Kamala Harris said she offered “too much information” on the phone call from President Joe Biden after he revealed he was abandoning his re-election bid, during the first interview of her presidential campaign on Thursday.
Harris sat alongside her running mate Tim Walz at Kim’s Cafe, a local Black-owned restaurant in Savannah, Georgia, to speak with CNN’s Dana Bash. In the 27-minute long unscripted interview, she declared that her “values” were unchanged, despite some reversals on key policy positions surrounding immigration and fracking.
Harris also pledged to appoint a Republican to her cabinet if elected president and brushed off Donald Trump’s offensive remarks about her recently “turning Black”.
Walz defended previous comments surrounding his military record and fertility treatment, and said he was “grateful” for sharing an “emotional moment” with his son Gus at the Democratic National Convention last week.
Trump accused Biden and Harris of “gross incompetence” and accused them of killing 13 military personnel that died in a terrorist attack during the US’s withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. It comes as Trump’s campaign team continue to face backlash for allegedly being involved in an “altercation” during a wreath-laying ceremony in Arlington on Monday.
Key Points
- Harris shares ‘TMI’ on how she learned Biden was exiting race
- Trump accuses Biden and Harris of ‘killing’ US troops amid Arlington cemetery spat
- Harris says she’ll appoint Republican to cabinet in CNN interview
- Trump claims IVF costs will be covered for all Americans
- Schedule: Where are the Trump-Vance, Harris-Walz campaigns today?
Inside the tense Democratic meeting where Biden was given an ultimatum to remain at the top of the ticket
13:41
James Liddell
When a flagging Joe Biden turned in a dismal presidential debate performance earlier this summer against Donald Trump, everyone from George Clooney to Jon Stewart called on the 81-year-old to quit the race.
Read more from Justin Rohrlich here:
Trump threatened with another lawsuit for using White Stripes song: ‘F*** you Donald’
13:20
James Liddell
Donald Trump has been threatened with another lawsuit after an aide posted a clip of the former president using the White Stripes song Seven Nation Army in the background.
Trump’s deputy communications director Marco Martin posted a video of former president climbing the stairs to his airplane ahead of rallies in Michigan and Wisconsin along with the 2003 garage rock smash-hit.
One half of the White Stripes, Jack White, has now threatened legal action and slammed the president for using the song without attaining permission.
“Oh....Don’t even think about using my music you fascists. Law suit coming from my lawyers about this (to add to your 5 thousand others.) Have a great day at work today Margo Martin,” he wrote on Instagram on Thursday.
White also took a swipe at Trump’s controversial trip to the Arlington National Cemetery where his campaign allegedly got into an “altercation” with a staff member. The former president was also photographed smiling and flashing a thumbs up besides the graves of fallen soldiers and their families.
“And as long as I'm here, a double f*** you DonOLD for insulting our nation's veterans at Arlington you scum,” White continued. “You should lose every military family's vote immediately from that if ANYTHING makes sense anymore.”
Judge rejects Media Matters request to dismiss Elon Musk lawsuit over ‘hateful content’ on X
13:02
James Liddell
A judge ruled Elon Musk’s lawsuit over “hateful content” on X/Twitter,which resulted in big brands pulling their adverts from the social media platform, can proceed to trial.
Musk’s X is suing the non-profit media watchdog Media Matters, accusing them of kicking off an advertising exodus after it published a “harmful” article alleging the platform allowed top brands display adverts beside antisemitic and pro-Nazi content.
US District Judge Reed O’Connor ruled at a hearing on Thursday that X’s lawsuit against Media Matters and two staff members will proceed to trial on April 7 next year.
Read Rhian Lubin’s story below.
Walz gets emotional about son Gus’s teary moment at the DNC
12:40
James Liddell
Walz: I’m grateful for so many reasons to be on this ticket, but that moment to understand what was really important to have my son feel a sense of pride in me.. I’m so proud of him. I’m proud of Hope… pic.twitter.com/xPP4oE5bvw
— Acyn (@Acyn) August 30, 2024
Trump bizarrely claims people have stopped eating bacon because of wind power
12:21
James Liddell
Donald Trump bizarrely claimed people don’t eat bacon anymore because of wind power while taking questions at his latest campaign speech in Wisconsin.
The former president made the bold claim as an answer to a young rally-goer asking what his plan is, “to make life more affordable and bring down inflation for someone like me.”
“It’s probably the question I get most,” Trump responded at first, eventually launching into what on critic denounced as a “word salad.”
Myriam Page has the full story.
Schedule: Where are the Trump-Vance, Harris-Walz campaigns today?
12:01
James Liddell
Former President Donald Trump will hold a rally at the Cambria County War Memorial in Johnstown, Pennsylvania at 4.30pm ET.
He will then arrive in Washington DC at 8pm for a fire-side chat with Tiffany Justice, the co-founder of far-right political organisation Moms for Liberty.
Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff will be carrying the torch on behalf of Vice President Kamala Harris today as he heads out west after the Harris-Walz tour bus made its final stop in Georgia yesterday.
He is slated to deliver remarks at campaign events in San Francisco, California, before traveling to Aspen, Colorado, according to the White House.
Watch: Harris reveals top priority for day one of her presidency: the middle class
11:40
James Liddell
On day one of my administration, I will implement my plan for an opportunity economy.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 30, 2024
This plan will bring down the cost of everyday goods, invest in America's small businesses, and extend the Child Tax Credit.pic.twitter.com/jAQwsUl8QS
Trump to address far-right Moms for Liberty in Washington DC today
11:20
James Liddell
Donald Trump will speak to ultra-conservative political organization Moms for Liberty in a fire-side chat in Washington DC on Friday.
The former president will sit down with its co-founder, Tiffany Justice, at 8pm this evening after holding a rally Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
Trump will hope to galvanise support from its 130,000 members during his fly-by visit to the capital during the group’s summit.
Moms for Liberty, which serves on the advisory board for Project 2025, spearheaded efforts to cull lessons surrounding LGBTQ+ identity and structural racism from classrooms. It also petitioned to remove transgender accommodations from schools.
The address risks alienating many of Trump’s more moderate voters who believe the group’s beliefs are too extreme.
Trump, however, previously said that Moms for Liberty is “no hate group”, telling them: “You are joyful warriors, you are fierce, fierce patriots. You're not a threat to America."
ICYMI: Harris shares ‘TMI’ on how she learned Biden was exiting race
11:10
James Liddell
Vice President Kamala Harris revealed how President Joe Biden informed her that he would be exiting the 2024 presidential race in her first sitdown interview since she became the Democratic nominee for president.
Harris held her first interview on CNN with her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, where they addressed everything from Harris changing her policy positions to attacks from Republicans on his military record.
Harris revealed to the network’s Dana Bash that the president told her he was stepping aside when she had invited family over.
Eric Garcia, Justin Rohrlich and Andrew Feinberg have the story.
Watch: Trump says Florida abortion ban at six weeks is ‘too short’
11:03
Graeme Massie
Team Trump unites in bizarre superhero social media post
10:40
James Liddell
Trump accuses Biden and Harris of ‘killing’ US troops
10:24
James Liddell
Donald Trump directly accused President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris of killing US troops in the wake of his campaign team facing backlash after an alleged altercation at Arlington National Cemetery earlier this week.
On Monday, the former president arrived at the Virginia cemetery for a wreath-laying ceremony for 13 fallen service members killed in a terrorist attack during US’s withdrawal from Afghanistan.
While speaking about a so-called “migrant invasion” at a rally in Potterville, Michigan, on Thursday, Trump segued to defend his staffers following an alleged physical and verbal altercation between them and a cemetery worker.
Trump then made a stark claim that Biden and Harris - who were in office during the US military’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 - were responsible for the deaths of the 13 military personnel killed in the suicide attack.
“Joe Biden killed their children, by incompetence - shoulda never happened,” he said in his fiery tirade.
“Kamala killed their children. Just as though they had a gun in their hand, by gross incompetence.”
Watch: Trump reveals new twist on his current obsession with bacon in meandering monologue
10:05
James Liddell
Trump: Some people don't eat bacon anymore. This was caused by their horrible energy. Wind. They want wind all over the place. When it doesn't blow, we have a problem. pic.twitter.com/z9FnkHnYOU
— Acyn (@Acyn) August 30, 2024
Watch: Kamala Harris speech interrupted by Gaza protester
09:45
James Liddell
Trump urges federal court to throw out hush money verdict
09:20
James Liddell
Donald Trump is asking a federal court to intervene in his hush money case in New York in the hopes of overturning his conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, or delaying a sentencing date scheduled for September.
Trump’s lawyers pleaded with a federal judge late on Thursday night to remove the case from Justice Juan Merchan, arguing that the case and evidence against him should be tossed out under the Supreme Court’s “immunity” ruling.
The case should instead be moved to an “unbiased forum, free from local hostilities,” where Trump’s attorneys will try to get his conviction overturned, they wrote in court filings.
Alex Woodward has the story.
Watch: Harris says she will appoint a Republican to cabinet
09:07
James Liddell
Trump posts scathing one-word response to Harris, Walz CNN interview
08:55
James Liddell
While known for his rambling lines of attack, Donald Trump has summarized Kamala Harris and Tim Walz’s interview with a single word: boring.
The vice president and the Minnesota governor sat down together with CNN’s Dana Bash on Thursday evening for their first unscripted interview of their campaign.
The Democratic duo addressed their plans from the first day of taking the White House, the war in Gaza and how President Joe Biden passed on the baton after culling his re-election campaign last month.
Watching 27-minute long interview last night, Trump took to Truth Social to share his thoughts on Harris and Walz’s address.
“Boring!!!,” he wrote in block capitals.
Other Republicans have mocked Harris for the interview, including Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders declaring that Walz acted as the vice president’s “babysitter”.
JD Vance heckled and booed as he addresses firefighters union day after Tim Walz
08:40
James Liddell
JD Vance acknowledged he had some “haters” as he was heckled and booed while speaking at the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) conference in Boston – a day after Democratic rival Tim Walz’s appearance.
“It sounds like we got some fans and some haters. That’s OK,” Vance said during his address. “Let’s listen to what I have to say here, and I’ll make my pitch.”
Vance later thanked the firefighters for making a “difference every single day”, before pledging that former President Donald Trump will “always stand” for those who keep the country safe.
He then thanked them for the “second chance” they gave his mother, Bev Vance, a former drug addict that was once rushed to hospital by firefighters.
The Ohio Senator spoke at the conference some 24 hours after Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz.
The Republicans and Democrats continue to battle it out for the support of the IAFF, which represents almost 350,000 full-time professional fire fighters and emergency medical workers.
Watch: Harris bats away question on Trump declaring she recently ‘turned Black’
08:20
James Liddell
ICYMI: Trump claims IVF will be paid for under his administration: ‘We want more babies’
08:00
Mike Bedigan
Donald Trump has claimed that his administration will force insurance companies or the federal government to cover the costs of in vitro fertilization (IVF) for all Americans - after Democrats have sought to tie him to anti-abortion groups that want to ban the fertility procedure.
John Bowden has the full story:
Watch: Trump repeats usual claims about crowd size at Wisconsin town hall
07:16
Mike Bedigan
JD Vance booed by firefighters union one day after they welcomed Walz
06:30
Mike Bedigan
Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance was booed by a firefighters union in Boston one day after the group praised his Democratic counterpart, Tim Walz.
As soon as the Ohio freshman Senator walked onto the stage Thursday at a convention for the International Association of Firefighters, representing firefighters and emergency medical services personnel, he was met with jeers.
Sounds like we got some haters,” Vance replied. Read more here:
Trump admits he had no idea he was doing town hall with Tulsi Gabbard - while on stage with her
05:45
Mike Bedigan
Donald Trump admitted he had no idea he would be taking part in a Wisconsin town hall event with Tulsi Gabbard as he stood on stage with the former Democrat.
The former president told the crowd in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, that he actually thought he would be delivering a prepared campaign speech for his supporters on Thursday night.
Read more from Justin Rohrlich here:
Watch: Walz says GOP ‘splitting hairs’ over IVF-IUI mix up
05:01
Mike Bedigan
Harris on her grandniece watching her accept the nomination
04:35
Mike Bedigan
Vice President Harris on her grandniece watching her accept the nomination pic.twitter.com/xOIRJTfwrr
— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) August 30, 2024
Kamala Harris speech interrupted by Gaza protester at Georgia rally
04:15
Mike Bedigan
Pro-Gaza protesters interrupted Kamala Harris during a rally in Georgia, with the vice president insisting that she and Joe Biden were working to secure a ceasefire between Gaza and Israel.
Eric Garcia has more:
Harris ‘humbled’ by picture of niece at DNC
03:25
Mike Bedigan
During her sit-down interview with CNN, Harris was asked about a viral photograph of her neice at the Democratic National Convention.
In the photo – shot from behind – the young girl watches as Harris accepts the nomination for president formally.
Asked about the photo, Harris replied: “I am running because I believe that I am the best person to do this job at this moment for all Americans, regardless of race and gender.
“But I did see that photograph, and I was deeply touched by it. And you're right, she sits the back of her head, her two little braids and and then I'm in the front of the photograph. And it's very humbling. It's very humbling in many ways.
Asked if her niece has spoken to her about the photo after, she added: “Oh, she had a lot to talk about.”
Harris recalls phone call with Joe Biden after he dropped out of presidential race
03:00
Mike Bedigan
Kamala Harris has shared details about her phone call with Joe Biden, shortly after the president had decided to end his re-election campaign.
Speaking to CNN she recalled that the conversation had been on a Sunday as she was sitting down to do a “puzzle” with her neices.
“My family was staying with us, and including my baby nieces, and we had just had pancakes, and, you know ‘Auntie, can I have more bacon? Yes, I’ll make you more bacon.’
“And then we were sitting down to do a puzzle and the phone rang. And it was Joe Biden, and and he told me what he had decided to do.
“I asked him, ‘Are you sure?’ And he said ‘yes’, and that’s how I learned about it.”
Tim Walz ‘grateful’ for sharing ‘emotional moment’ with son at DNC
02:52
Mike Bedigan
Tim Walz said he was “grateful” to have shared an “emotional moment” with his son Gus at the Democratic National Convention, shortly after he accepted the party nomination for vice president.
Walz’s son was caught on camera jumping to his feet, clapping and excitedly proclaiming “that’s my dad!”
“As a father, I could have ever imagined that,” Walz told CNN.
“I’m grateful for so many reasons to be on this ticket, but that moment to understand what was really important to have my son feel a sense of pride in me that I was trying to do the right thing.
“You try and protect your kids [and] you know it brings it brings notoriety and things, but it was just such a visceral, emotional moment that I’m grateful I got to experience it, and I’m so proud of him.
“I’m proud of Hope and I’m proud of Gwen. She’s a wonderful mother, and these are great kids.”
Harris gives curt reply to question about Donald Trump’s offensive remarks about her biracial identity
02:40
Mike Bedigan
Kamala Harris shrugged off a question about Donald Trump’s previous offensive remarks about her biracial identity.
She was asked about her thoughts on the comments by CNN’s Dana Bash said: “He suggested that you happened to turn black recently for political purposes, questioning a core part of your identity.
“Same old, tired playbook. Next question, please,” Harris replied.
Watch: Kamala Harris says she will not ban fracking
02:33
Mike Bedigan
Harris says she will appoint a Republican to cabinet but has ‘no one in particular in mind’
02:21
Mike Bedigan
Kamala Harris pledged to appoint a Republican to her presidential cabinet, but said she currently has “no one in particular in mind.”
Asked about the hypothetical appointment by CNN’s Dana Bash, she replied: “Yes, I would anyone... I’ve got no one particular in mind.
“I’ve got 68 days to go with this election, so I’m not putting the cart before the horse, but I would – I think it’s really important.”
She added: “I have spent my career inviting diversity of opinion. I think it’s important to have people at the table when some of the most important decisions are being made that have different views, different experiences.
“And I think it would be to the benefit of the American public to have a member of my cabinet who was a Republican.”
Harris pledges to implement plan for ‘opportunity economy’ on day one
02:10
Mike Bedigan
In her first sit down interview with CNN since formally accepting teh Democratic nomination for president, Kamala Harris was asked about her plan for day one, should she win the election in November.
“First and foremost, one of my highest priorities, is to do what we can to support and strengthen the middle class,” she told the outlet.
“When I look at the aspirations, the goals, the ambitions of the American people, I think that people are ready for a new way forward, in a way that generations of Americans have been fueled by, by hope and by optimism.
“Sadly, in the last decade, we have had in the former president [Trump] someone who has really been pushing an agenda and an environment that is about diminishing the character and the strength of who we are as Americans, really dividing our nation, and I think people are ready to turn the page on that.
Pushed by CNN’s Dana Bash on her plan for day one, she added: “It’s going to be about implementing my plan for what I call an opportunity economy – I’ve already laid out a number of proposals in that regard, which include what we’re going to do to bring down the cost of everyday goods.”
Donald Trump ends town hall after uncharacteristically short amount of stage time
01:57
Mike Bedigan
Donald Trump ended his remarks in Wisconsin just before 8pm local time, after speaking for around 30 minutes – an uncharacteristically short amount of stage time.
The former president was, however, over an hour late for the town hall event in La Crosse.
Trump did not offer anything particularly new policy-wise, but reiterated his announcement – made earlier on Thursday – that his second administration would mandate insurance companies to pay for IVF treatment.
Harris campaign responds to Trump’s IVF comments in Michigan
Friday 30 August 2024 00:50
Mike Bedigan
Donald Trump claimed on Thursday evening that his adminstration would make it mandatory for insurance companies to cover the cost of IVF treatement.
“Donald Trump’s own platform could effectively ban IVF and abortion nationwide,” said Sarafina Chitika.
“Trump lies as much if not more than he breathes, but voters aren’t stupid. Because Trump overturned Roe v. Wade, IVF is already under attack and women’s freedoms have been ripped away in states across the country.
“There is only one candidate in this race who trusts women and will protect our freedom to make our own health care decisions: Vice President Kamala Harris.”
Friday 30 August 2024 00:40
Mike Bedigan
— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) August 29, 2024
Watch Live: Trump holds a town hall event in La Crosse, Wisconsin
Friday 30 August 2024 00:30
Mike Bedigan
Kamala Harris heckled by Gaza protester during Georgia campaign speech
Thursday 29 August 2024 23:45
Mike Bedigan
Harris and Walz to sit for first unscripted campaign interview on CNN tonight
Thursday 29 August 2024 23:00
Mike Bedigan
Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz will sit down for their first unscripted interview together since the pair stepped on the Democratic ticket.
Harris has been on the campaign trail for weeks and has yet to give a formal interview or press conference.
But tonight (August 29), the vice president and her running mate will make a primetime appearance as they are quizzed by Dana Bash.
The interview will be aired at 9pm ET from Georgia, as the Walz-Harris campaign tour bus ploughs throw the Peach State.
It marks the next major test in their bid for the White House as the pair ride high of the back of the Democratic National Convention last week and, separately, offers an opportunity to shut down dissenters.
The vice president has faced flak from a sea of Republicans - with lines of attack often spearheaded by former President Donald Trump’s running mate JD Vance.
Earlier this month at a Wisconsin rally, the Ohio governor called it “disgraceful” that Harris “refuses to take a single question from the American media”.
Fox News cuts from Trump to Harris
Thursday 29 August 2024 22:35
Mike Bedigan
Fox News, a network typically pro-Donald Trump has cut away from the former president’s remarks in Michigan in order to cover Kamala Harris,
The vice president began speaking in Savannah, Georgia, shortly after Trump began speaking and has since wrapped up her remarks, while he continues.
