.

Advertisement

20 min ago

Vance says only in America, where he wasn’t taught “to see skin color,” could he have fallen in love with his wife

From CNN’s Kit Maher in Monroeville, Pennsylvania

Sen. JD Vance and his wife Usha Vance take the stage during a rally in St. Cloud, Minnesota, on July 27.

Sen. JD Vance and his wife Usha Vance take the stage during a rally in St. Cloud, Minnesota, on July 27. Stephen Maturen/Getty Images/File

Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance addressed his biracial family and his journey to the Christian faith at a Saturday town hall hosted by evangelist Lance Wallnau in Monroeville, Pennsylvania.

Vance said he often fields questions about his children with his wife, Usha, who is the daughter of Indian immigrants. He also said that only in America, where he was taught not to “see skin color,” could they have fallen in love.

“I met this person that I thought was the most beautiful, most lovely, smartest, kindest human being in the entire world. And because I grew up in a country that didn’t teach us to see skin color, first and foremost, I fell in love with a person who wasn’t the same skin color as me, and that’s a cool thing that could only happen in the United States of America,” Vance said during a Q&A with pastor Jason Howard, founder of Sanctuary, a church in the Pittsburgh area.

Advertisement

“I think because I’ve got biracial children, and I’m sometimes asked by reporters, they’ll say, ‘Well, do you think your children should be Indian, or do you think they should be White?’ And I’ll say, ‘I think they should be American, because that’s what unites us together as a common family,’” Vance said.

Vance said he didn’t describe himself as a Christian as a young man – and he was skeptical about those who were devout Christians – but he came to his faith through Usha and was eventually baptized in 2019.

“I wanted to be a good husband to this woman I had fallen in love with, and I wanted to be a good father to the babies that I knew we were going to eventually have. And when you start asking yourself, ‘What do I need to do to be not a successful person, but a good person, to be a good husband and father?’ I kept on returning to the faith of Mamaw,” Vance said, referring to his grandmother, who helped raised him through his mother’s addiction troubles.

1 hr 53 min ago

Vance attempts to visit restaurant near Pittsburgh

From CNN’s Kit Maher

Advertisement

Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance attempted to make a stop at a restaurant near Pittsburgh this morning, but it was moved outdoors after an employee said they did not want a campaign event inside, according to reporters traveling with Vance.

It appeared the campaign did not get permission from the manager to come inside the restaurant with press and cameras. Vance briefly exited his motorcade but was instructed to get back inside while his team talked to staff.

A woman was heard saying, “No cameras. We’re not doing an event here. I’ve explained this a bunch of times. Folks are welcome to come and have lunch. We’re not having a campaign event here. I have explained this multiple times.”

A campaign official said the restaurant didn’t want the media taking video inside, so Vance’s team set up a photo line outside where supporters could meet the Ohio senator.

1 hr 29 min ago

Advertisement

Vance steps into debate spotlight with a knack for seizing the moment

From CNN’s Steve Contorno, Kristen Holmes and Kit Maher

Sen. JD Vance speaks during a town hall campaign event in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, on September 28.

Sen. JD Vance speaks during a town hall campaign event in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, on September 28. Rebecca Droke/AP

In the closing months of a crowded Republican primary for a US Senate seat in Ohio, JD Vance found himself stuck in the middle of the pack.

The pollster for a supportive super PAC warned that Vance’s campaign was in “precipitous decline,” arguing that he had failed to convince Republican voters of his conservative bona fides and loyalty to Donald Trump.

“Vance needs a course correction ASAP,” the pollster wrote in a February 2022 memo.

It arrived a month later. With the five main primary contenders meeting onstage for the umpteenth time, the two perceived front-runners nearly came to blows. As they stood nose to nose, one readied to fight while the other uttered a sexist expletive. Vance, seated at the edge of the stage, pounced.

Advertisement

“Think about what you just saw. This guy wants to be a US senator and he’s up here, ‘Hold me back. Hold me back,’” Vance said to loud applause. “What a joke. Answer the question. Stop playing around.”

It was a breakthrough moment for Vance, one that led to a second look from GOP voters in his state and from Trump. Clips of the exchange and other debate moments impressed Trump, sources told CNN, and played a role in Vance securing a race-defining endorsement from the former president.

On Tuesday, that ability will be tested once again. Vance, now the Republican nominee for vice president, will join his Democratic counterpart, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, for the first time on a debate stage in New York.

Vance, at just 40 years old and two years into his political career, is still a largely unproven commodity. Also unknown is whether he can successfully pick apart the Democratic ticket while improving — or at least not further jeopardizing — his likability among voters.

Read more on Vance’s story.

Advertisement

2 hr 8 min ago

Biden says Trump would rather cross picket lines than walk one in call with union workers

From CNN’s Aileen Graef and Samatha Waldenberg

President Joe Biden told union workers Saturday that former President Donald Trump would “rather cross” picket lines than join one while touting his administration’s pro-worker efforts.

“You know, do you think he has any idea about the work you do every day?” he said of his predecessor while speaking via phone to the North America’s Building Trade Unions.

“Hell, with regard to picket lines, he’d rather cross one instead of walking one. Kamala and I have no problem walking it. We did, and we’ll always walk alongside you,” he added.

Advertisement

Biden also touted the job creation under the administration as well as efforts to expand affordable child care and protections for pregnant and postpartum workers.

Some background: This isn’t the first time Biden and Trump have thrown shots at each other while discussing union workers.

Biden joined members of the United Auto Workers on the picket line last year in Michigan at a time he was facing consistently low polling numbers on his handling of economic issues.

The visit was slammed by Trump, who claimed Biden “had no intention” of walking the picket line until the former president said he would make a speech in Michigan. Ahead of Trump’s speech to union members in Detroit, Biden’s campaign rolled out an ad criticizing the former president’s treatment of autoworkers.

2 hr 25 min ago

Advertisement

Here’s what the campaigns are up to this weekend

From CNN staff

As former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris race to make their pitches to voters ahead of Election Day, both campaigns are busy on the trail this weekend. Here’s what they’re up to.

Saturday

Trump: The former president will deliver remarks at a campaign event in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, at 3:30 p.m. ET. Trump will later attend the Alabama-Georgia game in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Vance: Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance will attend a town hall in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, at 1 p.m. ET, before heading to Newton, Pennsylvania, for a campaign rally at 5:15 p.m. ET.

Advertisement

Harris: The vice president will attend a fundraiser in San Francisco.

Walz: Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz will hold a voter registration event with students, organizers and leaders in Superior Charter Township, Michigan. Later in the afternoon, he will attend the University of Michigan vs. University of Minnesota football game. Walz will then travel to Harbor Springs, Michigan, where he will remain through Tuesday to prepare for his debate with Vance.

Sunday

Trump: The former president will hold a campaign rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, at 2 p.m. ET.

Harris: The vice president is expected to attend a fundraiser in Los Angeles, before holding a rally in Las Vegas.

Advertisement

2 hr 52 min ago

Harris embraces the border as a key issue

From CNN’s Eric Bradner

Vice President Kamala Harris visits the US-Mexico border in Douglas, Arizona, on September 27.

Vice President Kamala Harris visits the US-Mexico border in Douglas, Arizona, on September 27. Rebecca Noble/AFP/Getty Images

Vice President Kamala Harris made an aggressive move to cut into Donald Trump’s polling lead on immigration, traveling to the southern border for the first time as the Democratic nominee on Friday to lay out her plans to tackle what she described as a problem that has languished for decades.

Harris, during her trip to the key swing state of Arizona, lambasted Trump for his role earlier this year in tanking a border security bill that was the product of months of bipartisan negotiations.

It was one of Harris’ more specific policy speeches since becoming the Democratic nominee, attempting to use her past as California’s attorney general to prove that she has what it takes to attack Trump on his signature issue.

Advertisement

“It was the strongest border security bill we have seen in decades. It was endorsed by the Border Patrol union. And it should be in effect today, producing results in real time, right now, for our country,” she said at a rally in Douglas, a town on the US-Mexico border.

“But Donald Trump tanked it. He picked up the phone and called some friends in Congress and said, ‘Stop the bill,’” she said. “He prefers to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem. And the American people deserve a president who cares more about border security than playing political games and their personal political future.”

Read more here.

2 hr 57 min ago

Harris plans to troll Trump over second debate during Alabama-Georgia football game

From CNN’s Kaitlan Collins

Advertisement
Vice President Kamala Harris attends a campaign event in Madison, Wisconsin, on September 20.

Vice President Kamala Harris attends a campaign event in Madison, Wisconsin, on September 20. Jim Vondruska/Reuters

When former President Donald Trump looks up from his seat in Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday night during the Alabama-Georgia football game, he may see more than just 100,000 fans watching a high-stakes college football showdown. That’s because Vice President Kamala Harris plans to troll her opponent over his refusal to debate her for a second time — from the skies.

The Harris campaign has arranged to have a small plane fly over Tuscaloosa during the game with a banner declaring, “Trump’s Punting on 2nd Debate.”

It’s a challenge that won’t just be visible to those cheering on the Crimson Tide or the Georgia Bulldogs from the stands, a campaign official told CNN. The Harris campaign will also air a national ad during one of the most highly anticipated games of college football where she calls on the former president to meet her on the debate stage one more time.

“Winners never back down from a challenge,” the ad’s narrator says. “Champions know it’s any time, any place. But losers, they whine and waffle and take their ball home.”

Read more here.

Advertisement

4 hr 41 min ago

Harris and Walz to launch Central Pennsylvania bus tour following Tuesday night vice presidential debate

From CNN’s DJ Judd

Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speak on their campaign bus in Rochester, Pennsylvania, during a tour of western Pennsylvania on August 18.

Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speak on their campaign bus in Rochester, Pennsylvania, during a tour of western Pennsylvania on August 18. Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, will hit the trail Wednesday immediately after Tuesday night’s VP debate between Walz and Republican vice presidential hopeful JD Vance, the campaign said Friday, making multiple stops during a bus tour through central Pennsylvania.

Per a campaign official, the Wednesday swing will mark the first time the Democratic ticket has campaigned together in Central Pennsylvania. The tour also marks the first joint public appearance for Harris and Walz together since they rallied supporters and sat with CNN’s Dana Bash for a joint interview last month.

“The swing will showcase how the Democratic ticket is unified and working hard to rally voters behind their vision for a new way forward for America – especially Vice President Harris’ economic plan, which will invest in manufacturing in Pennsylvania,” an official said in a statement Friday.

Advertisement

CNN reported earlier this week that Walz will hunker down in Harbor Springs, Michigan, for a “debate camp” ahead of the Tuesday-night showdown with Vance. He is scheduled to attend the University of Michigan Wolverines football game in Ann Arbor on Saturday as well.

5 hr 7 min ago

North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson was treated for second-degree burns following incident at campaign event

From CNN’s Dianne Gallagher

North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson speaks at a conference in Washington, DC, on June 21.

North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson speaks at a conference in Washington, DC, on June 21. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images/File

North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson was treated for second-degree burns at Northern Regional Hospital “following an incident at a campaign event” in Mount Airy on Friday night, according to Mike Lonergan, communications director for Robinson’s gubernatorial campaign.

Lonergan added in a statement that Robinson “is in good spirits, appreciates the outpouring of well wishes, and is excited to return to the campaign trail as scheduled first thing tomorrow morning.”

Advertisement

Robinson’s burns stemmed from an accident at an automotive show and no foul play was involved, a law enforcement source told CNN.

Robinson, North Carolina’s Republican nominee for governor, had made several campaign stops around the state on Friday, according to a previously provided schedule and social media posts. His final stop was the Mayberry Truck Show and Parade in Mount Airy, where the incident occurred.

The campaign has not provided any further details about the incident.

NewsNation was first to report his hospitalization, which a source close to his campaign confirmed to CNN earlier Friday night.

Robinson’s hospitalization comes amid continued fallout from CNN’s reporting on the lieutenant governor’s past inflammatory comments on a pornography website’s message board.

Advertisement

Read more about Robinson.

5 hr 15 min ago

Trump and Vance respond to Harris on border

From CNN’s Kate Sullivan, Kit Maher and Eric Bradner

Former President Donald Trump and Sen. JD Vance are responding on social media to Vice President Kamala Harris’ trip to the border on Friday.

Harris, during her trip to the key swing state of Arizona, lambasted Trump for his role earlier this year in tanking a border security bill that was the product of months of bipartisan negotiations.

Advertisement

“It was the strongest border security bill we have seen in decades. It was endorsed by the Border Patrol union. And it should be in effect today, producing results in real time, right now, for our country,” she said at a rally in Douglas, a town on the US-Mexico border.

Trump responded to Harris’ speech and argued the remarks were “too late!”

“Why didn’t Kamala make this speech four years ago? It’s too late! She has damaged our Country beyond recognition. There is no excuse for what she has done. She is guilty of CRIMES! Now she is begging for forgiveness, but our Country will never forgive her for this GROSS INCOMPETENCE at the Border. ONLY I CAN FIX IT. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Trump posted on Truth Social.

Vance, meanwhile, weighed in on a post from Harris in which she said: “As your president, I will protect our nation’s sovereignty, secure our border, and work to fix our broken system of immigration. And I will partner with Democrats, Republicans, and Independents to do it.”

Vance’s response: “That’s cool but can you just do it now? You’re the sitting Vice President.”

Advertisement

Harris visited the US-Mexico border on Friday as part of an effort to go on the offensive on an issue that Trump has made central to his reelection bid.

5 hr 17 min ago

Harris uses her record as attorney general to make the case that she can handle border crisis

From CNN’s Kaanita Iyer

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks in Douglas, Arizona, on September 27.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks in Douglas, Arizona, on September 27. Carolyn Kaster/AP

During remarks following her first visit to the US-Mexico border as the Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris touted her record as the attorney general of California to argue that she would effectively handle border security as immigration has emerged as a top issue on the campaign trail.

“The issue of border security is not a new issue to me,” Harris said in Douglas, Arizona. “I was attorney general of a border state for two terms. I saw the violence and chaos that transnational criminal organizations cause, and the heartbreak and loss from the spread of their illicit drugs.”

Advertisement

Harris listed that she has “walked through tunnels that traffickers used to smuggle contraband,” broke up a heroin trafficking ring connected to Mexican cartels and was California’s first attorney general to issue an analysis on the threats that transnational criminal organizations pose “to public safety and to the economy.”

“Stopping transnational organizations and strengthening our border is not new to me and it is a longstanding priority of mine,” Harris said. “I have done that work and I will continue to treat it as a priority when I am elected president of the United States.”

5 hr 4 min ago

New CNN poll finds Harris with narrow lead over Trump in Michigan and no clear leader in Wisconsin

From CNN’s Jennifer Agiesta

The latest polling in the upper Midwest battleground of Michigan finds Vice President Kamala Harris with a narrow lead over former President Donald Trump among likely voters there, while the race is tighter, with no clear leader, in neighboring Wisconsin, according to two new CNN Poll of Polls averages in each state.

Advertisement

Harris leads Trump 49% to 45% in the Michigan average, while in Wisconsin, it’s 49% Harris to 47% Trump, an average within the typical margin of sampling error for most polls. Harris held a lead in three of the four polls included in the Michigan average, while in Wisconsin, Harris held a lead outside the margin of error in just one poll, while the other three suggested no clear leader in the race.

A new batch of polls from the New York Times and Siena College released this morning, which are included in these averages, finds no clear leader among likely voters in Michigan (Harris and Trump even at 46%) or Wisconsin (Harris at 48%, Trump at 46%), with Trump leading Harris in Ohio (Trump at 49% to Harris’ 43%) and Harris ahead by a sizable margin in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District (51% Harris to 42% Trump), mirroring CNN’s recent polling there. These results reflect the presidential matchup including named third party candidates, margins between Harris and Trump were similar in each poll in a two-way matchup.

The Ohio poll finds incumbent Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown at 47% to Republican Bernie Moreno’s 43% among likely voters, a margin narrowly within that poll’s margin of error. Democrats have the advantage in the Senate races in Michigan (Democrat Elissa Slotkin holds 47% support to Republican Mike Rogers’ 42%) and Wisconsin (Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin has 50% to Republican Eric Hovde’s 43%).

6 hr 1 min ago

Driver claimed to have explosive device in car at Trump event Friday, but no device was found

From CNN’s Kristen Holmes, David Brooks and Holmes Lybrand

Advertisement
Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event in Walker, Michigan, on September 27.

Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event in Walker, Michigan, on September 27. Scott Olson/Getty Images

A driver approached a vehicle checkpoint at former President Donald Trump’s rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Friday and claimed he had an explosive in his trunk, according to a source familiar with the matter.

The male driver attempted to plow through the checkpoint but was stopped, and no shots were fired, the source said. No explosive device was found, though a federal official told CNN that lawn fertilizer was found in the trunk.

The agents who stopped the driver were Homeland Security Investigations agents who were assisting the Secret Service, the federal official said.

A Secret Service spokesperson said in a statement: “An individual was arrested by the Walker Police Department,” and thanked their support in protecting Trump.

CNN has reached to the Walker Police Department for comment.

Advertisement

5 hr 59 min ago

Trump repeats talking points about immigration and economy during Michigan town hall

From CNN’s Kate Sullivan

Former President Donald Trump speaks at a town hall event in Warren, Michigan, on September 27.

Former President Donald Trump speaks at a town hall event in Warren, Michigan, on September 27. Paul Sancya/AP

Former President Donald Trump held a relatively brief town hall in Warren, Michigan, on Friday in which he repeated his usual talking points about illegal immigration and the economy.

He fielded a few questions from voters in the town hall that lasted about 40 minutes and was moderated by Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn. He again lied about being named “Man of the Year” in Michigan before he ran for president — something he has falsely claimed since he ran for president in 2016.

Trump, at one point, attempted to tie together rising grocery prices and the influx of migrants at the border.

Advertisement

“When you look at groceries, I think it’s a thing that really I always say this is an election that, I used to say, determined by the stomach. Actually, I don’t believe that anymore,” Trump said. “I think it’s now determined by the brain because nobody wants to have criminals pouring into our country. Nobody wants any of these horrible things happening to our country.”

The town hall in Warren was Trump’s second event of the day in Michigan. The first was in Walker, Michigan.

4 hr 19 min ago

Iranian hackers were indicted Friday for allegedly trying to impersonate Ginni Thomas to target Trump campaign

From CNN’s Sean Lyngaas, Hannah Rabinowitz, Evan Perez and Jennifer Hansler

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 29: Virginia Thomas, conservative activist and wife of Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, leaves a closed door meeting with House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol, on Capitol Hill on September 29, 2022 in Washington, DC. Last week according to media reports, Thomas's lawyer said she agreed to meet with the committee to answer questions about her work related to the 2020 election. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Ginni Thomas, a conservative activist and wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, leaves a meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, in 2022. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Ginni Thomas, a conservative activist and wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, was among the prominent political figures that Iranian hackers sought to impersonate as part of their efforts to target people associated with former President Donald Trump, according to court documents and law enforcement officials briefed on the matter.

Advertisement

US federal prosecutors on Friday unsealed criminal charges against three Iranian government-linked hackers in connection with a hacking operation aimed at Trump.

The indictment doesn’t identify Ginni Thomas by name, but it states that between April and May 2024, the hackers used the persona set up in the name of the justice’s spouse to send spearphishing emails to a former homeland security adviser and to a former US president, among other targets.

The hackers had set up a fake email account in Ginni Thomas’ name in April 2020, according to the indictment and law enforcement officials, but it wasn’t until four years later that they used that account in their efforts.

More context: Between June and August 2024, the hackers used access to a Trump campaign official’s personal email account to steal “debate preparation” material and information on potential vice presidential candidates, according to the indictment. The leak of some of that material to US media outlets was part of an Iranian effort to stoke discord during the election, the Justice Department alleged.

Read more here.

Advertisement

5 hr 4 min ago

Harris and Trump tied in North Carolina, while vice president leads in Nebraska’s 2nd District, CNN polls show

From CNN’s Ariel Edwards-Levy

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. Reuters, Getty Images

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are tied among likely voters in North Carolina, while Harris holds a comfortable lead in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, according to two new CNN polls conducted by SSRS.

The North Carolina survey also shows scandal-plagued Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson trailing his Democratic opponent by a wide margin in the state’s gubernatorial race.

Both places could be key to either Harris or Trump winning the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency. Trump faces limited paths to victory should he fail to hold North Carolina – the state where he earned his slimmest margin of victory in 2020 – and a win in Nebraska’s 2nd District would open up a path for Harris through the northern “blue wall” states even if she fails to carry any of the Sun Belt battlegrounds.

Advertisement

In North Carolina, Harris and Trump stand at 48% each among likely voters. In Nebraska’s 2nd District, the so-called blue dot encompassing Omaha, Harris has 53% to Trump’s 42%, the poll finds.

North Carolina, which narrowly supported Barack Obama in 2008 and has gone red in the past three presidential elections, is a state Democrats hope to make competitive again this year. Nebraska, meanwhile, is one of two states, along with Maine, that splits its Electoral College votes – awarding two to the statewide winner, with the other three awarded separately to the winner of each of the state’s congressional districts.

Read more about the poll here.

6 hr 16 min ago

These are the rules Vance and Walz will have to follow in the vice presidential debate

From CNN’s Kit Maher

Advertisement
Sen. JD Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

Sen. JD Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Getty Images

The network notes it “reserves the right to mute the candidates’ microphones,” however, unlike the presidential debates, mics will be otherwise be hot, according to a release from CBS News.

Walz will appear on the right side of the screen to viewers and Vance on the left side. As the candidate of the incumbent party, Walz will be introduced to the stage first.

The candidate who is asked a question will have two minutes to answer and the other candidate will have two minutes to respond. Candidates will have one minute for additional rebuttals. An additional minute to continue a topic may be given at the moderator’s discretion.

Candidates are not permitted to interact with staff during breaks. They are provided a pen, a pad of paper and a water bottle, but no props or pre-written notes are allowed. There will be two commercial breaks four minutes each.

The debate begins at 9 p.m. ET in New York City and is moderated by Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan.

Advertisement

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CNN

Joe Rogan endorses Trump on eve of the election

Published

on

Alayna Treene
Kate Sullivan

 

By Alayna Treene and Kate Sullivan, CNN

 2 minute read 

Published 9:43 PM EST, Mon November 4, 2024

Advertisement
Joe Rogan is seen at the ceremonial weigh-in for the UFC 292 mixed martial arts event, Friday, Aug. 18, 2023, in Boston.

Joe Rogan is seen at the ceremonial weigh-in for the UFC 292 mixed martial arts event, Friday, Aug. 18, 2023, in Boston. Gregory Payan/AP/FileCNN — 

Popular podcast host Joe Rogan officially endorsed Donald Trump on the eve of the election, a move Trump’s team swiftly touted as a major win in the final hours of their campaign.

Rogan on Monday released his latest podcast featuring a two-and-a-half-hour interview with billionaire X owner and top Trump surrogate Elon Musk. Rogan then posted on X: “The great and powerful @elonmusk. If it wasn’t for him we’d be f**ked. He makes what I think is the most compelling case for Trump you’ll hear, and I agree with him every step of the way.”

“For the record, yes, that’s an endorsement of Trump. Enjoy the podcast,” he added.

The endorsement comes just weeks after Rogan interviewed Trump on “The Joe Rogan Experience,” an interview that was months in the making for the Trump campaign and viewed widely by the former president’s advisers as the crowning achievement of their media strategy to target young men and low-propensity voters by having Trump appear on podcasts catering to the demographic.

Trump, who was onstage in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for his penultimate rally when Rogan made the endorsement, swiftly touted the development.

Advertisement

“It just came over the wires that Joe Rogan just endorsed me, is that great. Thank you, Joe. That’s so nice. And he doesn’t do that, he doesn’t do that stuff,” Trump said.

Trump said, “And he tends to be a little bit more liberal than some of the people in this room.”

Last week, Rogan posted on X that he had declined an offer from Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign to do an interview.

“Also, for the record the Harris campaign has not passed on doing the podcast. They offered a date for Tuesday, but I would have had to travel to her and they only wanted to do an hour. I strongly feel the best way to do it is in the studio in Austin,” Rogan said. “My sincere wish is to just have a nice conversation and get to know her as a human being. I really hope we can make it happen.”

The Harris campaign declined to comment on Rogan’s post.

Advertisement

Continue Reading

CNN

Trump describes US as an occupied country in dark closing message focused on immigration

Published

on

Eric Bradner
Kate Sullivan

 

By Eric Bradner and Kate Sullivan, CNN

 4 minute read 

Updated 2:10 AM EST, Tue November 5, 2024

Advertisement
Former President Donald Trump gestures during a campaign rally in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Monday, November 4.

Former President Donald Trump gestures during a campaign rally in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Monday, November 4. Charly Triballeau/AFP/Getty ImagesCNN — 

Donald Trump described the United States as an “occupied country,” pointing to both undocumented and legal migrants as he pledged Monday to “rescue every city and town that has been invaded and conquered.”

The former president’s comments, at his election eve rally in the critical battleground state of Pennsylvania, underscore the dark and dystopian image he is portraying as he and Vice President Kamala Harris make their final arguments to voters ahead of Tuesday’s election.

Trump made little distinction between undocumented immigrants he said had overrun an apartment complex in Colorado and thousands of Haitian migrants who entered the United States legally and live in Springfield, Ohio.

“These are military invasions without the uniforms. That’s all it is,” Trump said, as he vowed to launch a massive deportation effort.

Trump was closing his third presidential campaign Monday with the same anti-immigration rhetoric that he used to launch his first White House bid. He described a nation in decline, overrun by migrant crime, much as he did in his first inaugural address, when he vowed to stop the “American carnage.”

Advertisement

The former president said he would target migrant gangs, ban sanctuary cities and seek the death penalty for any migrant that kills a US citizen. He invited conservative commentator Megyn Kelly on stage. Kelly listed several people killed by undocumented immigrants. Her appearance was particularly notable after Trump ripped Kelly for the way she asked him tough questions while moderating a Republican presidential primary debate in 2015, starting off months of sparring over social media and in subsequent interviews.

Trump also said he would rejuvenate US manufacturing by imposing steep tariffs on automotive products manufactured in Mexico, steel made in China and more – a proposal that economists have said would increase inflation, because the businesses charged those tariffs for importing foreign-made goods would pass the additional costs on to American consumers.

“Four years of Kamala have delivered nothing but economic hell for the American workers,” Trump said.

And Trump railed against the length of time it takes for votes to be counted and the usage of electronic voting machines, calling for single-day voting that would all be done on paper. It was a long discussion that is contrary to previous messaging from Trump and his campaign, which has encouraged people to vote early.

“I do believe it is too big to rig. I think it’s too big to rig. They’ll try. And they are trying, you know, but it’s too big to rig. This is a big movement. This is, you know, we did great in 2016, we did much better in 2020 but a lot of bad things happened,” Trump said. “This is that big, powerful, vicious party, though. No, it’s a vicious machine. I mean, they can take all these bad ideas and win elections. It’s like, there’s only a way you can do that. One way, there’s only one way.”

Advertisement

He added, “We have to win the old fashioned way and then fix it. But we have to fix it. We can’t allow this to happen. And remember, the states are essentially an agent, if I can use that term, but they’re an agent of the federal government. The states are doing the collecting, so to speak, and they have to take their orders from the federal government. And how can they do this when they say it’s going to take days long.”

The former president’s closing message of the 2024 race was a familiar one, as he delivered a lengthy speech in Pittsburgh – his third of four rallies scheduled for Monday after visits to North Carolina and eastern Pennsylvania with one more stop in Michigan. In a nod to the city’s sporting history, Trump discussed Pittsburgh Pirates’ star Roberto Clemente for an extended period near the end of his speech and brought the late Puerto Rican star’s son on stage for a few words.

Harris also ended her campaign with a blitz across Pennsylvania. The two candidates’ time spent in the Keystone State underscores the importance of its 19 electoral college votes — without which both candidates’ paths to the 270 necessary to win the presidency would be much more daunting.

Both campaigns have largely focused on seven battlegrounds: the “blue wall” of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, which Trump won in 2016 but President Joe Biden reclaimed in 2020, and four Sun Belt states: Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and North Carolina.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

CNN

Trump argues he’s really running against “an evil Democrat system,” not Harris, during his final rally

Published

on

From CNN’s Kate Sullivan

Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan on November 5.

Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan on November 5. Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP/Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump argued during the final rally of his campaign that his real opponent this election was not Vice President Kamala Harris but instead “an evil Democrat system.”

“We will defeat the corrupt system in Washington. Because I’m not running against Kamala, I’m running against an evil Democrat system. These are evil people,” Trump said during his rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, that started well after midnight.

“The silent majority is back and tomorrow you need to get out and vote,” Trump said.

Advertisement

“This has been an incredible journey. And it’s very sad in a way, because, you know, we’ve done all these, and this is the last one, but here’s the good news, all we were doing is putting ourselves in a position to win, which we can do tomorrow very easily if we show up,” he added.

33 min ago

It’s decision day in America. Here’s what to watch for

From CNN’s Eric Bradner and Gregory Krieg

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. AP

It’s decision day for voters in America’s battle for the White House and control of Congress — even if the results could take days or weeks to sort through.

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are hoping to win over seven swing states: Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, the three Great Lakes states that make up the “blue wall” that Trump cracked in 2016 but President Joe Biden carried in 2020, and Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and North Carolina, the four Sun Belt battlegrounds.

Advertisement

While the election of either candidate would be historic, there’s much more being decided Tuesday, including five states — Arizona, Florida, Missouri, Nebraska and South Dakota — voting on whether to turn back abortion bans with constitutional amendments.

Republicans hope to take advantage of a favorable Senate map, with Democrats defending seats in the red-leaning states of Montana, Ohio and West Virginia. The party’s hopes of holding onto its narrow House majority winds from the coast of Maine through New York’s Hudson Valley, the rolling hills of Virginia’s Piedmont, a “blue dot” in Nebraska and into California’s Orange County, where the political ebbs and flows of the Trump era have been on vivid display.

The initial results in the hours after polls close might not be determinative. States decide their own election procedures, and the order in which states count early, mail-in and Election Day votes varies across the map — as does how quickly certain cities, counties and regions report their results.

Read more about what to expect from the day.

38 min ago

Advertisement

Trump finishes final campaign rally after speaking for nearly 2 hours

From CNN’s Jessie Yeung

Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Tuesday.

Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Tuesday. Paul Sancya/AP

Former President Donald Trump has ended his final campaign rally after speaking for nearly two hours in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

He repeated many of his campaign promises, such as vowing to impose hefty tariffs and to crack down on illegal immigration.

At one point he also brought several of his children and their spouses to the stage, who delivered brief remarks, including Tiffany, Eric and Donald Jr.

His marathon address ends a long campaign trail — with Trump saying he had attended more than 900 rallies this year.

Advertisement

2 hr ago

Walz says he’s disappointed but not surprised the race is so closely contested

From CNN’s Aaron Pellish

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz participates in an interview with Stephen Colbert.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz participates in an interview with Stephen Colbert. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert/CBS

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said he’s disappointed the race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump is so closely contested.

In an interview on CBS’ “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” taped in Bucks County, Pennsylvania last Thursday, Walz laid out the contrast between the two candidates to show that the difference is “stark.”

He said of the election being so closely contested: “It disappoints me, I think, because I think that the choice is so stark, but it’s not surprising.”

Advertisement

“The country’s really divided. There’s been a group of people out there who figured that out, and I think they’ve done a wonderful job of making people think it doesn’t matter, everybody’s the same,” Walz said.

Walz then laid out how he saw the differences between Harris and Trump, particularly noting insults directed toward Puerto Rico made by a speaker at a Trump rally in October.

“In this case, you’ve got the Constitution versus not the Constitution. You’ve got reproductive rights versus I don’t care if you like it or not. I’ll tell you what to do, from Donald Trump in closing with insulting people. I know we’re sitting in Pennsylvania, there’s — there’s 500,000 Puerto Ricans here, and Puerto Ricans, as all Americans, are very proud of where they come from,” he said.

In the past, Walz has expressed some disbelief at the competitiveness of the presidential election. He has regularly mused at private fundraisers and campaign stops that “I’ll go to my grave not understanding” how the election is so close.

1 hr 42 min ago

Advertisement

Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake says “silent majority” will back her and Trump

From CNN’s Veronica Stracqualursi

Kari Lake speaks at a campaign rally, Monday, November 4, in Prescott, Arizona.

Kari Lake speaks at a campaign rally, Monday, November 4, in Prescott, Arizona. Julio Cortez/AP

Arizona Republican Senate candidate Kari Lake has held her final campaign rally, telling supporters that on Tuesday they have “a chance to change the trajectory of this country and save this Republic.”

Campaigning on the steps of the Yavapai County Courthouse in Prescott, Arizona on Monday — where US Sen. Barry Goldwater of Arizona launched his presidential campaign — Lake, a former TV newscaster up against Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego in a key Senate race, argued that the “Make America Great Again” movement “is not dead,” and claimed that a “silent majority” will back her and former President Donald Trump tomorrow.

Lake and Gallego, a Marine veteran who represents Arizona’s 3rd congressional district, are vying for the pivotal Senate seat held by independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema.

Lake, who did not concede her 2022 election loss and promoted Trump’s false theories about the 2020 election, said she believes in “fair and honest elections” and argued “I really believe that our Founding Fathers never envisioned we’d have elections that are run so horribly.”

Advertisement

“That’s why they never put in term limits because they figured we’d be able to vote the people that we didn’t respect out of office. And unfortunately, we haven’t been able to do that. And we’re going to change that after January. But the only way to change that is to show up in such a massive movement that we have their heads spinning,” she said, pointing to the media.

She also thanked GOP congressional candidate Abe Hamadeh and said: “When they did to us what they did to us in 2022, and everyone else ran and hid, guess who stood with me and said, damn it, we’re going to fight — Abe Hamadeh.”

She argued the election is not “Republican-Democrat anymore” but “Americanism versus communism.”

2 hr 6 min ago

Trump teases using sexist language to refer to Nancy Pelosi

From CNN’s Jessie Yeung

Advertisement
Former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Tuesday, November 5.

Former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Tuesday, November 5. Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP/Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump slammed US Rep. Nancy Pelosi during his final rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, verging on using a profanity to describe the former House Speaker.

“She’s a crooked person, she’s a bad person. Evil, she’s an evil, sick, crazy bi— It starts with a ‘B’ but I won’t say it. I wanna say it,” Trump said to cheers from the crowd.

“I don’t use much (foul language), you know, every once in a while, and it’s never a real bad word, it’s never bad … But it is a little better when you use foul language. These are bad people,” he said.

Trump constantly rails against Pelosi and recently called the California Democrat “an enemy from within.”

Throughout the end of his campaign trail, Trump’s message has gotten increasingly dark and often offensive. At an event in North Carolina last week, Trump chuckled approvingly at an audience member’s suggestion that Vice President Kamala Harris worked as a sex worker.

Advertisement

2 hr 40 min ago

Harris will spend Election Day doing radio interviews

From CNN’s Brian Rokus

Vice President Kamala Harris will spend Election Day in Washington, DC and participate in radio interviews, according to her office.

2 hr 38 min ago

Trump has held his final campaign rally in Grand Rapids in 3 presidential races

From CNN’s Jessie Yeung

Advertisement

Former President Donald Trump has taken the stage in Grand Rapids, Michigan — giving the city a special shout-out for being the location of his final rallies in past presidential campaigns.

“I want to say a very special hello to Grand Rapids, it’s been a special place, remember 2016?” he said to a cheering crowd that chanted his name.

Trump previously also finished his campaign trail in the city in 2016 and 2020.

2 hr 52 min ago

NOW: Trump is speaking at his final rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan

From CNN staff

Advertisement
Former President Donald Trump walks on stage for his final campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Monday, November 4.

Former President Donald Trump walks on stage for his final campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Monday, November 4. Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP/Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump is speaking at his final rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he ended both his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. His remarks were originally slated for 10:30 p.m. ET.

Grand Rapids is a Western Michigan city in Kent County, which swung from Trump in 2016 to Joe Biden in 2020.

2 hr 24 min ago

Harris and Trump tie in Dixville Notch midnight vote to kick off Election Day

From CNN’s Gary Tuchman

Video Ad Feedback

Advertisement

00:52 – Source: CNN

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have tied with three votes each in the tiny New Hampshire township of Dixville Notch, kicking off Election Day in one of the first places in the country to report its presidential preference.

Four Republicans and two undeclared voters participated.

The unincorporated township, located along the US-Canada border in New Hampshire’s northern tip, opened and closed its poll just after midnight ET in a tradition that dates back to 1960.

Read more about how Dixville Notch voted.

Advertisement

3 hr 17 min ago

Harris calls on Pennsylvania voters to turn out, saying “the race ain’t over yet”

From CNN’s Jessie Yeung

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Monday, November 4.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Monday, November 4. Hannah McKay/Reutes

Speaking at her final campaign rally in Philadelphia before Election Day on Monday night, Vice President Kamala Harris said her team was “optimistic and excited” — but urged voters to make their voices heard, saying Pennsylvania could “decide the outcome” of the election.

“The race ain’t over yet, and we must finish strong. This could be one of the closest races in history. Every single vote matters,” she said.

“With only a few hours left, we still have work to do, and as you’ve heard me say before, we like hard work,” she added.

Advertisement

At points, the crowd broke into cheers of “We will win” and “We’re not going back.”

Harris reiterated several campaign promises, such as lowering the cost of living, housing, childcare, elderly home care, and taxes for workers and small businesses. She also vowed to pass a bill to restore reproductive freedoms after the rolling back of Roe v. Wade.

She sought to contrast herself with Donald Trump by using several familiar refrains — such as promising a seat at the table to those who disagree with her, compared to the former president’s often vehement rhetoric against his political opponents.

“We started this campaign 107 days ago,” she said. “From the beginning, ours has not been a fight against something, it has been a fight for something. A fight for a future with freedom, with opportunity, and with dignity for all Americans.”
“Tonight, we finish as we started — with optimism, with energy, with joy, knowing that we the people have the power to shape our future, and that we can confront any challenge we face when we do it together.”

3 hr 32 min ago

Advertisement

NOW: Harris speaking in Philadelphia in final rally before Election Day

From CNN staff

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Monday,November 4.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Monday,November 4. Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images

Vice President Kamala Harris is speaking at a rally in Philadelphia, her final stop in front of voters before Election Day.

Harris has made the key battleground of Pennsylvania her priority on Monday with several stops across the state culminating in her final one in the state’s largest city.

She was joined by Oprah Winfrey and Lady Gaga, among other celebrities, musicians and elected officials at the famous “Rocky Steps” at the Philadelphia Museum of the Arts.

3 hr 20 min ago

Advertisement

Oprah takes the stage at Harris rally with 10 first-time young voters

From CNN’s Jessie Yeung

US television producer Oprah Winfrey arrives on stage with 10 first-time Philadelphia voters during a rally for Kamala Harris in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on November 4, 2024.

US television producer Oprah Winfrey arrives on stage with 10 first-time Philadelphia voters during a rally for Kamala Harris in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on November 4, 2024. Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images

Oprah Winfrey took the stage at Kamala Harris’ final rally in Philadelphia on Monday night alongside 10 young people – all first time voters.

“The policies that Kamala Harris has proposed for women’s reproductive rights and education equality are what led me to cast my ballot for her,” one voter told Winfrey.

Another first-time voter said it was especially significant for him as an African American to “exercise my right to vote, which my ancestors fought so hard for.”

“We don’t get to sit this one out,” Oprah said.

Advertisement

“If we don’t show up tomorrow, it is entirely possible that we will not have the opportunity to ever cast a ballot again.”

“We are voting for healing over hate,” she said.

“What you can do for your country, what you can do for democracy here, and what you can do for the spirit of John Lewis and all the others who dared to walk across that bridge in Selma and fight for justice for us all … What you can do for every pregnant young woman who has died bc she was not eligible to receive the emergency medical care she desperately needed bc of an abortion ban, what you can do for everyone and everything you cherish — is vote.”

3 hr 46 min ago

Lady Gaga performs “God Bless America” at Harris’ final rally in Philadelphia

From CNN’s Jessie Yeung

Advertisement
 Lady Gaga waves before performing during a campaign rally for Vice President Kamala Harris in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Monday, November 4. (

Lady Gaga waves before performing during a campaign rally for Vice President Kamala Harris in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Monday, November 4. ( Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images

Musical superstar Lady Gaga appeared at Vice President Kamala Harris’ final rally in Philadelphia, performing a rendition of “God Bless America.”

“For more than half of this country’s life, women didn’t have a voice. Yet we raised children, we held our families together, we supported men as they made the decisions,” she said in brief remarks after her performance. “But tomorrow, women will be a part of making this decision.”

Oprah Winfrey is also expected to make an appearance tonight, before Harris delivers remarks.

3 hr 28 min ago

Walz focuses on abortion during final campaign rally in Michigan

From CNN’s Aaron Pellish

Advertisement

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz focused heavily on access to abortion and reproductive health care, driving home a core message of Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign in Detroit, Michigan on Monday.

In his remarks at Hart Plaza overlooking the Detroit River, Walz reiterated his attacks on former president Donald Trump, who claimed to be the “protector” of women and said he would look after women “whether they like it or not” at a campaign rally in Wisconsin last week.

He also made a direct pitch to male voters on abortion, asking them to consider the implications of abortion restrictions on the women in their lives.

“Let me speak to the guys in the crowd tonight. I want you to think about the women in your life that you love. Their lives are at stake in this election. Donald Trump appointed those Supreme Court justices who repealed Roe versus Wade, and he brags about it. He is glad that those women you’re thinking about and you love have fewer rights than their mothers and their grandmothers,” he said.

“We’re seeing women turned away from emergency rooms, miscarrying in parking lots, whether they like it or not. Survivors of rape being forced to carry those pregnancies to term, whether they like it or not. Fertility clinics turning couples away at the door, whether they like it or not,” he said.

Advertisement

“Now, tomorrow, women all across America of every age, both parties, are going to send a loud and clear message to Donald Trump, whether he likes it or not.”

3 hr 56 min ago

Harris offers Americans a chance to turn the page on Trump — without mentioning him

From CNN’s Gregory Krieg

Vice President Kamala Harris appears during a campaign rally in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Monday, November 4.

Vice President Kamala Harris appears during a campaign rally in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Monday, November 4. Quinn Glabicki/Reuters

Her message has been consistent, but Kamala Harris has in the closing days of the presidential race dropped two notable words from her stump speech: Donald Trump.

The former president’s name was again absent from the vice president’s speech on Monday night in Pittsburgh, where she again promised voters a clean break from the discord of the Trump era in American politics. It was a notable switch in rhetoric for the vice president, who had mentioned Trump’s name so often in previous versions of her stump speech that the Republican’s campaign had put together a video compilation of Harris saying “Donald Trump” that he often played at rallies.

Advertisement

“We have an opportunity in this election to finally turn the page on a decade of politics driven by fear and division. We are done with that,” Harris said. “We’re done. We’re exhausted with it.”

That promise has been threaded through her campaign, usually implied but increasingly delivered in explicit terms.

“It can be easy to forget a simple truth,” Harris said in Washington. “It doesn’t have to be this way.”

The way it is, she said in Pittsburgh, is not so good.

“So much about these last several years has been about trying to make people point their fingers at each other,” Harris said, “to have Americans point their fingers at each other, to try and make people feel alone or feel small.”

Advertisement

Read the full story.

3 hr 26 min ago

Elon Musk cancels virtual town hall event minutes after it started after technical problems

From CNN’s Clare Duffy

Elon Musk held a digital version of the town-hall-style rallies he has hosted on behalf of former President Donald Trump. But the event on X ended just a few minutes after it started on Monday night, when Musk encountered technical difficulties.

The event began streaming more than 20 minutes after its scheduled 8 p.m. ET start time. When the billionaire X owner joined, he promoted a podcast interview he did with Joe Rogan and offered to take questions. An operator then attempted to take questions from four listeners who apparently had been on hold, but the line went silent when he called on them.

Advertisement

The operator asked Musk if he believes “we will win” on Tuesday — presumably referring to Trump, whom Musk has supported to the tune of tens of millions of dollars.

“Well, I think if people vote tomorrow, we’re definitely going to win,” he said.

Musk then called off the event, saying: “let’s cancel this, since we seem to be having some technical issues.” Musk promised to start a regular livestream spaces event on X. The X Spaces event Musk started immediately following the town hall, lasted one minute and appeared to have no audio.

Minutes later, Musk said he would not restart his Q&A and encouraged followers to listen to his Rogan interview instead, during which the podcaster endorsed Trump.

The Monday town hall is just the latest election-related event that Musk attempted to host on X that was plagued by technical difficulties.

Advertisement

An August interview between Musk and Trump that was streamed on X was delayed by more than 40 minutes because of glitches. Musk blamed the issue on a cyberattack, but some experts speculated it was simply caused by too many users trying to listen. A similar event last year to kick off Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign was also delayed by 25 minutes and marred by technical difficulties.

4 hr 14 min ago

Why these 7 battleground states could determine who wins the election

From CNN’s Zachary B. Wolf

People cast their early ballots at a polling station in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on November 2.

People cast their early ballots at a polling station in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on November 2. Carlos Osorio/Reuters

There are thought to be seven states that could conceivably be won by either candidate. As a result, the campaigns have focused their energy in these areas. They can be broken up into two general categories:

3 Midwestern battlegrounds, aka “the blue wall” – These are the manufacturing and union-heavy states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. They used to be more reliably Democratic but have shifted in recent years as their populations have changed and as former President Donald Trump has appealed to White voters without a college degree.

Advertisement

When Trump won the White House in 2016, he won all three. When President Joe Biden won in 2020, he won all three. If Vice President Kamala Harris wins all three this year, she will likely have the electoral votes to be president. But polls suggest close races in all three. Turnout will be key, which for Harris means appealing to suburban women and Black voters. All three states have urban centers.

The blue wall states usually vote the same way. The last time they did not all go to the same candidate was in 1988 – notably also a year when California was red and West Virginia was blue. In those eight elections since 1988, the only time the blue wall states went to a Republican was in 2016, when they were won by Trump.

4 Sun Belt battlegrounds – These states with growing populations include Arizona and Nevada in the West and North Carolina and Georgia in the East. Arizona, Georgia and North Carolina used to be more reliably Republican. Trump won North Carolina twice, but the margins were close in 2020. The last Democrat to win there was Barack Obama in 2008. Biden was the first Democrat to win Georgia since Bill Clinton in 1992 and Arizona since Clinton in 1996.

Here are more key things to know about the US election works.

4 hr 14 min ago

Advertisement

Ahead of election night, meet the 2024 Democratic and Republican candidates

From CNN’s Ethan Cohen, Molly English and Matt Holt

Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. Getty Images

Ahead of election night, read up on the 2024 candidates on the Democratic and Republican tickets vying to win the White House.

Vice President Kamala Harris is the Democratic candidate for president. The daughter of immigrants from India and Jamaica, Harris grew up in Oakland and spent much of her political career in California’s Bay Area.

She was first elected as the San Francisco district attorney in 2004, before later serving as the attorney general of California. After that, Harris was elected to the Senate before being picked to be President Joe Biden’s running mate in the 2020 election.

She announced her own candidacy for the Democratic nomination for president after Biden withdrew from the ticket and endorsed her on July 21. Harris is the first Black woman and first Asian American to lead the ticket of a major political party.

Advertisement

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is Harris’ running mate. Before being elected to Congress to represent the state’s 1st Congressional District in 2007, Walz was a high school geography teacher and an assistant football coach. He also served in the Army National Guard. Walz has been serving as Minnesota governor since 2019.

Former President Donald Trump is the Republican candidate for president, aiming to become only the second commander in chief to win two nonconsecutive terms.

Trump, who was born in New York, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s degree in economics. Before launching his successful 2016 presidential bid, Trump was a real estate developer, businessman and a reality television star as host of “The Apprentice.”

Ohio Sen. JD Vance is Trump’s running mate. Born in Middletown, Ohio, Vance wrote a memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, about his upbringing and white, working-class Americans. He also attended Yale Law School, worked as a venture capitalist and served in the US Marine Corps.

Vance was elected to the Senate in 2023, outlasting a stronger-than-expected challenge from Democrat Tim Ryan and keeping the seat under GOP control.

Advertisement

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright & powered by © 2024 electionlive.xyz