Donald Trump has sparked outrage because of remarks in which he compared civilian and military awards, once again appearing dismissive of service personnel.
The former president said the Presidential Medal of Freedom he gave wealthy donor Miriam Adelson was better than the Congressional Medal of Honor because recipients of the latter are “either in very bad shape because they’ve been hit so many times by bullets or they’re dead”.
Kamala Harris’s campaign said he was “dishonoring America’s greatest heroes, again”.
The comments surfaced after Trump held his second press conference in a week at his exclusive golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, following his previous meltdown at Mar-a-Lago.
Meanwhile, Vice President Harris will unveil her economic policy today, including a ban on price gouging on groceries, plans to build three million new homes, and the slashing of prescription drug costs.
In her first major policy speech focusing on the economy in Raleigh, North Carolina, the vice president will outline plans to take on grocery corporations that hike the cost of goods for customers to unfair levels.
On Thursday, Harris and President Joe Biden made their first appearance together since she took over the Democratic 2024 ticket.
Key Points
- Kamala Harris to unveil economic plan to ban price gouging on groceries and build three million new homes
- Trump makes jaw-dropping comparison of medal he gave donor and medals given to soldiers
- Donald Trump uses latest press conference to rehash Harris complaints but offers no vision for 2025
- Trump says he’s ‘entitled’ to personal attacks on Harris after she called him ‘weird'
- Joe Biden gets hero’s welcome as he joins Harris for first joint rally and derides ‘Donald Dump’
- Baby Boomers are fleeing Trump and switching allegiance to Harris
ICYMI: Trumpworld scrambling to clean up ‘mess’ after ex-president’s angry texts to megadonor
16:40
Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump’s inner circle is working to clean up the “mess” the former president created after he reportedly instructed an aide to send a string of angry text messages to a megadonor in the heat of an angry moment.
The former president has apparently engaged in some “erratic behavior” recently, according to New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman, in part due to the stress of the atypical presidential race.
That includes having his aide send texts to Miriam Adelson, the widow of casino tycoon Sheldon Adelson and eighth richest woman in the world, complaining that the super PAC she funds, which has poured millions of dollars into supporting Trump, was being run by RINOs – Republicans in name only.
Ariana Baio has the story.
Watch: Joe Scarborough slams Trump’s constant trashing of America
16:20
Oliver O'Connell
"There's just such a disconnect with where I think almost all Americans are. I think most Americans are really proud of this country and know that we're the greatest country in the world."
— Morning Joe (@Morning_Joe) August 16, 2024
— @JoeNBC on Trump's trashing of America during his Thursday press conference pic.twitter.com/9o6GVSGYYK
White House spox heading to Harris campaign, report says
16:10
Oliver O'Connell
Ian Sams, White House spokesperson for oversight and investigations, is leaving the West Wing and heading to the Harris campaign in a top spokesperson role.
The Washington Post initially reported the news citing people familiar with the situation.
He was previously Kamala Harris’s 2020 national press secretary.
Scoop: Ian Sams is leaving the White House and heading to the Harris campaign in a top spox role, per people familiar. He was the White House spokesman for oversight and investigations and served as Harris's 2020 national press secretary.
— Tyler Pager (@tylerpager) August 16, 2024
What do the latest polls say?
16:00
Oliver O'Connell
A new poll suggests that Kamala Harris has the only positive approval rating of any candidate, and leads in almost all battleground states.
So how will Harris actually fare against Donald Trump this November?
Alicja Hagopian looks at the data.
Harris-Walz campaign responds to Trump comments dishonoring service members
15:58
Oliver O'Connell
The Harris-Walz campaign released the following statement in regard to Donald Trump’s comments that “again dishonored our men and women in service who have sacrificed for our country”.
Spokesperson Sarafina Chitika said: “Donald Trump knows nothing about service to anyone or anything but himself. For him to insult Medal of Honor recipients, just as he has previously attacked Gold Star families, mocked prisoners of war, and referred to those who lost their lives in service to our country as ‘suckers’ and ‘losers’, should remind all Americans that we owe it to our service members, our country, and our future to make sure Donald Trump is never our nation’s commander in chief again.”
The latest from @KamalaHQ on Donald Trump dishonoring America's service members who sacrificed for our country.
— Sarafina Chitika (@SarafinaChitika) August 16, 2024
Again. https://t.co/rMoJZHLbWR pic.twitter.com/qOtBGEv7d1
Trump makes jaw-dropping comparison of medal he gave to donor and medals given to soldiers
15:30
Oliver O'Connell
Somehow this appalling comparison is both incredible and unsurprising.
Speaking at a campaign event intended to discuss antisemitism, Donald Trump lauded a wealthy donor to whom he awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom as having received a “better” award compared to the Medal of Honor given to military personnel.
The former president said those recipients are often “either in very bad shape because they’ve been hit so many times by bullets or they’re dead” but Miriam Adelson, the widow of Sheldon Adelson, is a “healthy, beautiful woman”.
Watch below:
Trump: When we gave her the Presidential Medal of Freedom… It’s the equivalent of the Congressional Medal of Honor— it’s actually much better because everyone who gets the Congressional Medal, they’re soldiers. They’re either in very bad shape because they’ve been hit so many… pic.twitter.com/a766KxAC2e
— Acyn (@Acyn) August 16, 2024
Flustered Trump still has no answer to Kamala Harris’s campaign
15:20
Oliver O'Connell
John Bowden writes:
Donald Trump summoned reporters to one of his properties for the second time in as many weeks to deliver a campaign message – but they would be hard-pressed to find something new or interesting to write about.
He spoke for roughly 40 minutes before taking questions at his Bedminster, New Jersey golf resort. His lengthy diatribe touched on Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, and a wide range of other issues — trucks, domestic energy policy, China and the wars in Gaza and Ukraine — all while flanked by two tables covered in groceries including Cheerios, a pack of quickly-warming raw bacon, and tins of coffee.
It was a spectacle that was clearly focused by his campaign to provide a platform for the GOP contender to attack Harris over economic issues, particularly inflation and the cost of consumer goods.
However, the lack of focus led to Thursday night’s event dragging on.
Continue reading...
Jaime Harrison mocks Nancy Mace over disastrous CNN appearance
15:00
Joe Sommerlad
SC we must do better! Support @michael_b_moore https://t.co/sjyNyiv4dg pic.twitter.com/iAsKVI7gb4
— Jaime Harrison (@harrisonjaime) August 16, 2024
JD Vance bizarrely compares border issues to eating a really big sandwich
14:40
Joe Sommerlad
Trump’s running mate – who has been branded ‘weird’ by his rival Tim Walz, as you will no doubt recall – went on to describe his plans to “eat” the problem by deporting undocumented migrants “bite by bite”.
Myriam Page reports.
Trump announces transition team co-chairs
14:27
Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump has announced the formation of Trump Vance 2025 Transition, Inc an organization tasked with readying his second administration should he win November’s election.Overseeing the group will be co-chairs Linda McMahon, ex-SBA administrator and WWE founder, and Howard Lutnick, boss of Cantor Fitzgerald.
Senator JD Vance, Donald Trump Jr, and Eric Trump have been named as honorary chairs.“The 2024 GOP Platform to Make America Great Again is a forward-looking agenda that will deliver safety, prosperity and freedom for the American people. My administration will deliver on these bold promises,” said Trump. “We will restore strength, competence and common sense to the Oval Office. I have absolute confidence the Trump-Vance Administration will be ready to govern effectively on Day One.”
INBOX: @realDonaldTrump has announced his transition team co-chairs, ex-SBA administrator Linda McMahon and Cantor Fitzgerald boss Howard Lutnick.@JDVance, @DonaldJTrumpJr and @EricTrump are "honorary chairs" as well. pic.twitter.com/E5yeFzx1jS
— Andrew Feinberg (@AndrewFeinberg) August 16, 2024
Harris willing to debate Trump twice
14:20
Joe Sommerlad
Kamala Harris’s spokesman Michael Tyler said on Thursday that the Democrat would be willing to debate Trump twice and declared “the debate about debates is over”.
As it stands, Harris and Trump will go head to head on ABC News on September 10 and their running mates Tim Walz and JD Vance will square up at a CBS vice presidental debate on October 1.
The Republican has challenged Harris to two further encounters on Fox on September 4 and on NBC on September 25 but she has yet to agree to either.
ABC’s Trump-Harris presidential debate to take place in Philadelphia
14:15
Oliver O'Connell
ABC's presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden on September 10 “will take place in Philadelphia at the National Constitution Center,” the network says.
It will kick off at 9pm ET and we will be following it live, so make a note to join us then.
Just in: ABC's presidential debate on September 10 "will take place in Philadelphia at the National Constitution Center," the network says. 9pm ET start time.
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) August 16, 2024
Secret Service to surround Trump him with bulletproof glass at rallies
14:00
Joe Sommerlad
Donald Trump will reportedly now be protected at outdoor rallies by having his podium surrounded with bulletproof glass, a measure usually only employed when guarding sitting presidents.
It comes after the assassination attempt on July 13 when Trump’s right ear was grazed by a bullet at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. One rally attendee was killed and two others were injured.
It was the first attempted assassination of a candidate for president since the 1972 attempt on the life of George Wallace.
Gustaf Kilander reports.
Jon Stewart says Trump is ‘becoming Biden in this race’
13:40
Joe Sommerlad
The Daily Show satirist has said that Trump is now “becoming Biden in this race” from his “rambly” speeches to his “real decline”.
On the latest episode of his podcast The Weekly Show With Jon Stewart on Thursday, the late-night host spoke about the rambling interview between Trump and Elon Musk on X Spaces on Monday and how Trump’s position in the 2024 election has changed since President Joe Biden quit his re-election campaign to be replaced by Kamala Harris.
“Was that just like two old dudes in a basement talking about how hot each other is? Like, wow. I was f***ing bored,” Stewart said of the interview with Musk.
He added that the X event made him realize one thing: that Trump is turning into Biden “before our eyes.”
Myriam Page has more.
Trump’s 2023 financial disclosures published by Citizens for Ethics
13:20
Joe Sommerlad
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) pick out these highlights from the Republican nominee’s filings for last year:
- $160m earned from his Doral golf resort in Florida
- $56m from Mar-a-Lago
- $37m from his Bedminster golf resort in New Jersey
- $7m from NFT sales
- $1-5m valuation for his Ethereum crypto wallet
- $400,000 from licensing his name in Turkey
- $300,000 from Bible sales
- $50,000 from MyPillow advertising
You can examine the files for yourself via the link in their tweet below.
BREAKING: CREW has obtained Donald Trump's new financial disclosures.
— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) August 15, 2024
Read them here: https://t.co/MZdmQiliPC
Trump warns of 1929-style crash if Kamala wins – as Fox News ticker shows stock market at near-record high
13:00
Joe Sommerlad
In yesterday’s rambling press conference, Trump warned that the US would plunge into a 1929-style stock market crash if his Democratic presidential rival Kamala Harris wins in November – only to have his argument undermined by an awkwardly-timed Fox News ticker showing up on screen.
The former president laid into the vice president again on Thursday in front of a handpicked group of reporters at his luxury golf resort in Bedminster, New Jersey, hitting her over inflation and the economy.
“We are going to have a crash and we’re going to have a crash like a 1929 crash if she gets in,” the Republican nominee warned, referring to the Great Depression.
“You saw a gentleman yesterday who got up, one of the top analysts in the world, frankly, and said that if Trump isn’t elected he predicts, and he’s predicting you have a stock market crash like 1929.”
Trump’s address was being broadcast live by several channels, including Fox News, which routinely runs a ticker carrying the latest stock prices on screen.
At the precise moment that he made his apocalyptic forecast, the Fox News ticker revealed that the Dow Jones Industrial Average was actually in rude health at 40,563.06, up 554.67 points or 1.39 per cent.
Here’s more.
Harris debate prep ‘underway' at Howard University
12:30
Joe Sommerlad
Vice President Harris has begun debate preparation at Howard University as she braces to face Trump on September 10 on ABC, according to The New York Times.
There was a mock debate on Monday, the newspaper reports, featuring Philippe Reines, who is reprising his role as Trump from the 2016 Clinton-Trump debates and, reportedly, even went to the trouble of appearing in costume.
Harris has never met or spoken with Trump in person and, aside from attending his State of the Union addresses as a senator, has never been in the same room with him. https://t.co/9nDqt7d5Ot
— Katie Rogers (@katierogers) August 15, 2024
Per the Times:
“Ms Harris is working on her debate preparations with a small group of advisers, several of whom have known her since before she became Vice President. Her debate preparations were confirmed by three people briefed on the plans but who were not authorized to publicly detail them.
“Ms Harris has participated in at least one other mock debate in recent days, two of those people said.
“Rohini Kosoglu, a former policy director who was a chief of staff to Ms Harris in the Senate and later left the Vice President’s office in 2022, is helping lead the preparations. So is Karen Dunn, an attorney who helped prepare Ms Harris for her vice presidential debate in 2020.”
Amazingly, the upcoming debate will mark the first time Harris and Trump have been in the same room together, Alex Lang reports.
Harris to unveil economic plan to ban price gouging on groceries and build three million new homes
12:00
Joe Sommerlad
Kamala Harris is set to unveil her economic policy today, including a ban on price gouging on groceries, plans to build three million new homes and the slashing of prescription drug costs.
In her first major policy speech focusing on the economy in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Friday, the Vice President will outline plans to tackle high grocery prices by taking on food and grocery corporations who hike the cost of goods for customers to unfair levels.
Here’s more from Rhian Lubin.
Trump once mocked Biden for campaigning from home. Now he’s sticking to his safe spaces
11:30
Joe Sommerlad
One of Trump’s favorite attacks on Biden during the 2020 campaign at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic was to complain that the Democrat was campaigning from his Delaware basement on Zoom, rather than braving serious illness and breaching social distancing guidelines by venturing out to meet the public.
Now it’s the Republican who is bunkered down, observes Eric Garcia.
Watch: Biden says Trump should ‘get a job’ in response to economic criticism
11:00
Joe Sommerlad
Clearly geed up for this one, here’s how the President slammed his predecessor as he set out from the White House en route to Maryland.
Biden gets hero’s welcome as he joins Harris for first joint rally and derides ‘Donald Dump'
10:30
Joe Sommerlad
Vice President Harris and President Joe Biden on Thursday made their first appearance together since she took over the Democratic Party 2024 ticket.
The pair spoke at a rally in Maryland on federal efforts to lower prescription drug costs for Americans after an agreement was reached with pharmaceutical companies to reduce the price of ten in-demand medicines.
Biden received a rapturous reception at the event, with the crowd chanting “Thank you Joe!” in response to his bold decision to step away from the White House race.
The commander-in-chief used his time to hit out at “Donald Dump”, declaring that Harris would make “one hell of a president” and attacking the Heritage Foundation’s draconian Project 2025 proposals.
“Let me tell you what our Project 2025 is: Beat the hell out of them!” Biden said.
VP: And today we take the next step -- thank you, Joe -- forward in our fight.
— Acyn (@Acyn) August 15, 2024
Crowd: Chanting thank you, Joe pic.twitter.com/q27ECEMIIp
Biden: The guy we're running against, what's his name? Donald Dump or Donald whatever pic.twitter.com/SwN7yU4kfj
— Acyn (@Acyn) August 15, 2024
Here’s Andrew Feinberg’s report.
Analysis: Trump held another press conference – but it was the same old shtick
10:00
Joe Sommerlad
Trump spoke for roughly 40 minutes yesterday before taking a series of softball questions from friendly sources at Bedminster.
His lengthy central diatribe touched on his current opponent, Vice President Harris, his former opponent, Joe Biden, and a wide range of other issues, from trucks and domestic energy policy to China and the wars in Gaza and Ukraine.
But Trump’s failure to follow his own thread and attack Harris consistently on inflation and the economy soon caused the session to drag on and lose its edge, to put it mildly.
Such incredible messaging discipline https://t.co/hvGa5tbgQp
— Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) August 15, 2024
He actually said this. Lol. https://t.co/ED9adUYTBz
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) August 15, 2024
This is weird https://t.co/lJ6kLrqO4j
— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) August 15, 2024
Here’s John Bowden’s reaction.
Trump uses latest press conference to rehash Harris complaints but offers no vision for 2025
09:30
Joe Sommerlad
Donald Trump held his second press conference in a week on Thursday, this time at his exclusive golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, following on from his previous public meltdown at Mar-a-Lago.
The Republican presidential nominee was again on rambling form, resuming his personal attacks on Kamala Harris and Tim Walz rather than sticking to his planned economic theme and rarely tackling substantive policy issues.
Q: Many are telling you to stop with the personal attacks against Kamala Harris...
— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) August 15, 2024
Trump: I’m angry at her. I don’t have respect for her. She attacks me. She called me weird pic.twitter.com/p2KSDYunes
Bizarrely, the session was staged in front of two tables loaded with products including coffee and Froot Loops breakfast cereal, presumably intended to illustrate the high cost of living hitting consumers but instead conveying the atmosphere of an infomercial.
Mike Bedigan reports.
Ex-Fox News host called out for claiming Kellyanne Conway “sabotaged” Trump
08:30
Oliver O’Connell
A former GOP staffer turned media contributor has called out an ex-Fox News host for claiming Kellyanne Conway “sabotaged” Donald Trump.
On an episode of The Dan Bongino Show Wednesday, former Fox host Dan Bongino accused Conway and other Republican operatives of leaking stories claiming Trump regrets picking JD Vance as his running mate to media outlets, such as The Daily Mail.
“I’m going to say to Kellyanne and others: it’s time to pipe down. You’ve been warned. I’ve had about enough,” Bongino said.
Katie Hawkinson reports.
Harris is zeroing in on high food prices as inflation remains a big issue
07:30
Oliver O'Connell
Vice President Kamala Harris is zeroing in on high food prices as her campaign previews an economic policy speech that she will give in North Carolina on Friday, promising to push for a federal ban on price gouging on groceries.
Harris is putting particular emphasis on rising meat prices, which she says account for a large part of rising grocery bills.
Year-over-year inflation has reached its lowest level in more than three years. But many in the United States are struggling with food prices, which remain 21% above where they were three years ago. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has been pointing to inflation as a key failing of the Biden administration and its energy policies.
Continue reading...
Project 2025 leader says Trump ‘very supportive’ of their work
05:30
Oliver O'Connell
A leader of Project 2025 told undercover reporters that Donald Trump is “very supportive” of their work despite the former president publically distancing himself from the conservative policy agenda.
An undercover journalist and a paid actor from the Centre for Climate Reporting pretended to be relatives of a wealthy donor when they set up a meeting with Russell Vought at a five-star hotel in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, DC, last month.
Vought headed the Office of Management and Budget during the second half of Trump’s first term and has been tipped as a possible chief of staff in a second Trump administration.
Gustaf Kilander watched the video.
ICYMI: Harris campaign trolls Trump ahead of second press conference
03:30
Oliver O'Connell
The Harris-Walz presidential campaign is finding new ways to provoke Donald Trump, this time by sending out a media advisory, riddled with insults, about the former president’s press conference taking place at his Bedminster, New Jersey golf club on Thursday.
“TODAY: Donald Trump to Ramble Incoherently and Spread Dangerous Lies in Public, but at Different Home,” the title of the email read.
Ariana Baio has the story.
UAW files federal labor complaint against Trump campaign over Elon Musk interview
02:30
Oliver O'Connell
The United Auto Workers union launched a volley of attacks against the Trump campaign on Tuesday after the former president joined Elon Musk for a live interview on X Monday evening.
A statement from the union indicated that it had filed a complaint against Trump and Musk with the the National Labor Relations Board, accusing the two of intimidating workers with their comments in the interview about strikes.
The UAW’s X account also released a video Tuesday morning highlighting that segment of the interview, in which Trump described Musk supposedly firing a group of striking workers — though it was unclear whether he was referring to a real situation.
John Bowden reports.
Baby Boomers are fleeing Donald Trump and switching allegiance to Harris
02:00
Oliver O'Connell
A new poll shows some baby boomers and members of the Silent Generation are switching allegiances from former President Donald Trump to Vice President Kamala Harris.
The Emerson College poll released Thursday shows voters over 70 backing Harris over Trump 51 to 48 percent. That’s a small but positive shift for Harris, as last month, 50 percent of the group supported Trump while 48 percent backed President Joe Biden, who dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris last month.
The group includes some baby boomers, who were born between 1946 and 1964, and the Silent Generation, born between 1925 and 1945.
Gustaf Kilander looks at the numbers.
Trumpworld scrambling to clean up ‘mess’ after ex-president’s angry texts to megadonor
01:30
Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump’s inner circle is working to clean up the “mess” the former president created after he reportedly instructed an aide to send a string of angry text messages to a megadonor in the heat of an angry moment.
The former president has apparently engaged in some “erratic behavior” recently, according to New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman, in part due to the stress of the atypical presidential race.
That includes having his aide send texts to Miriam Adelson, the widow of casino tycoon Sheldon Adelson and eighth richest woman in the world, complaining that the super PAC she funds, which has poured millions of dollars into supporting Trump, was being run by RINOs – Republicans in name only.
Ariana Baio has the story.
Trump says he’s ‘entitled’ to personal attacks on Harris after she called him ‘weird'
01:18
Mike Bedigan
Donald Trump said that he was “entitled” to make personal attacks on Kamala Harris, since the vice president had done the same thing to him.
At an event in New Jersey on Thursday, billed as a press conference, Trump raged against his political rival, telling those gathered there: “I'm very angry at her that she'd weaponized the justice system against me and other people very angry at her.”
“I think I'm entitled to personal attacks. I don't have a lot of respect for her. I don't have a lot of respect for her intelligence, and I think she'll be a terrible president,” he said.
“I think it's very important that we win, and whether the personal attacks are good bad...? I mean, she certainly attacks me personally. She actually called me weird. ‘He's weird’ – it was just a sound bite. And she called JD and I weird. He's not weird.”
Trump brings back once-fired Corey Lewandowski in effort to save struggling campaign
01:00
Oliver O'Connell
The Trump campaign has reportedly hired long-time Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski as it seeks to regain momentum in the face of the Harris campaign’s growing lead in the polls.
Lewandowski, the manager of the 2016 Trump campaign, will come on to advise senior leadership, alongside other hires such as Alex Pfeiffer and Alex Bruesewitz, both former officials at the Trump-aligned PAC MAGA Inc, Politico reports.
Josh Marcus reports.
ICYMI: Biden deal to lower prescription drug costs will save taxpayers $6bn next year
Friday 16 August 2024 00:30
Oliver O'Connell
A landmark price negotiation between pharmaceutical companies and Medicare will result in price slashes for 10 common medications taken by older Americans ultimately saving taxpayers an estimated $6 billion next year, the Biden administration announced on Thursday.
Medications widely used to treat diabetes, Crohn’s disease, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and more will see significant price reductions.
Ariana Baio has the details.
Secret Service to protect Trump at outdoor rallies by surrounding him with bulletproof glass
Friday 16 August 2024 00:00
Oliver O'Connell
The Secret Service is planning on protecting former President Donald Trump at outdoor rallies by surrounding his podium with b
