The race for the White House remained essentially a dead heat on Sunday — with nine days to go until Election Day.
Former President Donald Trump will speak before a rally Sunday afternoon at New York’s Madison Square Garden. After speaking at a church in Philadelphia on Sunday morning, Vice President Kamala Harris will hold a rally there later in the day.
Latest Developments
Oct 27, 12:29 PM
Vance argues over Trump’s ‘enemy from within’ comments
Trump’s vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance was pressed on Sunday on Trump calling his domestic political opponents “the enemy from within.”
In a recent Fox News interview, Trump referred to California Rep. Adam Schiff and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as “an enemy from within.” Asked on NBC’s “Meet the Press” if he believes Schiff and Pelosi are more dangerous than Russia and China, Vance tried to clarify what Trump said, telling Kristen Welker, “Those folks pose a greater threat to United States’s peace and security.
“America is strong enough to stand up to any foreign adversary,” Vance said.
Pressed if he agrees with Trump’s comments, Vance said “that the biggest threat we have in our country, it’s not a foreign adversary.”
On CNN’s “State of the Union,” Vance insisted that Trump’s “enemy from within” comments were not directed at political opponents.
CNN’s Jake Tapper quoted Trump’s previous statements to Vance, saying, “I’m talking about what he said publicly, he wants to use the military to go after the enemy within, which is the American people,” Tapper said.
Vance fired back with, “He did not say that, Jake. He said ‘far-left lunatics.’ He’s talking about people rioting after the election.”
“He said about using the military that far-left lunatics, people who riot in the wake of an election, people who burned down American cities in the summer of 2020,” Vance said. “Yes, we should have a federal law enforcement response.”
-ABC News’ Hannah Demissie
Oct 27, 1:48 PM
Harris dodges question on abortion restrictions
Asked by “CBS Sunday Morning” host Norah O’Donnell to define which abortion restrictions she supported, Harris dodged the question, saying she supports restoring Roe v. Wade, which would protect abortion access until fetal viability, which is around the 22nd week of pregnancy.
“Let’s put back in place Roe versus Wade. This was not an issue in Roe, when Roe versus Wade was intact for 50 years, half a century,” Harris said. “I support Roe versus Wade being put back into law by Congress and to restore the fundamental right of women to make decisions about their own body. It is that basic.”
Harris was interviewed by O’Donnell in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and Houston in the days before the interview aired.
Harris plans to make a closing argument for her election on Tuesday at The Ellipse on the National Mall in Washington with the White House in the background. In an excerpt from the CBS interview released Sunday morning, she said the reason she chose the same spot where Trump spoke to supporters before the Jan.6, 2021, attacks on the Capitol was to remind Americans of their choice between herself and Trump.
“I would and do think about that place more in the context of what will be behind me, which is the White House. And I’m doing it there, because I think it is very important for the American people to see and think about who will be occupying that space on Jan. 20,” she said. “And the reality of it is that most Americans can visualize the Oval Office. We’ve seen it on television, and this is a real scenario. It’s either going to be Donald Trump or it’s going to be me sitting behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office.”
-ABC News’ Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, Fritz Farrow and Will McDuffie
Oct 27, 7:20 AM
Harris regains slight lead among likely voters nationally
Vice President Kamala Harris has regained a slight lead among likely voters nationally in the latest ABC News/Ipsos poll, albeit with the race close enough to leave the outcome of the 2024 presidential election to the uncertainties of the Electoral College.
Just 2 percentage points divide Harris and former President Donald Trump among all registered voters, 49-47%.
This goes to a slight Harris advantage among likely voters, 51-47%, with some pro-Harris groups showing a bit more propensity to vote.
Compared with earlier this month, Harris has regained a more customary Democratic advantage among Hispanic people and widened her advantage among suburban women, while remaining strong in core groups including Black people.
MORE: Harris regains slight lead nationally yet Electoral College holds the cards: POLL
Trump pushes back in rural areas and among non-college white men, and runs competitively among younger men.
-ABC News’ Gary Langer
Oct 27, 5:10 AM
Harris, Walz announce 7-state battleground blitz
Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will visit all seven battleground states from Monday through Thursday, their campaign announced.
The campaign said the ticket will be rallying voters in the final days of the campaign, with a focus on “getting out the vote” and mobilizing supporters to head to the polls.
The blitz will begin Monday with Harris and Walz campaigning together in Michigan. Walz will appear solo in Wisconsin before joining the vice president in Ann Arbor.
Walz will head to Georgia on Tuesday, while Harris will deliver an address to the American people from The Ellipse close to the White House in Washington, D.C.
Harris will campaign in North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin on Wednesday, with Walz also making two stops in North Carolina.
Thursday will see Harris head to Nevada and Arizona, while Walz will campaign in Pennsylvania and Michigan.
-ABC News’ Will McDuffie, Fritz Farrow and Gabriela Abdul-Hakim
Oct 27, 3:17 AM
Walz on importance of Senate race: ‘We don’t have John McCain’
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz told Arizonans on Saturday night it was time for the “final push” until Election Day.
“Ten days, folks, ten days,” Walz told a rally in Phoenix. “Tie game, fourth quarter, clock’s ticking.”
“But here’s the good news, we got the better team,” he added. “We got a better quarterback in Kamala Harris, and we are ready to do it, one inch at a time, one yard at a time, one call at a time, one door knock at a time, $1 at a time.”
“This is our time,” he added. “One vote. One or two votes for precincts in the state of Arizona can make Kamala Harris president.”
Walz again invoked late Arizona Sen. John McCain as a rare example of a Republican willing to work across the aisle.
“We need to keep the Senate, because we don’t have John McCain right now,” Walz said, suggesting no current Republican senators “have the courage John McCain had.”
“That’s why we need to keep the Senate, because they will try it again,” Walz said, claiming the GOP would attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
-ABC News’ Isabella Murray
Oct 26, 10:16 PM
Vance asked by pastor to keep things ‘respectful’ when talking about Harris during town hall
Vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance was invited to a town hall by Harrisburg pastor Rev. Joshua C. Robertson, who wrote an op-ed titled “I’m a black pastor. Here’s why I’m not endorsing Kamala Harris.”
Speaking at the “Black Pastors United for Education” town hall, Vance engaged in an in-depth conversation about education issues and how Black children are particularly impacted.
Although the conversation focused mostly on education, and Vance mentioned the use of school vouchers and choice, he did not provide any other specific policy on how to better address the academic gaps that are being seen in schools and impacting Black children.
“The evidence that I’ve seen, again, I’m not an expert, but the evidence that I’ve seen suggests that school choice actually improves the quality of both the private schools and the public schools,” Vance said to a room of mostly Black voters.
“I think school choice is part of but not the whole solution, but I think the rest of the solution is going to come from a combination of, hopefully, federal, state and local policymakers trying to solve this problem.”
Vance said it’s important for people to remember not to take the Black vote for granted.
“And again, I know I’m speaking to a lot of Black voters in the room, I think it’s important for people to know that they can’t take your vote for granted,” Vance said. “And that is the way I think that we’re going to get school choice, is the people who support school choice start withholding their votes from politicians who refuse to do what the people want to do.”
Toward the end of the town hall, Rev. Robertson and Vance exchanged awkward words when the Ohio senator criticized President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Vance’s comments led Robertson to check him.
Vance falsely claimed that under the Biden administration, a federal program emerged where if school districts didn’t allow transgender females to participate in girls’ sports, the school would see a reduction of their free and reduced lunch money.
“But even if you disagree with me, I think that it is such a terrible thing to take food out of the mouths of poor children because they don’t do what the Biden-Harris administration wants them to do. We got to do better. We’ve got to be willing to say, you live your conscience,” Vance said.
This led Rev. Robertson to ask Vance to keep things “respectful.”
“I live my conscience, but can we all agree that poor kids ought to go to school with full bellies? That is simple, common sense that I’d like to get back to. But here’s the here’s one thing I will say, though, Senator Vance, with all due respect, please, Harris and Biden are striving to make America the best country that they possibly can,” Robertson said.
“And up until this point, we haven’t said anything about the opposing. And I think we should keep it respectful because I believe that those people are doing the very best they can to serve the American people.”
-ABC News’ Hannah Demissie
Oct 26, 9:21 PM
Trump reminisces about campaign era during Pennsylvania rally, ‘I will never forget it’
A subdued former President Donald Trump acknowledged the end of an era as he closed his hourlong remarks to hundreds of students at Penn State University on Saturday — after the rally kicked off nearly two hours late.
“It’s coming to an end in one way. It’s sad,” Trump said. “In another way, it’s beautiful. I think it’s going to come to a very successful end. And then a new period begins. And that’s the next four years where we’re going to make our country so incredible, and we’re going to do it so fast.”
Trump added, “But there’ll never be rallies like this. They’ll never be — in four years, there’ll be somebody coming in and they’ll call for a rally, and they’ll have 200 or 300 people.”
In an apparent approach to court young men, Trump invited the Nittany Lion wrestling team on stage to celebrate their recent championship.
In his remarks, Trump also continued to bash Beyoncé’s appearance at a rally for Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday evening.
“Beyoncé got out and said, ‘Hello ladies and gentlemen. I would like to endorse her, what’s her name? What’s her name? What is her name again? Oh, I’m going to endorse her.’ They just don’t get it,” Trump said.
-ABC News’ Kelsey Walsh, Lalee Ibssa and Soorin Kim
Oct 26, 7:51 PM
Harris, Whitmer share beers after Michigan rally
After her rally in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Vice President Kamala Harris stopped at a bar with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
The pair shook hands with bargoers, then ordered a beer and sat down.
Asked what she wanted to drink, Harris, said, “I am having what she’s having,” laughing and pointing to Whitmer.
Whitmer said the beer they ordered was Oberon, brewed in Kalamazoo.
-ABC News’ Will McDuffie, Gabriella Abdul-Hakim and Fritz Farrow
Oct 26, 7:51 PM
Walz rallies on remote Navajo Nation land in AZ
Gov. Tim Walz delivered remarks at a “Native Americans for Harris-Walz” get-out-the-early-vote rally in Window Rock, Arizona, on Saturday afternoon– a remote location on the Navajo Nation.
Walz’s visit marks the first time a candidate on the presidential ticket has gone to Navajo Nation this cycle, according to the campaign.
“We’re here because we’re not taking any vote for granted, and we’re here to show respect to the Navajo Nation and earn your vote. Now I’ll tell you we’re running like everything’s on the line, because everything’s on the line,” he said.
Walz said that given the closeness of this election, especially in the battleground state of Arizona, Native votes may really tip the scales for the Democratic ticket.
“I think, probably, that we win the whole damn thing because of the work that was done here, the work that’s done on the nation, and we put Kamala Harris in the White House,” Walz said.
Walz claimed that Donald Trump did not give Native Americans support in office and specifically blasted Trump for his gathering with families of Navajo war veterans at the White House in 2017.
The event occurred in front of an image of Andrew Jackson, the president who signed legislation that eventually led to the “Trail of Tears.”
“I don’t know if he knows his history well enough to know what he was doing, but I damn sure guarantee you the people around him knew the insult they were throwing to Indian country by making those heroes stand in front of that portrait,” Walz said.
Walz highlighted how his and Harris’ economic policies would boost Tribal entrepreneurs and businesses and better their health care options.
“I want to be clear and make sure you hear it and that the country hears it. Kamala Harris and I recognize the promises this country has been made to indigenous peoples. We will safeguard and strengthen the bonds between our nations and uphold our trust and treaty obligations,” he said.
-ABC News’ Isabella Murray
Oct 26, 6:37 PM
NYC mayor says police prepared to keep Trump MSG rally safe
Mayor Eric Adams and multiple NYPD officials briefed reporters Saturday on the security posture ahead of former President Trump’s rally tomorrow at Madison Square Garden.
Adams said New Yorkers should expect a “large police presence” around MSG, including “protections you will see, and many you won’t see.”
NYPD Deputy Commissioner Rebecca Weiner and NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell told reporters officials are expecting protests and that there will be designated areas for people to lawfully exercise their First Amendment rights.
The police will begin their security preparations after Friday night’s Rangers game.
“You will see a heavy uniformed presence around the Garden, you’ll see heavy-weapons teams, counter-terror, aviation… blocker vehicles and many more,” Chell said.
Speaking to potential protesters, Adams said no one should “come to our city to try to cause problems.”
-ABC News’ Matt Foster
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