Election 2024 Live Updates: Walz to Barnstorm Battleground Pennsylvania

Governor Tim Walz to Barnstorm Pennsylvania

On Wednesday, September 4 and Thursday, September 5, Governor Tim Walz will host a series of political events in Lancaster, Pittsburgh and Erie, Pennsylvania.

The Pennsylvania barnstorm will mark the Governor’s first solo visit to the battleground state since joining the Harris-Walz ticket.

Additional details will follow.

Donald Trump Suggests He’ll Release Jeffrey Epstein ‘Client List’ If Elected

Former president Donald Trump sat down with the popular podcaster Lex Fridman for an interview that was released Tuesday — continuing his strategy of engaging with influential online personalities — and suggested he might release a list of individuals associated with Jeffrey Epstein if voters send him back to the White House in November.

Epstein’s murky life as an accused sex trafficker has been a topic of intense public interest and speculation since his death by suicide five years ago, partly due to Trump’s past association with the late financier and sex offender (who also had links to high-profile Democrats like former President Bill Clinton.)

READ MORE from Newsweek’s Jesus Mesa

Harris For The People

“My entire career, I’ve only had one client: The people,” Harris just took to X.

John McCain’s Son to Vote for Harris as Democrats Seek Edge With Military

Jimmy McCain, the youngest son of late Republican Sen. John McCain, told CNN on Tuesday week that he plans to vote for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.

Jimmy McCain, a first lieutenant who serves as a Marine Corps intelligence officer in the 158th Infantry Regiment, also said he has changed his voter registration to Democrat.

The interview with McCain comes amid an ongoing war of words between the Harris and Donald Trump campaigns over military matters.

READ MORE from Newsweek’s Gabe Whisnant

Trump Talks To Lex Fridman

Former President Donald Trump discussed a range of topics, including business versus politics, the upcoming debate, and the 2020 presidential election, with Lex Fridman this afternoon.

Andrew Yang: What I Learned After Debating Kamala Harris 5 Times | Opinion

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump debate for the first time on Sept. 10.

It is the highest-stakes event to date for both candidates. In a race this close, it’s not an exaggeration to say that the outcome in November could rest on how this 90-minute debate goes. Traditionally the viewership is the highest for the first debate between opponents as well, so this is the big one.

I debated Harris five times during the primary season of 2020, literally standing next to her several of those evenings. To say that I debated her is a little bit misleading though—she and I never got into a direct argument as it never made sense for either of us to be attacking the other. We had a good, friendly relationship on the campaign trail, and Harris was generally focused on the candidates above her, most notably Joe Biden in the first debate.

I was focused on trying to get my message out and keep the campaign going; I tended to get less airtime than other candidates because I got fewer questions and generally played nice.

READ MORE from Newsweek’s Andrew Yang

WATCH: Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign releases new economic agenda ad

Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign is releasing a new ad aiming to draw contrast with former President Donald Trump’s economic agenda.

The spot highlights some of Harris’ new economic proposals, including federal price gouging legislation and taking on “corporate speculators” in the housing market, while Trump has push for tax cuts for corporations.

The ad is part of the campaign’s massive television and digital ad effort running through Election Day.

— The Associated Press

Harris’ campaign to spend nearly $25 million to help down-ballot Democrats

Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign is spending nearly $25 million to help down-ballot Democrats, in a sign of confidence heading into the final two months before Election Day.

A campaign official said it was the largest-ever transfer by a national campaign and the Democratic National Committee to committees focused on electing congressional and state-level Democrats.

The official said $10 million will go to each to the Democratic arm aimed at electing members of the House and Senate, $2.5 million will go to the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, and $1 million each will flow to the Democratic Attorneys General Association and Democratic Governors Associations.

It’s a reflection both of Harris’ strong financial position after a rush of fundraising that followed her replacement of President Joe Biden on the ticket, and an improving political map for Democrats that followed the same.

“The Vice President believes that this race is about mobilizing the entire country, in races at every level, to fight for our freedoms and our economic opportunity,” said Harris campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon. “That’s why the Vice President has made the decision to invest a historic sum into electing Democrats up and down the ballot: because Democrats win when we fight together.”

— The Associated Press

Decision on Major Policy Shift on Marijuana Won’t Come Until After Presidential Election

A decision on whether to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug in the U.S. won’t come until after the November presidential election, a timeline that raises the chances it could be a potent political issue in the closely contested race.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration last week set a hearing date to take comment on the proposed historic change in federal drug policy for Dec. 2.

The hearing date means a final decision could well come in the next administration. While it’s possible it could precede the end of President Joe Biden’s term, issuing it before Inauguration Day “would be pretty expedited,” said cannabis lawyer Brian Vicente.

That could put a new spotlight on the presidential candidates’ positions on marijuana. Vice President Kamala Harris has backed decriminalizing the drug and said it’s “absurd” to have it in the DEA’s Schedule I category alongside heroin and LSD. The Democratic nominee’s position has shifted over the years; she once oversaw the enforcement of cannabis laws and opposed legalized recreational use for adults in California while running for attorney general in 2010.

— The Associated Press

New Hampshire Campaign Trail

Trump Campaign Ousts Volunteer Over His Warning About New Hampshire: Report

A Donald Trump campaign volunteer in Massachusetts “will no longer have any involvement” in the campaign after he warned in an email that New Hampshire was “no longer a battleground state,” according to the Boston Globe on Monday.

In an email, which was obtained by the Globe, Tom Mountain, a Massachusetts volunteer for the Trump campaign, wrote to other Trump volunteers in the state that “the campaign has determined that New Hampshire is no longer a battleground state,” and instead directed supporters to focus on Pennsylvania, another battleground state.

Mountain continued in his email by stating that Trump was “sure to lose by an even higher margin” in New Hampshire than in 2016 and 2020, citing “campaign data/research.”

READ MORE from Newsweek’s Natalie Venegas

Several Key States Begin Early Voting

Mail-in voting begins in North Carolina on September 6, followed by Pennsylvania on September 16, and Michigan on September 26.

Walz Surpasses Vance as Running Mate

Regarding running mates, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz receives a more positive reception than Ohio Sen. JD Vance.

Americans are nearly split, 49%-50%, on whether Walz is qualified to assume the presidency, whereas 57% lack confidence in Vance’s qualifications. Walz is viewed favorably by 42% compared to 31%, while Vance has a negative favorability rating of 32%-44%. Around a quarter of people have not yet formed an opinion on either candidate.

ABC News

Sen. JD Vance to Discuss Comments on N.Y. Times’ Podcast

Sen. JD Vance will engage in a conversation on the N.Y. Times’ “The Interview” podcast.

Vance’s approach is part of a “come-at-me” media strategy, as he addresses ongoing questions about his comments and statements about women and parents.

Vance recently asked his team to include a press conference or Q&A segment in as many events as possible.

Kamala Harris Takes Lead Against Donald Trump in Conservative Poll

Vice President Kamala Harris is now leading Donald Trump in a survey by a conservative-leaning polling group that tends to favor Republican candidates.

A poll from Rasmussen Reports, consisting of 380 respondents, shows that Harris has a 1-point lead over Trump (47 percent to 46) with just over two months to go until November’s election.

The results are a continuation of the trend that has seen Harris cut into Trump’s lead since she entered the 2024 race after President Joe Biden ended his reelection campaign. A July 23 poll from Rasmussen, released soon after Biden endorsed Harris in the election, showed the former president had a 16-point lead over the vice president.

The results are also significant as they suggest Harris is the frontrunner in the 2024 election even in the conservative polls.

READ MORE from Newsweek’s Ewan Palmer

California Democrats Refuse ‘No Tax on Tips’ Bill

California Democrats killed a Republican proposal to end the state’s tax on tips for service workers last week, despite the Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, pledging to do the same at the national level should she be elected.

The idea to end federal taxes on tips was originally proposed by former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, in June during a rally in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he told service workers that he was going to do that “right away first thing in office because it’s been a point of contention for years and years.”

Last month, Harris announced the same proposal, capitalizing on the bipartisan support that ending tax on tips seems to have among voters. According to a poll for Newsweek conducted before Harris’ announcement, 67 percent of Americans believe that tips given to service workers should not be taxed. The number went up to 68 percent among Republicans and down to 65 percent among Democrats.

READ MORE from Newsweek’s Giulia Carbonaro

Trump Talks To Lex Fridman

Trump sat down with Lex Fridman for his podcast, which airs today at 1 p.m.

Donald Trump Compared to ‘The Godfather’ Character by Nephew Fred

Donald Trump’s nephew compared him to a character in the film franchise The Godfather during an interview with MSNBC regarding the former president’s attitude towards the military.

Fred Trump III, 61, discussed his uncle’s recent controversial visit at Arlington Cemetery, where a member of his campaign staff reportedly got into an altercation with a worker who tried to stop them filming. He also referenced Donald Trump’s military draft deferment.

Fred compared his uncle’s views of the military to a scene at the end of the second film in The Godfather trilogy, where the characters are discussing the bombing of Pearl Habor and the character Sonny Corleone says, “Country ain’t your blood kid,” to which the character Michael Corleone responds, “No, I don’t believe that.”

In the scene, after Sonny denigrates military members for being “Saps because they risked their lives for strangers,” Michael reveals that he has enlisted in the Marines.

After describing this scene, Fred said, “Donald believes in Donald.”

READ MORE from Newsweek’s Maya Mehrara

The Role Corporate Media Plays

Cenk Uygur and Lex Fridman discuss political theatrics and the influence of corporate media.

WATCH: Donald Trump Sued, Asked to Pay $150K Every Time He Uses Isaac Hayes Song

Trump Lawyer Defends Using Isaac Hayes’ Song After High School Reunion Set

The late soul singer Isaac Hayes was friends with prominent Republicans and wouldn’t have had a problem with Donald Trump using his song, an attorney for the former president has claimed in court.

Hayes even performed at the 20-year high school reunion of one-time Republican National Committee Chairman Lee Atwater, the submission says, adding that Hayes performed on an album with Atwater, who was a keen guitarist as well as campaign strategist for Ronald Reagan and George Bush Sr.

The singer’s estate is trying to stop the Trump campaign from using the Isaac Hayes song “Hold On, I’m Coming,” saying they hadn’t received permission to use the 1966 track. The song was played at Trump rallies and Hayes’ son, Isaac Hayes III, wrote a social media post showing that he had sent a cease and desist letter to the Trump campaign, along with a demand for $3 million in royalties and $150,000 for each additional time Trump uses the song.

READ MORE from Newsweek’s Sean O’Driscoll

Can Gold Star Families Saddle Kamala Harris With Biden’s Afghanistan Baggage?

One of the first major pitfalls of Kamala Harris’ young campaign seemed to materialize over the holiday weekend, as her team traded barbs with the Trump camp over accusations of disrespecting the military.

Harris first accused Trump of staging a “political stunt” during a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, intended to honor service members killed in the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal.

Reports later came out suggested that an official of the cemetery was “abruptly pushed aside” during an altercation with Trump’s staff over the rights to film at the cemetery. The Trump campaign pushed back against that allegation, and said it was invited by families of the fallen soldiers to attend the event.

READ MORE from Newsweek’s Jesus Mesa

Harris Releases New Ad

Harris says in a new ad that building up the middle class will be a defining goal of her presidency.

Trump and Harris to Debate on Sept. 10

This month’s debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump won’t have an audience, live microphones when candidates aren’t speaking, or written notes, according to rules that ABC News, the host network, shared this week with both campaigns.

The parameters now in place for the Sept. 10 debate are essentially the same as they were for the June debate between Trump and President Joe Biden, a disastrous performance for the incumbent Democrat that fueled his exit from the campaign.

It is the only debate that’s been firmly scheduled and could be the only time voters see Harris and Trump go head to head before the November general election.

The Associated Press

Mark Cuban Says He Helped Fund RFK Jr.’s Legal Fight To Run for President

Mark Cuban has said that he helped the independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. get on a ballot in North Carolina by donating to the Center for Competitive Democracy, an organization that helps support political candidates outside of the two-party system.

On Monday, Cuban wrote on X, formerly Twitter, “You know who helped pay for the lawsuit that got RFK Jr. and Cornel West on the NC Ballot? Me. I help fund Voter Choice. I’m not a fan of the two-party system and Voter Choice helps get candidates on ballots. And we are good at it. His NC org came to us for help. We helped. No cost to them. So I don’t feel bad that he can’t get off the ballot.”

The Center for Competitive Democracy confirmed in an email statement to Newsweek that Cuban in a donor.

READ MORE from Newsweek’s Anezka Pichrtova

Where Kamala Harris, Donald Trump Stand Among Union Workers: What Polls Say

Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign ramped up its plea for union voters’ support in critical swing states on Monday as the 2024 election heads into its homestretch.

Both Harris and former President Donald Trump have claimed to be on the side of working Americans while vying for the White House, a reflection of the important role union voters could play in securing states like Pennsylvania and Michigan, which have some of the highest union densities in the country, according to the Center for American Progress Action Fund.

In a post to his Truth Social account Monday, Trump wished a happy Labor Day “to all of our American Workers who represent the Shining Example of Hard Work and Ingenuity” and blamed Harris for “High Gas Prices, Transportation Costs are up, and Grocery Prices are through the roof.”

READ MORE from Newsweek’s Kaitlin Lewis

WATCH: Kamala Harris Plays Down Poll Lead Again: ‘We Are the Underdogs’

Kamala Harris Deploys Joe Biden on Trail as Campaign Enters Home Stretch

Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden co-headlined a campaign event on Monday in Pennsylvania, a critical battleground state, as they celebrate labor unions while reinforcing Biden’s legacy with workers.

The pair attended Pittsburgh’s Labor Day parade and delivered remarks, marking the first time they have shared a speaking slot on the trail since the surprising election shakeup that injected fresh enthusiasm into the 2024 race some six weeks ago.

Harris and Biden also attended an event at a local union hall alongside Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Senator Bob Casey, who is seeking re-election. Local and national leaders from major unions, including the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the A.F.L.-C.I.O., and the United Steelworkers, were present.

READ MORE from Newsweek’s Jesus Mesa AND Gabe Whisnant

Biden and Harris Meet Labor Leaders at Pittsburgh Airport

President Joe Biden and Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris meet with labor leaders at Pittsburgh International Airport in Pittsburgh.

Black Voters in Georgia ‘Tired of Being Taken for Granted’

Black voters in Georgia are “tired of being taken for granted”, a Trump surrogate has warned ahead of a Town Hall event tonight.

Bruce LeVell said that Black voters, who account for more than 30% of the electorate in the swing state, were “looking at the contrast” between the economic achievements of Donald Trump’s administration and those of the Biden and Harris administration. He added that Black voters, particularly those who own small businesses, were concerned by gas prices.

In an apparent swipe at the celebrity-laden campaign rallies held by Democrats, LeVell told Fox News: “You’re going to have to do much more than bringing Megan Thee Stallion on stage”.

However, his comments come after the Harris campaign was buoyed by American Automobile Association data that showed gas prices at the pump dropped to a three-year low on Labor Day weekend and are expected to continue falling through November

Newsweek’s Wesley Rock

Former Trump Communications Director says Elon Musk is helping Trump’s branding

Former Trump Communications Director Erin Perrine said AI-generated images spread by Elon Musk are helping Donald Trump’s branding of “Comrade Kamala”.

The SpaceX CEO posted an AI-Generated image of the Vice President wearing a soviet-style uniform on Sunday, and claimed the Democratic candidate “vows to be a communist dictator on day one.”

Perrine said the post, which accumulated 48 million views, helped the Trump campaign with their attacks on Kamala Harris, saying on CNN: “The Trump campaign thinks this is hilarious. That’s how they feel about it, they’re not going to use [Artificial Intelligence] widely, it’s not a messaging tactic but what is, is the nickname ‘Comrade Kamala’. That does evoke images of the Soviet era, of the Cold War era, and when it comes to how he’s going to brand Kamala, and find what sticks? That messaging is one that has caught on and is sticking at this point for her.”

Newsweek’s Theo Burman

Top former DNC advisor says Joe Biden’s popularity is ‘underestimated’

Former Senior DNC Advisor Brad Woodhouse has said President Joe Biden remains very popular with the Democratic base in the Midwest, and his campaigning for Kamala Harris will help boost her chances in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.

The statement comes as Biden’s approval ratings increased slightly after his decision to drop out of the 2024 race. Before the announcement, his approval was consistently stalling around the high 30s. Since stepping aside for Kamala Harris, they have increased to around 42 percent, according to the latest averages.

“I think the one thing that people underestimate with the change at the top of the ticket is how powerful Joe Biden is in these blue wall states. If you win the blue wall states, you win the presidency, and there’s nowhere that Joe Biden has a more effective message to help Harris than in those blue wall states,” Woodhouse said. “The base of the Democratic party loves Joe Biden. At the Democratic Convention, they gave him a four-and-a-half-minute standing ovation. His Administration has worked on junk fees. They work on Airline fees. They lowered the price of prescription drugs.

Newsweek’s Theo Burman

Trump To Harrisburg

Trump will speak with Sean Hannity during a Town Hall tomorrow in Harrisburg, PA.

GOP Congressman’s Wife Slams Democrat on Education

Conservative education activist Erika Donalds, the wife of Republican Congressman Byron Donalds, slammed the Democrats’ record on education, claiming they do not want students to “know their history”.
Her attack comes as Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona launches the Back to School Bus Tour in an effort to showcase student achievement under the Biden-Harris Administration.

Citing reports that suggest just 43% of U.S. school students are proficient readers, she told Fox News that the Biden-Harris Administration “don’t want our American students to know their history . . . so that they don’t recognize the rights being taken away from them.”

Newsweek’s Wesley Rock

Walz Attends Milwaukee Laborfest

Walz made an appearance at Milwaukee’s Laborfest yesterday.

Gov. Tim Walz to Visit PA in First Solo Trip Since Joining Harris

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will host events in Pennsylvania this week, including a stop in Erie on Thursday, September 5, from 3 to 8 p.m., according to the Harris-Walz campaign.

Addison Rae for Kamala Harris Ahead of 2024 Election

Addison Rae, who has 88.8 million followers, reposted Kamala Harris’ recent TikTok.

Philadelphia Eagles Tackle Fake Kamala Harris Endorsement

Amid the 2024 election, the Philadelphia Eagles are aiming to remove a counterfeit political endorsement advertisement of Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday.

According to images posted on social media, the political advertisements featuring Philadelphia Eagles’ branding have been spotted at Philadelphia bus stops and features a caricature side profile of Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, wearing an Eagles helmet and a message of endorsement with the text: “Official candidate of the Philadelphia Eagles.”

It also features an Eagles logo above “Kamala” in bold, white letters.

READ MORE from Newsweek’s Natalie Venegas

Does Donald Trump Stand a Chance in New Hampshire?

Donald Trump’s team’s claim that New Hampshire will be “in play” at the 2024 election looks unlikely to come to fruition, with polls and experts suggesting Kamala Harris will win the Granite State in November.

It was recently reported that a former GOP official will no longer be involved with Trump’s campaign after he determined that New Hampshire should not be considered competitive, urging fellow volunteers to focus their attention on the swing state of Pennsylvania instead.

Tom Mountain, a Massachusetts volunteer for the Trump campaign, said in an email obtained by The Boston Globe that Trump was “sure to lose by an even higher margin” in New Hampshire in November than he did in 2016 and 2020, citing “campaign data/research.”

READ MORE from Newsweek’s Ewan Palmer