With just eight days left in the 2024 presidential election cycle, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are making their final push to voters across the U.S., especially in battleground states.
One of the Harris campaign’s tactics is leaning on popular musicians to perform at “Get Out the Vote” rallies to reach a larger voter base. Musician Bruce Springsteen is expected to appear alongside former President Barack Obama in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Monday.
Meanwhile, Harris will campaign in Ann Arbor Michigan, featuring singer Maggie Rogers.
Trump is expected to hold a rally in Atlanta, Georgia on Monday evening after hosting a blockbuster campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Sunday.
The Republican nominee stands little chance of winning his home state on November 5 but was nevertheless joined by an army of MAGA cheerleaders, including his running mate JD Vance, billionaire Elon Musk, ex-Fox News host Tucker Carlson and wrestler Hulk Hogan.
President Joe Biden called the rally “embarrassing” after casting his ballot on Monday.
Key Points
- Donald Trump pushes anti-immigrant fear-mongering and slams enemies at Madison Square Garden rally
- Trump campaign forced to back away from comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s racist Puerto Rico joke
- Where are the candidates campaigning on Monday?
- Lawsuit accuses Elon Musk of ‘illegal lottery scheme’ with $1 million giveaway to registered voters
- Hundreds of ballots burned in Oregon after ‘incendiary’ device placed inside box
Marjorie Taylor Greene tells AOC to ‘choose life this time'
20:30
Ariana Baio
Greene, who appears trigger-happy online today, told New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to “have a baby” and “choose life this time” – a reference to Ocasio-Cortez’s abortion that she had after she was raped.
The Georgia congresswoman’s message is in response to Ocasio-Cortez calling Greene a “neo-Nazi” while responding to comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s poorly received joke about Puerto Rico.
“Have a baby. Choose life this time. You’ll be happier,” Greene wrote to Ocasio-Cortez.
After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, Ocasio-Cortez told people she benefitted from access to abortion services after she was raped in her 20s.
Police have identified ‘suspect vehicle’ in connection to ballot drop box burnings
20:15
Associated Press
Police said Monday that a “suspect vehicle” has been identified in connection with incendiary devices that set fires to ballot drop boxes in Oregon and Washington state. Surveillance images captured a Volvo stopping at a drop box in Portland, Oregon, just before security personnel nearby discovered a fire inside the box on Monday, Portland Police Bureau spokesman Mike Benner told a news conference.
New Trump ad shows country ‘gone to hell’ — with an image from Trump’s presidency
20:00
Ariana Baio
A new pro-Donald Trump ad says the country has “gone to hell” under the Biden-Harris administration and uses violent imagery from moments that occurred under his own presidency.
Kelly Rissman reports:
Former ‘Bob’s Burgers’ actor sentenced for role in January 6
19:30
Ariana Baio
Jay Johnston, an actor known for his roles on ‘Bob’s Burgers’ and ‘Arrested Development’ was sentenced on Monday to one year and one day in prison for his role in the January 6 attack on the Capitol.
The federal judge overseeing Johnston’s sentencing called his behavior “problematic” and “reprehensible”.
Johnston pleaded guilty to interfering with law enforcement and civil disorder for his part in January 6
The actor, who claims to now be blacklisted from Hollywood, voiced Jimmy Pesto in ‘Bob’s Burgers’ and played Officer Taylor in ‘Arrested Development.
Marjorie Taylor Greene defends Puerto Rico comment at MSG rally
19:00
Ariana Baio
Georgia Representative, and MAGA Republican, Marjorie Taylor Greene defended a comedian calling Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage” at Trump’s MSG rally on Sunday night, claiming it was justified.
Greene claimed Democrats focused too much on one part of the show – comedian Tony Hinchcliffe making a dismissive and unkind joke about Puerto Rico. She also claimed there was some truth to Hinchcliffe’s joke.
“A quick google search reveals severe waste management problems plaguing Puerto Rico that has also been hit by multiple devastating hurricanes in recent years,” Greene wrote on X.
“Also, a 2024 federal audit report showed that less than 10% of more than $23 billion in available federal funds have been spent in Puerto Rico under the Biden Harris administration. They don’t care about Puerto Rico and neither do Democrat activists in the media as they’ve reported many times about the problems Puerto Rico faces.”
“We must always fight against cancel culture and constantly defend free speech!” Greene said.
Trump’s team keeps losing in court ahead of the election – but it isn’t stopping them
18:30
Ariana Baio
Despite a lack of evidence, Trump allies have fixated on alleged claims of illegal voting and voter roll purges across battleground states and beyond as the presidential race against Kamala Harris tightens.
The GOP said it has been involved in 130 legal cases this election cycle after it launched an initiative earlier this year around “election integrity.”
Rhian Lubin reports:
‘It’s embarrassing’ Biden says about Trump’s MSG rally
18:00
Ariana Baio
President Biden on Trump's Madison Square Garden rally: "It's embarrassing. Just simply embarrassing. It's beneath any president...the single most consequential thing about a president is character. Character. He puts that in question every time he opens his mouth." pic.twitter.com/HAcoPzIf0w
— CSPAN (@cspan) October 28, 2024
Trump ally says ‘no one worked harder’ for Puerto Rico than former president
17:35
Ariana Baio
One of Donald Trump’s loyal allies asserted the former president worked harder to assist Puerto Rico than any other president in an attempt to help distance Trump from a comedian who made an offensive joke at his Madison Square Rally on Sunday evening
“No one worked harder for Puerto Rico after the hurricanes hit than [Trump],” Peter Navarro wrote.
A 2021 probe into Trump’s handling of Hurricane Maria found that the Trump administration delayed approximately $20 billion in hurricane relief for Puerto Rico in 2017. Hurricane Maria was one of the deadliest tropical cyclones in history claiming the lives of more than 3,000 people.
Navarro worked in the Trump administration and is one of the people who assisted Trump in trying to overturn 2020 election results. He was jailed for contempt of Congress this past year.
No one worked harder for Puerto Rico after the hurricanes hit than @realDonaldTrump. @tonyhinchcliffe must be the biggest, stupidest asshole that ever came down the comedy pike. Never loved insult comedians (other than Rickles).
— Peter Navarro (@RealPNavarro) October 28, 2024
Harris responds to Trump comedian’s ‘joke’ about Puerto Rico
17:10
Ariana Baio
Vice President Kamala Harris criticized a comedian’s remarks about Puerto Rico at Trump’s MSG rally last night.
“I’m very proud to have the support of both like Bad Bunny and Jennifer Lope and others who were supporting me before that nonsense last night at Madison Square Garden.”
VP @KamalaHarris: "I’m very proud to have the support of both like Bad Bunny and Jennifer Lope and others who were supporting me before that nonsense last night at Madison Square Garden." pic.twitter.com/enmxz2Vy3d
— CSPAN (@cspan) October 28, 2024
President Joe Biden casts his ballot
16:48
Ariana Baio
President Joe Biden arrived in Wilmington, Delaware this morning to cast his ballot in the 2024 presidential election – likely a bittersweet moment for the president who initially believed he would be voting for himself had his party not pushed him out.
Monday morning, Biden arrived at the polling location and waited in line. While waiting he greeted other voters, according to the White House poll report.
Hundreds of ballots burned in Oregon after ‘incendiary’ device placed inside box
16:00
Ariana Baio
Hundreds of ballots were burned inside a ballot box that was set on fire after “an incendiary device” was placed inside the box, police say.
Authorities in Portland, Oregon said police officers received a call around 6 a.m. local time that there was a fire inside a ballot box approximately a block away from the Multnomah County Elections Office.
By the time police arrived, a nearby person had begun to put the fire out.
The Clark County elections auditor told KATU that only a few ballots could be saved. Anyone who placed a ballot in the box after 11 a.m. on Saturday can request a replacement from the auditor’s office.
Police say some sort of incendiary device was placed inside the ballot box and started the fire.
Ballot Box Fire - A Clark County Elections ballot drop box at the Fisher’s Landing Transit Center is smoking heavily. Police are on scene. #LiveOnK2 pic.twitter.com/40E09hZolz
— Evan Bell (@evanbellKATU) October 28, 2024
Lawsuit accuses Elon Musk of ‘illegal lottery scheme’ with $1 million giveaway to registered voters
15:30
Alex Woodward
Philadelphia’s district attorney is suing Elon Musk’s political action committee to stop his multimillion-dollar stunt that the Department of Justice has warned could be illegal.
A lawsuit filed in Pennsylvania on Monday by District Attorney Larry Krasner argues that Musk’s Donald Trump-supporting America PAC “hatched an illegal lottery scheme to influence voters in that election.”
“America PAC and Musk must be stopped, immediately,” before Election Day, according to the lawsuit, which was first reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer.
“Though Musk says that a winner’s selection is ‘random,’ that appears to be false,” according to the lawsuit. “Multiple winners that have been selected are individuals who have shown up at Trump rallies in Pennsylvania.”
The lawsuit marks the first legal action against the billionaire’s stunt, which offered people who signed the PAC’s petition supporting First and Second Amendment rights the chance to win a random daily $1 million prize drawing.
AOC mocks Trump with McDonald’s E. coli conspiracy
15:00
Joe Sommerlad
Tim Walz teamed up with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for a Sunday campaign appearance on Twitch as they played video games and the New York Democrat promoted a McDonald’s conspiracy involving Trump.
Here’s John Bowden to explain.
Harris’s team keeps Biden from campaign in ‘slow-moving breakup’
14:40
Joe Sommerlad
The Democrat’s campaign is reportedly keeping President Joe Biden at arm’s length as the 81-year-old is itching to get out on the campaign trail for his former running mate.
Three people told Axios that the Harris campaign keeps saying that they’ll get back to the president’s team on when to send him out into the field.
The Harris campaign views Biden as a political liability but doesn’t want to say directly that they don’t want him to stump for the vice president.
Democrats and some of Biden’s staff keep walking on eggshells around Biden’s ego and feelings, according to the outlet.
Gustaf Kilander has more on a really rather sad state of affairs.
Historic gender gap will likely decide if Trump or Harris wins
14:20
Joe Sommerlad
With just over a week left before Election Day, a historic gender gap is emerging that may decide whether Trump or Harris wins the White House.
Recent national polling has noted that women decisively backed the Vice President 53 percent to 36 over her Republican rival.
The figures are an almost exact mirror image when it comes to men, who support Trump 53 percent to 36 percent over Harris.
If such margins hold until Election Day, it would be the biggest disparity since a gender gap emerged more than four decades ago, in 1980, according to USA Today/Suffolk University, which carried out the survey.
Mike Bedigan reports.
Hulk Hogan struggles with trademark routine during surprise appearance at Trump rally
14:00
Joe Sommerlad
Hogan, real name Terry Bollea, has become an outspoken supporter of Trump this election cycle, even going as far as to joke about bodyslamming Kamala Harris and questioning her ethnicity.
Having raised eyebrows at the RNC in August, the former WWE champion, 76, was a surprise speaker at the Republican’s rally at Madison Square Garden yesterday.
In typically over-the-top fashion, Hogan made his entrance to his “Real American” theme song while waving the American flag.
He then attempted to rip his shirt from his own chest, a routine that he has done since the 1980s – only to get into a real tussle with the top.
Here’s more from Greg Evans.
New poll finds most voters believe Trump won’t accept election loss
13:40
Joe Sommerlad
The majority of American voters believe Donald Trump will not accept the 2024 presidential election result if he loses to Kamala Harris, according to a new poll.
The CNN poll, conducted by SSRS, found that, if the former president loses next week, only 30 percent of all registered voters believe he will accept the result and concede to his opponent.
By contrast, 73 percent believe Harris will accept the election result if she loses.
Here’s more from Rhian Lubin.
Michelle Obama hits out at difference in expectations towards the two candidates and issues stark warning on abortion
13:20
Joe Sommerlad
“I hope you’ll forgive me if I’m a little frustrated that some of us are choosing to ignore Donald Trump’s gross incompetence, while asking Kamala to dazzle us at every turn,” the former first lady said in Kalamazoo, Michigan, over the weekend.
“I hope that you’ll forgive me if I’m a little angry that we are indifferent to his erratic behavior, his obvious mental decline, his history as a convicted felon, a known slum lord, a predator found liable for sexual abuse.”
It was barnstorming stuff from a truly great public speaker, who also warned men about being part of the conservative “assault” on reproductive rights by voting for the Republican ticket before returning to her initial theme by saying of Harris: “We expect her to be intelligent, articulate, have a clear set of policies, and never show too much anger… But for Trump? We expect nothing at all. No understanding of policy, no ability to put together coherent arguments.”
Ooof.
Mike Bedigan has more.
JD Vance calls ex-Marine John Kelly ‘disgruntled’ over Hitler claim
13:00
Joe Sommerlad
Before Sunday’s rally, Trump’s running mate was interview by CNN’s Jake Tapper for State of the Union and took the opportunity to accuse the former president’s ex-White House chief of staff of being disaffected as the reason for his coming forward last week to warn of Trump’s authoritarian tendencies.
John Bowden reports.
Who is incendiary comic Tony Hinchcliffe?
12:40
Joe Sommerlad
The man who could theoretically have just cost Trump Pennsylvania by trashing the 500,000 Puerto Ricans who live there styles him as a controversial comedian and podcaster who will “never apologize” for offensive jokes.
Rhian Lubin reports.
Fox and Friends hosts defend Hinchcliffe joke as AOC condemns ‘hate rally'
12:20
Joe Sommerlad
Leaping to the defence of Trump Madison Square Garden rally and Tony Hinchcliffe’s Puerto Rico joke in particular, Brian Kilmeade said on Fox’s flagship show: “That was part of the pre-show; that was two hours before the president spoke.
“It’s amazing, the cover of The New York Times [reads] ‘Trump at Garden, a closing carnival of grievances, misogyny and racism.’ Only somebody who works for the Harris campaign pretending to be a reporter for The New York Times would write something like that.
“You don’t point out that RFK, the most famous Democratic family, actually was one of the featured speakers around,” Kilmeade continued.
“The most famous inventor in the world, Elon Musk. That stands out? No. A comedian with a successful podcast. You lose some off-color.”
Co-host Lawrence Jones helped him out by adding: “But you lose goodwill when before that rally even started, they called it a Nazi rally. Before they even took the stage, they had already said that it was going to be a racist rally
“Number two, maybe it’s just me… I have a dark sense of humor, you know, And so I, like... maybe this was not the appropriate format for the comedian to be there? But it’s comedy.”
Yep, just comedy. Nothing to see here folks.
How @foxandfriends FOXwashes Racist MSG Rally
— Bad Fox Graphics (@BadFoxGraphics) October 28, 2024
11 min. praising crowd at MSG, clips of Hulk Hogan, Elon Musk, Melania, Trump@SteveDoocy finally reports racist speech from @TonyHinchcliffe. No video. Mentions Bad Bunny, Ricky Martin.@kilmeade attacks @nytimes
AINSLEY: Oh God https://t.co/A2wtQBEAWR pic.twitter.com/WkP0ouwYIN
Meanwhile, on Morning Joe, AOC saw things rather differently, you might not be too surprised to hear.
"This was a hate rally. This was not just a presidential rally, this was not just a campaign rally. I think it's important for people to understand these are mini January 6 rallies, these are mini Stop the Steal rallies." -@aoc @repaoc on Trump's New York City rally pic.twitter.com/c57RXnVo3d
— Morning Joe (@Morning_Joe) October 28, 2024
Where are the candidates campaigning on Monday?
12:00
Joe Sommerlad
Here’s a quick look at today’s schedule, with just eight days to go:
- Kamala Harris will visit Corning Inc’s Hemlock Semiconductor facility in Michigan to talk to workers and tour the assembly line before touring a labor union training facility.
- She will then appear together with running mate Tim Walz in Ann Arbor, an event that will also feature a performance by singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers.
- Harris will also be on the Club Shay Shay podcast.
- Donald Trump will meanwhile attend the National Faith Advisory Summit in Atlanta, Georgia, before rallying in the same city later.
- His running mate JD Vance will be speaking in Racine, Wisconsin.
Watch: Tucker Carlson falsely brands Harris ‘Samoan-Malaysian’ at Trump rally
11:40
Joe Sommerlad
First she “happened to turn Black”, now they’re just picking random races to suggest the VP is somehow inauthentic in her public presentation, unlike, oh I don’t know, a spray-tanned billionaire man-of-the-people say?
‘I was with Trump fans that flooded the streets outside MSG with red hats. The scenes were weird even for NYC’
11:20
Joe Sommerlad
Ariana Baio has this on her experiences navigating a sea of red-capped Juggalos on the streets of Midtown yesterday, which was weird, she says, “even for New York City”.
Republicans, Bad Bunny and J Lo lead backlash to Hinchcliffe’s racist Puerto Rico joke at Trump’s MSG rally
11:00
Joe Sommerlad
Here’s Rhian Lubin with more on the angry reaction to Tony Hinchcliffe’s nasty Puerto Rico joke yesterday, which could just cost Trump Pennsylvania.
Trump warns against migrants from ‘Congo prisons’ and calls the press ‘enemy of the people’ at MSG
10:40
Joe Sommerlad
When the Republican presidential nominee himself finally took the stage, he cranked up the fear-mongering rhetoric with even less concern for the facts than usual.
"A lot of people are coming from the Congo prisons" -- Trump pic.twitter.com/QzG98gHEii
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 27, 2024
"The United States is now an occupied country" -- Trump
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 27, 2024
(it should go without saying that he's lying) pic.twitter.com/FGT221trs9
"Everyone knows she is a very low IQ individual" -- Trump on Kamala Harris pic.twitter.com/Y7dDat0xIS
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 27, 2024
"It's just this amorphous group of people ... they are indeed the enemy from within" -- Trump is indulging in Infowars-level conspiracism pic.twitter.com/Bdf6bCIQJr
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 27, 2024
"They're the enemy of the people. The press" -- Trump pic.twitter.com/snspjXHic8
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 28, 2024
Trump craps on New York in New York: "When I left New York was the place you wanted to be and now people just don't speak well of it." pic.twitter.com/h2MOdFxM01
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 28, 2024
Deeply, deeply disturbing stuff that voters should think very carefully about before casting their ballots next week.
‘Trump and his friends smiled and partied at Madison Square Garden – then they got mean’
10:20
Joe Sommerlad
Before we get to the headline act himself, here’s a little highlights package featuring some of the many MAGA celebrities speaking at Madison Square Garden yesterday and making total spectacles of themselves.
Feast your eyes upon the pop fascist showmanship of Alina Habba, Rudy Giuliani, Stephen Miller, RFK Jr, Tucker Carlson, Hulk Hogan, JD Vance, Don Jr and Elon Musk.
Donald Trump’s lawyer. pic.twitter.com/TDFvADf52i
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) October 28, 2024
"Now they're trying to kill him" -- Rudy Giuliani on the registered Republican who shot at Trump pic.twitter.com/8TqHv9cfGW
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 27, 2024
"America is for Americans and Americans only" -- Stephen Miller pic.twitter.com/5RryeOndlz
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 27, 2024
Tucker Carlson: "There's not one moment I've ever been with him off camera where he's spending his time grousing about people he hates. Ever ... Trust me."
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 27, 2024
Carlson then invokes the great replacement conspiracy theory that has inspired numerous right-wing mass shooters. pic.twitter.com/y4FiAYZmnn
HULK HOGAN: What are you gonna do about putting God in our schools?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 27, 2024
CROWD *Vote for Trump!* pic.twitter.com/SdvUmjvWYQ
Trump fans in Madison Square Garden break into a "Tampon Tim!" chant pic.twitter.com/e6IL2VQ6lw
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 27, 2024
Donald Trump Jr pushes the great replacement conspiracy theory that has inspired numerous right-wing mass shooters pic.twitter.com/YBB2xRwUYA
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 27, 2024
Elon Musk: I'm not just Maga, I am dark gothic Maga pic.twitter.com/EYzj36qu0A
— Acyn (@Acyn) October 27, 2024
Fortunately for us, Alex Woodward is here to make sense of it all.
Harris-Walz to barnstorm all seven swing states this week
10:00
Joe Sommerlad
Let’s pivot briefly back to the Democratic ticket to remind ourselves what normal political campaigning looks like.
Kamala Harris spent the penultimate weekend of the campaign making a series of stops near Philadelphia as she and running mate Tim Walz announced a swing state blitz for the final full week of the election race.
Both the Democratic nominee and her deputy will head to Wisconsin and Michigan today and go on from there.
Here’s more on their plans from Andrew Feinberg.
Trump pal calls Harris the ‘antichrist’ at New York rally
09:40
Joe Sommerlad
Another controversial speaker at The Garden was Queens resident David Rem, a 60-year-old sanitation worker who was billed as the former president’s “lifelong friend”.
Rem took to the stage brandishing a crucifix to tell the MAGA faithful that Trump’s election rival was the Devil.
Here’s Justin Rohrlich with more on a new addition to the rogue’s gallery.
Trump campaign forced to back away from comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s racist Puerto Rico rally joke
09:20
Joe Sommerlad
The Donald’s big spectacle was marred by controversy, however, after comedian Tony Hinchcliffe delivered a bad taste set in which he made a racist joke about Puerto Rico, forcing the Trump campaign to distance itself from his comments amid a mounting backlash – not least because at least half a million people of Puerto Rican origin live in the pivotal swing state of Pennsylvania.
“There’s a lot going on, like, I don’t know if you know this but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now,” the comic said.
“I think it’s called Puerto Rico.”
At Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally, podcast host and comedian Kill Tony referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage,” during his set.
— Yashar Ali (@yashar) October 27, 2024
Notably, four percent of Pennsylvanians are Puerto Rican.
Around 500,000 people. pic.twitter.com/txE3UD0QVE
“This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign,” spokesperson Danielle Alvarez said in a hasty statement.
Among those decrying the remarks was New York City Mayor Eric Adams and local Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
The hateful words that were used by some at today’s rally at Madison Square Garden were completely unacceptable.
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) October 28, 2024
No matter who says it, hate is hate and there is no place for it in our city. As Americans, we always should stand up against racism, antisemitism, and misogyny.…
Can’t get over this dude telling someone else to change tampons when he’s the one shitting bricks in his Depends after realizing opening for a Trump rally and feeding red-meat racism alongside a throng of other bigots to a frothing crowd does, unironically, make you one of them. https://t.co/kr82avveYs
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) October 28, 2024
A number of Republicans have also hit out angrily at Hinchcliffe, with Florida Senator Rick Scott commenting:
This joke bombed for a reason. It's not funny and it's not true. Puerto Ricans are amazing people and amazing Americans! I’ve been to the island many times. It’s a beautiful place. Everyone should visit! I will always do whatever I can to help any Puerto Rican in Florida or on… https://t.co/b00eYWkx85
— Rick Scott (@ScottforFlorida) October 27, 2024
GOP Representatives Carlos Gimenez, Anthony D’Esposito and Maria Elvira Salazar also expressed their offence.
This is not a joke. It’s completely classless & in poor taste.
— Carlos A. Gimenez (@CarlosGimenezFL) October 28, 2024
Puerto Rico is the crown jewel of the Caribbean & home to many of the most patriotic Americans I know.@TonyHinchcliffe clearly isn’t funny & definitely doesn’t reflect my values or those of the Republican Party. https://t.co/GcFq4gJsBZ
I’m proud to be Puerto Rican.
— Anthony P. D'Esposito (@ANTHONYDESPO) October 28, 2024
My mom was born and raised in Puerto Rico. It’s a beautiful island with a rich culture and an integral part of the USA.
The only thing that’s ‘garbage’ was a bad comedy set.
Stay on message.
Disgusted by @TonyHinchcliffe’s racist comment calling Puerto Rico a 'floating island of garbage.'
— María Elvira Salazar (@MaElviraSalazar) October 27, 2024
This rhetoric does not reflect GOP values.
Puerto Rico sent 48,000+ soldiers to Vietnam, with over 345 Purple Hearts awarded. This bravery deserves respect.
Educate yourself!
A host of Latino celebrities including Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin and Bad Bunny have meanwhile moved quickly to express their support for Kamala Harris.
Donald Trump pushes anti-immigrant fear-mongering and slams enemies at Madison Square Garden rally
09:00
Joe Sommerlad
Good morning!
Donald Trump peddled lies and anti-immigration rhetoric and bashed Vice President Kamala Harris during a blockbuster campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Sunday.
The Republican nominee, who appears to have little chance of winning his home state on November 5, was nevertheless joined by an army of 30-some speakers, which included his running mate JD Vance, billionaire Elon Musk, ex-Fox News host Tucker Carlson, Robert F Kennedy Jr, Tulsi Gabbard, Dr Phil, Hulk Hogan and his sons Don Jr and Eric and even his wife Melania.
“I’m here today with a message of hope for all Americans,” Trump told his crowd at The Garden when he got up to speak for himself.
“I will end inflation. I will stop the invasion of criminals coming into our country. And I will bring back the American dream, we need the American dream to come back home. Our country will be bigger, better, bolder, richer, safer and stronger than ever before.”
Uh huh.
Here’s a full report from Ariana Baio.
Trump says we’re “very close to World War III,” absurdly suggests draft would be reintroduced under Harris
08:00
Graig Graziosi
Donald Trump claimed that the US was “very close to World War III,” and said that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel would not have occurred if he had been president.
“All those people would be alive,” Trump claimed.
He then pivoted to inflation, claiming there would have been no inflation under his presidency. He said inflation was caused in part by government overspending on the “Green New Scam” — referencing the Green New Deal — which is incorrect.
Trump then insinuated that Kamala Harris would lead the US into another war, and baselessly suggested that the draft might be reintroduced under her leadership.
There is no evidence to believe that the draft will be reintroduced.
Trump said that he “got along” with the world leaders, and claimed he told Russian President Vladimir Putin “don’t go in” to Ukraine.
Trump: “This will be America’s new golden age,” talks taxes and claims he’ll cut Americans’ energy bills in half within one year
07:00
Graig Graziosi
Donald Trump said that his possible next term would usher in “America’s new golden age,” and said that it would happen “very quickly” once he takes office.
He said “Kamala Harris, you’re fired,” — invoking his Apprentice catch-phrase — to wild applause.
Trump accused Kamala Harris, specifically, of causing inflation, pushing for higher taxes, and killing jobs. Harris, even if she wanted to, has no such power to do any of what he claims.
The former president said he would “massively cut taxes,” including “no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and no tax on Social Security benefits for our seniors.”
He also announced a tax credit program for caregivers who are taking care of a parent or family member, and said he’d make interest on car loans tax deductible, so long as the car is made in the US.
He provided no details as to how any of those programs would work.
Trump also said the US would achieve energy independence, and claimed that within one year he’d cut Americans’ energy prices in half — via “drill baby drill” policies.
He then lied to the crowd and claimed thee was “nobody” doing hurricane relief work in North Carolina after Hurricane Helene.
Trump said that the federal government could not help in North Carolina because it spent all of its disaster relief funds flying illegal immigrants into the US on “jets.”
FEMA has been active in North Carolina following the hurriance, and no FEMA disaster relief funds were used to fly migrants into the US or house them at the southern border. Trump is repeating a long-debunked lie that he and other Republicans have been pushing since Hurricane Helene.
He claimed the response to Hurricane Helene was worse than the response to Hurricane Katrina.
Melania Trump makes surprise appearance at her husband’s Madison Square Garden rally
06:00
Graig Graziosi
Melania Trump took the stage at her husband’s New York City rally to “Paradise City” by Guns n’ Roses, then launched into a bleak, but misguided, diatribe about how bad things are in the Big Apple — and the rest of the country.
The former first lady has made few appearances with her husband on the campaign trail. She attended the RNC in Milwaukee and the Al Smith dinner in New York City but has, for the most part, been absent. On Sunday, her speech was a surprise, as she was not on a pre-released list of speakers.
She came out to the famous Guns n’ Roses song, as frontman Axl Rose has spoken out against Donald Trump‘s use of th