Trump ‘exhausted and hoarse’ in final election rallies as Lady Gaga and Oprah to support Harris: Live updates

The Harris campaign said Donald Trump sounded “exhausted, hoarse, and depressed” as he spoke at a rally in North Carolina today.

Kamala Harris’s official rapid response page, Kamala HQ, shared a clip of Trump speaking at the rally in Kinston on Sunday afternoon with the caption.

At an earlier rally in Lititz, Pennsylvania, Trump hit out at the Iowa poll, which put Harris ahead by three points, and branded it “fake.”

The Republican won Iowa in his past two presidential campaigns by more than nine percentage points in 2016 and eight points in 2020.

The Des Moines Register poll observes that much of the shift to Harris from the former president comes from women and independents.

Trump referred to the Emerson College Polling which, by contrast, has him leading Harris by 10 points in the state.

Meanwhile, Harris made a surprise appearance on NBC’s Saturday Night Live alongside host John Mulaney and musical guest Chappell Roan.

Harris is making several campaign stops in Michigan today, while Trump has hit Pennsylvania and North Carolina, before heading to Georgia.

On Monday, Harris will be supported by stars Lady Gaga and Oprah Winfrey in Pennsylvania.

Key Points

• Harris campaign says Trump sounds ‘exhausted, hoarse, and depressed’

• Trump says he ‘wouldn’t mind’ if someone had to ‘shoot through the fake news’ to get to him

• Where are the candidates campaigning today?

• Harris pokes fun at Trump as she makes surprise ‘Saturday Night Live’ appearance

• Shock poll puts Harris ahead in Iowa

Trump lashes out at Mitch McConnell

21:41 , Rhian Lubin

Trump lashed out at Republican Mitch McConnell, calling him “a disgrace.”

“Hopefully we get rid of Mitch McConnell pretty soon,” he told the rally. “That guy, can you believe he endorsed me? That must have been a painful day in his life.”

McConnell reportedly referred to Trump as a “despicable human being” and “narcissist” who is “stupid as well as being ill-tempered,” according to a biography.

Read more from Ariana Baio here.

Mitch McConnell called Trump ‘stupid’ and ‘despicable’ after 2020 election

Harris campaign says Trump sounds ‘exhausted, hoarse, and depressed’

21:15 , Rhian Lubin

The Harris campaign says Trump sounds “exhausted, hoarse, and depressed” at his rally in Kinston, North Carolina.

Trump arrives at Kinston, North Carolina rally

21:08 , Rhian Lubin

Trump has arrived at the rally in Kinston, North Carolina, nearly two hours behind schedule.

He told the crowd he currently has “a big beautiful lead” in the polls and “they’re projecting us to win.”

The national polls are still showing the two candidates in a deadlock.

E Jean Carroll takes a swipe at Trump

20:52 , Rhian Lubin

E Jean Carroll has taken a swipe at Trump in a post on X.

She posted a photo saying: “I voted for the candidate who does not assault women!”

In September, Trump’s attorneys argued to reverse a $5 million defamation verdict against the former president, who a jury found liable for sexually abusing Carroll, a writer, in a department store in the 1990s.

Trump insists that he has never met Carroll and has labelled her a liar, claims that landed him a second defamation lawsuit, which he lost earlier this year. A separate jury awarded Carroll more than $83 million.

Harris campaign responds to Trump’s Pennsylvania speech

20:30 , Rhian Lubin

The Harris campaign has responded to Trump’s speech earlier in Pennsylvania, calling it “angry, alarming, expletive-laden.”

Ammar Moussa, the campaign’s director of rapid response, shared the following statement:

“As Vice President Harris spent today at church in Detroit, talking to voters about her vision to lift up all Americans, Donald Trump was busy violating the Ninth Commandment.

“Trump is spending the closing days of his campaign angry and unhinged, lying about the election being stolen because he’s worried he will lose.

“The American people deserve a leader who tells the truth and will walk into the Oval Office focused on them – that’s Vice President Harris.”

Trump running late for Kinston, North Carolina rally

20:21 , Rhian Lubin

Trump is running more than an hour late for his rally in Kinston, North Carolina.

The former president was due to speak at 2pm ET.

One of his supporters was pictured dressed in garbage, in a reference to last week’s furor.

In pictures: Harris speaks to diners at chicken & waffles restaurant

20:00 , Rhian Lubin

Harris has been speaking to diners at Kuzzo’s Chicken & Waffles restaurant in Detroit, Michigan.

ICYMI: Round up of Trump’s first rally speech

19:55 , Rhian Lubin

While we’re waiting for Trump’s second rally of the day to begin in Kinston, North Carolina, here’s a reminder of what he said if you didn’t catch the first one in Pennsylvania.

During a two-hour address on his first stop of the day in the borough of Lititz, Trump gave a profane and conspiracy-laden speech in which he mused about reporters being shot and labeled Democrats as “demonic.”

Noting the ballistic glass placed in front of him at events after a gunman nearly assassinated him at a July rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Trump talked about places where he saw openings.

Trump also referred to John Bolton, his former national security adviser and now a strident critic, as a “dumb son of a b****.” And he repeated familiar and debunked theories about voter fraud, alleging that Democrats could only win by cheating.

“It’s a crooked country,” Trump said. “And we’re going to make it straight. We’re going to make it straight.”

Read the full report.

Trump rails against ‘crooked’ country and ‘demonic’ Democrats on final Sunday of race

Lady Gaga and Oprah to support Harris on Election Eve

19:45 , Rhian Lubin

Harris will see out the final day of election campaigning with a host of stars, including Lady Gaga and Oprah Winfrey.

Joining them in Philadelphia on Election Eve will be DJ Cassidy, Fat Joe, Freeway and Just Blaze, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Ricky Martin, The Roots, Jazmine Sullivan and Adam Blackstone, her campaign said.

Harris warns voters ‘not to fall for Trump’s tactics’

19:30 , Rhian Lubin

Harris has warned voters “not to fall for Trump’s tactics” if he prematurely declares victory.

She responded to a question while on the campaign trail today in Detroit.

Trump campaign issues statement over Republican’s comments about the press

19:16 , Rhian Lubin

Trump’s campaign has issued a statement in the last hour attempting to clear up comments he made earlier, where he said he “wouldn’t mind” if someone had to “shoot through the fake news ” to get to him.

In a statement, Steven Cheung, communications director, said Trump was “brilliantly talking about the two assassination attempts on his own life” and was actually “looking out for the welfare” of the press.

“The President’s statement about protective glass placement has nothing to do with the Media being harmed, or anything else. It was about threats against him that were spurred on by dangerous rhetoric from Democrats.

“In fact, President Trump was stating that the Media was in danger, in that they were protecting him and, therefore, were in great danger themselves, and should have had a glass protective shield, also.

“There can be no other interpretation of what was said. He was actually looking out for their welfare, far more than his own!”

Trump said at the rally in Lititz, Pennsylvania earlier today: “I have this glass here. But all we have really over here is the fake news. And to get me, somebody would have to shoot through the fake news, and I don’t mind that so much.”

The election’s biggest climate battles

19:00 , Rhian Lubin

While this year’s presidential election may not have as much of a focus on climate change as many wish it would, voters can still make a difference when they head to the polls.

Across the US, there are 159 statewide ballot measures in 41 states, according to Ballotpedia. Only a handful of those deal with environmental issues and just a couple are specifically related to climate change.

Unsurprisingly, these measures are on the ballot in states threatened this year by extreme climate events. Earth had its hottest summer on record, bringing historic temperatures across multiple regions.

Julia Musto reports.

Safe drinking water and wildfire prevention: The election’s biggest climate battles

Watch: Harris speaks about ‘God’s plan’ at Detroit church

18:32 , Rhian Lubin

Harris spoke to a congregation about “God’s plan” at the Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ in Detroit, Michigan.

Watch her remarks below.

Trump wraps up 90-minute speech while Harris campaigns at Detroit church

18:01 , Rhian Lubin

Trump has wrapped up his first of three rallies today, where he spoke for almost 90 minutes.

Meanwhile, Harris is at a church in Detroit, Michigan, where she addressed the congregation at Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ.

“Not enough to only pray, not enough to just talk, we must act on the plans he has in store for us,” she said. “And we must make them real through our works, in our daily choices, in service to our communities and yes, in our democracy.”

Harris is focusing on Michigan today and has several campaign events.

The billionaires funding both campaigns — and giving Trump more cash

17:45 , Rhian Lubin

Billionaires have turned the money hose on full blast in the weeks leading up to the 2024 US presidential election, dropping hundreds of millions into their preferred candidates’ campaigns.

Kamala Harris has got more of the country’s billionaires backing, with 83 of them supporting Harris compared to 52 billionaires donating to Donald Trump, according to a breakdown by Forbes.

However, while Harris has a wider range of rich donors, Trump’s cash-flush pals have overall given more, with 18 of the top 25 individual donors giving exclusively or mostly to Republicans, according to an Open Secrets analysis.

Graig Graziosi reports.

How a small number of America’s richest people are funding both campaigns

Trump says he ‘wouldn’t mind so much’ if someone had to ‘shoot through the fake news’ to get to him

17:24 , Rhian Lubin

Trump earlier said he wouldn’t mind if someone had to “shoot through the fake news” to get to him.

The former president was talking at the rally in Lititz, Pennsylvania, about the assassination attempts on his life during the campaign.

He complained that the bulletproof glass made him look less appealing on television.

“To get me, someone would have to shoot through the fake news, and I don’t mind that so much,” he said.

Watch the clip below.

Trump segues from Harris debate to crowd sizes

17:18 , Rhian Lubin

Trump has segued from complaining about the September 10 debate with Kamala Harris, to criticizing the gaps in the bulletproof glass in front of him, before moving on to discussing crowd sizes at his rallies.

“My debates never have an empty seat,” Trump said. “And nobody ever leaves early. Nobody has ever left early.”

FCC commissioner claims Harris’s SNL appearances violates ‘equal time’ rule

17:10 , Rhian Lubin

A FCC commissioner has hit out at Harris’s appearance on Saturday Night Live, claiming it violates the “equal time” rule.

The rule says rival candidates should be treated equally by broadcasters when it comes to equal air time.

Commissioner Brendan Carr shared his reaction on X.

Trump accuses his ‘enemies’ of putting out ‘fake’ Iowa poll

16:30 , Rhian Lubin

Trump has reacted to the Iowa poll which put Kamala Harris three points ahead of him.

He accused his “enemies” of putting out the “fake” poll.

“One of my enemies just puts out a poll… three down,” he said. “I’m not down in Iowa,” he said. “They tell me I’m down in Iowa. I don’t think so.

“And you know, what’s a good poll? Emerson, no friend of mine, they said the poll is wrong.”

Trump is referring to the Des Moines Register newspaper, which released a poll on Saturday that put Harris three points ahead.

The Emerson College poll, meanwhile, gave Trump a ten-point lead in Iowa.

Read our report below for the facts.

Bombshell Iowa poll puts Harris ahead of Trump in state he won twice

Trump arrives at Pennsylvania rally

16:23 , Rhian Lubin

Trump has arrived at the Pennsylvania rally.

He is currently talking about voter fraud and he claims the election should be over by 9pm on Election Day.

“You ought to have the election over by nine o’clock,” Trump said. “I’m hearing now they’re going to take weeks, and you imagine they spend all this money, all this money on machines, and they’re going to say we may take an extra 12 days…”

It is not unusual for the count to take days, even weeks if the results are close.

Read our guide on when we can expect the results below.

When will we know who won the 2024 presidential election? Experts weigh in

Fetterman mocks Trump preemptively pushing voter fraud claims in his state

15:56 , Rhian Lubin

Fetterman also mocked Trump’s preemptive claims of voter fraud in Pennsylvania and said he’s not worried about it happening again.

“It’s the same s*** that he played in ’20 and that didn’t go anywhere,” Fetterman told CNN’s Dana Bash on State of the Union.

“He tried, and I would just tell him that desperation is the worst cologne. It’s not going to be effective, just any more effective than it was in 2020.

“He’s going to try to lie and claim these baseless things, but now we’re going to have a new team leading America and that’s going to be Harris and Walz.”

Pennsylvania senator – ‘Attacking transgender kids makes you an a******’

15:44 , Rhian Lubin

While we wait for Trump, over on the Sunday morning shows Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman was asked about Republican ads targeting transgender children in the state.

The Democrat didn’t mince his words on CNN’s State of the Union this morning.

“My idea of being a man is: I like ribeye & Motörhead. Not picking on trans kids or gay kids,” he told Dana Bash.

“It doesn’t make you a man to pick on trans or gay kids. It just makes you an a*****.”

Supporters up at the crack of dawn to see Trump

15:25 , Rhian Lubin

Pictures show Trump supporters were up bright and early to see him speak in Lititz, Pennsylvania.

He is due on the stage shortly.

Where are the candidates campaigning today?

15:20 , Rhian Lubin

It’s the final Sunday of the election campaign and Trump and Harris are making their final pitches to voters in the swing states.

Harris is focusing on Michigan today and will make stops in Detroit and Lansing.

Trump, meanwhile, is zig-zagging through Pennsylvania, North Carolina and finishing up in Georgia this evening.

He will visit Lititz PA, Kinston NC, and Macon GA.

Watch Trump live in Pennsylvania

15:04 , Rhian Lubin

Trump is up in Lititz, Pennsylvania shortly. Watch along below.

CNN’s Dana Bash clashes with Republican senator Tim Scott on Trump ‘misinformation’

15:00 , Rhian Lubin

On CNN’s State of the Union this morning, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott refused to contemplate a Trump loss – and blamed the media for “spreading misinformation.”

Bash said it’s not the media but Trump spreading misinformation, citing his unfounded claims about voter fraud.

“I can’t let go of the fact that you are saying it’s the media spreading claims. It is not true. It is Donald Trump,” Bash said.

Watch the clips below via Aaron Rupar.

PREMIUM: The roast by Obama that insulted Trump so deeply it motivated him to run for president

14:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Mike Bedigan takes a look at Donald Trump’s political origin story…

Obama’s roast that insulted Trump so deeply it motivated him to run for president

‘He’s not one of you’: Michael Keaton buries Trump in message to voters ahead of election

14:00 , Oliver O’Connell

Michael Keaton has issued a withering attack on Donald Trump in a stark message to voters days before polling day.

The actor famous for his roles in Beetlejuice and Batman made it very clear who he doesn’t think Americans should be supporting when they go to the polls on Tuesday in an Instagram clip he posted this week.

Michelle Del Rey reports.

Michael Keaton buries Trump in message to voters: ‘He’s not one of you’

Full story: Harris pokes fun at Trump as she makes surprise ‘Saturday Night Live’ appearance

13:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Kamala Harris poked fun at Donald Trump as she made a surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live with just days left before America goes to the polls.

The vice president, who has been played on the 50th season of the comedy show by Maya Rudolph, flew to New York City after a campaign event in Charlotte, North Carolina.

It was the final episode of the show before Tuesday’s pivotal Election Day.

Graeme Massie reports.

Harris mocks Trump as she makes surprise Saturday Night Live appearance

Trump camp responds to new Iowa poll showing Harris in lead

13:00 , Oliver O’Connell

Rattled by this evening’s poll showing Kamala Harris leading Donald Trump by three points in Iowa — a state not believed to even be in contention — the Trump campaign has put out a memo called the Des Moines Register poll, conducted by Selzer, an outlier.

The memo refers instead to a poll by Emerson released earlier today which shows Trump up by 10 points (53-43%) and, oddly, to the 2020 results as if nothing might have changed since then.

Per the memo:

In the outlier Des Moines Register poll, they claim Harris leads with seniors (age 65+) by 19 points (55-36). In 2020, President Trump carried seniors 54-45 over Biden according to CNN exit polls.

The Emerson College poll released today concurs with the CNN exits from 2020, with President Trump solidly ahead 54-45 among voters aged 60-69, and 54-44 among voters aged 70+.

The Des Moines Register also claims Harris leads by 20 points among women (56-36). In 2020, President Trump tied Biden 49-49 among women according to CNN exits.

Once again, Emerson College’s poll today is more similar to the exits, showing instead a lead for President Trump of 5 points – 52-47.

Des Moines Register claims President Trump leads 51-39 among voters without a college degree. In 2020, President Trump won non-college voters by 17 points (58-41).

Here’s the front page of Sunday’s Des Moines Register:

Can Democrats finally pull off a win in North Carolina?

12:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Eric Garcia reports for The Independent from Charlotte, North Carolina:

As Vice President Kamala Harris took the stage at the PNC Music Pavilion in Charlotte, North Carolina, women in line lamented that they had missed her speech starting. Just hours ago, just a few miles away, supporters began leaving the Gastonia Municipal Airport minutes after former president Donald Trump began to speak.

Continue reading…

Kamala Harris makes a play in a North Carolina. Can Democrats finally pull off a win?

Why might Iowa swing to Harris?

11:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Journalist Lyz Lenz, who has spent the past 20 years writing and working as a journalist out of Iowa, has an idea as to why the state could potentially swing to Kamala Harris after this evening’s bombshell poll.

She tweeted: “People want to know how Iowa could swing towards Harris, when the state has been solidly red for so long and let me tell you, as someone who lives here & writes about this state. It’s the abortion ban. Women are furious.

“60 percent of Iowans support abortion in all or most circumstances. Many Iowans remember a time before Roe. They remember life without choice and bodily autonomy. Kim Reynolds and the Iowa republicans passed a near total abortion ban. And people are mad.

“I don’t make predictions. But last two weeks, talking to organizers and politicians who have been on the ground and door knocking were full of hope, which is no small feat. I guess we will see.”

Monica Lewinsky reveals presidential endorsement

20:24 , Rhian Lubin

Monica Lewinsky has revealed who she is endorsing in the US presidential race ahead of election day on Tuesday.

“PLEASE VOTE!” Lewinsky said in a tweet viewed over 10 million times. “(preferably like I did for harris/walz).”

Lewinsky has been vocal about her support for Harris and is just one of numerous celebrities urging their followers to vote for her. In the weeks leading up to the election, Beyoncé, Cardi B and Michael Keaton have pleaded with voters to cast their ballots for Harris.

Michelle Del Rey reports.

Monica Lewinsky reveals who she is voting for in the presidential election

Olivia Rodrigo: ‘A vote for Kamala Harris is a vote for reproductive freedom’

10:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo has told her 38.2 million followers on Instagram in a reel posted on Saturday evening: “A vote for Donald Trump is a vote for a national abortion ban and a vote for Kamala Harris is a vote for reproductive freedom.”

Rodrigo sat down with survivor and advocate Hadley Duvall to talk about reproductive rights. Watch their conversation below:

Scaramucci says Harris campaign is ‘nauseously optimistic’

09:30 , Oliver O’Connell

In his latest blog for investment platform Saxo, former Trump communications director Anthony Scaramucci says the Harris campaign is “nauseously optimistic”.

They’re saying they’re nauseously optimistic – not cautiously – they’re nauseously optimistic. They’ve got a pit in their stomach, but they’re looking at their data and they like their data.

They’re looking at the women’s turnout and they like it. The elder vote in Pennsylvania is way down. It means older people are saying, “I’m not going to vote. I don’t like her, so I’m not going to vote for her, but I can’t vote for this anymore”.

His final message to Americans as the country casts their vote is to back Kamala Harris, even if you have to “hold your nose”.

I would be telling them I’m for Harris. While I may not agree with every single policy, she’s a constitutionalist and she’s for our system. He’s talking about shaking the system and going after his enemies.

Imagine a politician who wants to go after his enemies in a democracy that has free speech, versus if you were railing against her and she won, you would have zero worries about her coming against you.

So, I would appeal to their individual liberty and say if Donald Trump is coming after Liz Cheney, which you may think is distant from you, but that’s a domino toppling that’s heading towards you because that’s how really bad things start.

If you don’t like her or her tax policy, hold your nose and vote for her, because she represents a system that has made the country the most prosperous economy in the history of the world.

ICYMI: Shock poll puts Harris ahead in Iowa

08:30 , Oliver O’Connell

J Ann Seltzer, widely considered to be among the best pollsters in the country, has just published her final survey of Iowa for The Des Moines Register.

To the surprise of many it shows a 12-point swing to the Democratic Party ticket since 2020, putting Kamala Harris three points over Donald Trump in the Hawkeye State at 47% to 44%.

Per the paper:

The results come as Trump and Harris have focused their attention almost exclusively on seven battleground states that are expected to shape the outcome of the election. Neither has campaigned in Iowa since the presidential primaries ended, and neither campaign has established a ground presence in the state.

A victory for Harris would be a surprising development after Iowa has swung aggressively to the right in recent elections, delivering Trump solid victories in 2016 and 2020.

The poll shows that women — particularly those who are older or who are politically independent — are driving the late shift toward Harris.

“Age and gender are the two most dynamic factors that are explaining these numbers,” Selzer said.

The poll of 808 likely Iowa voters, which include those who have already voted as well as those who say they definitely plan to vote, was conducted by Selzer & Co. from October 28-31. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points — so any lead Harris has is within that.

Leaked audio appears to reveal Jeffrey Epstein detailing inner workings of Trump White House

08:00 , Oliver O’Connell

With just four days of campaigning to go in the 2024 presidential election, Donald Trump is facing new claims about his past friendship with the late billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Journalist Michael Wolff, who wrote three books about the Republican’s first administration between 2017 and 2021, has released an audio clip on his podcast Fire and Fury of what he says is Epstein talking in intimate detail about the inner workings of Trump’s Cabinet.

Wolff says the audio was recorded, to the best of his recollection, at the SoHo branch of Ladurée, a Manhattan patisserie, in 2017 when he met with Epstein, who died in a New York jail cell in August 2019, to discuss the prospect of writing his biography.

Joe Sommerlad reports.

Audio appears to reveal Jeffrey Epstein detailing inner workings of Trump White House

Harris not the only politician to appear on SNL tonight…

07:25 , Oliver O’Connell

Worth a watch for a fun self-deprecating cameo…

Watch: Trump laughs at crude joke about Harris

05:58 , Oliver O’Connell

ICYMI: Cardi B tears into Trump at Harris rally

05:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Rapper Cardi B hit out at Donald Trump during a rally for Kamala Harris, warnings voters the former president doesn’t believe women deserve rights.

Speaking at the event in Wisconsin on Friday, she bashed Trump for a recent comment he made this week stating: “I’m going to do it whether the women like it or not. I am going to protect them.”

Trump said his aides had urged him to stop using the term “protector” on the campaign trail because it was “inappropriate.” He then doubled down on the stance.

Michelle Del Rey reports.

Cardi B tears into Trump: ‘People like him don’t believe women deserve rights’

Harris campaign trolls Trump by comparing crowd size at same Greensboro arena

05:15 , Oliver O’Connell

And Harris is off to Detroit to resume campaigning…

05:05 , Oliver O’Connell

Asked by the pool reporters how she liked her appearance on Saturday Night Live, she said with a smile: “It was fun.”

Trump camp reacts to Harris on SNL

04:55 , Oliver O’Connell

Steven Cheung, communications director for the Trump campaign, reacted to Kamala Harris’s appearance on Saturday Night Live with the following statement:

Kamala Harris has nothing substantive to offer the American people, so that’s why she’s living out her warped fantasy cosplaying with her elitist friends on Saturday Night Leftists as her campaign spirals down the drain into obscurity. For the last four years, Kamala’s destructive policies have led to untold misery and hurt for all Americans. She broke it, and President Trump will fix it.

In pictures: Kamala Harris on Saturday Night Live

04:35 , Oliver O’Connell

Harris not first politician to appear beside impersonator on SNL

04:33 , Oliver O’Connell

Full story: Harris pokes fun at Trump as she makes surprise ‘Saturday Night Live’ appearance

04:15 , Oliver O’Connell

Kamala Harris poked fun at Donald Trump as she made a surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live with just days left before America goes to the polls.

The vice president, who has been played on the 50th season of the comedy show by Maya Rudolph, flew to New York City after a campaign event in Charlotte, North Carolina.

It was the final episode of the show before Tuesday’s pivotal Election Day.

Graeme Massie reports.

Harris mocks Trump as she makes surprise Saturday Night Live appearance

Watch: Kamala Harris appears on ‘Saturday Night Live’ cold open

03:48 , Oliver O’Connell

SNL: Kamala Harris appears as her own (Maya Rudolph’s) reflection

03:42 , Oliver O’Connell

Harris expected to be in SNL cold open, official says

03:25 , Oliver O’Connell

‘Wonder Woman’ Lynda Carter tells voters to be joyful and back Harris

03:20 , Oliver O’Connell

RFK Jr says Donald Trump would push to remove fluoride from drinking water

03:10 , Oliver O’Connell

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent proponent of debunked public health claims whom Donald Trump has promised to put in charge of health initiatives, said Saturday that Trump would push to remove fluoride from drinking water on his first day in office.

Fluoride strengthens teeth and reduces cavities by replacing minerals lost during normal wear and tear, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The addition of low levels of fluoride to drinking water has long been considered one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century.

Kennedy made the declaration on the social media platform X alongside a variety of claims about the health effects of fluoride.

Continue reading…

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says Donald Trump would push to remove fluoride from drinking water

Which politicians have appeared on ‘Saturday Night Live’ in the past?

03:00 , Oliver O’Connell

In short, a lot!

Donald Trump hosted himself at the start of his political career in 2015 and in 2004 when The Apprentice was riding high in the ratings. But he’s certainly not alone.

Hillary Clinton was running in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary when she appeared next to Amy Poehler, who played her on the show and was known for launching into a trademark, exaggerated cackle. The real Clinton wondered during her appearance, “Do I really laugh like that?”

Clinton returned in 2016 while running against Trump in a race she ultimately lost.

The first sitting president to appear on SNL was Republican Gerald Ford, who did so less than a year after the show debuted. Ford appeared in April 1976 on an episode hosted by his press secretary, Ron Nessen, and declared the show’s famous opening rejoinder, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night.”

Then-Illinois Sen. Barack Obama appeared alongside Poehler impersonating Clinton in 2007, and Republican Bob Dole was on the show in November 1996 — a mere 11 days after losing that year’s election to Bill Clinton. Dole consoled Norm Macdonald, who played the Kansas senator.

Then there was Tina Fey’s 2008 impression of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin — and in particular, her joke that “I can see Russia from my house.” It was so good that Fey eventually won an Emmy and Palin herself appeared on the show that October, in the weeks before the election.

With reporting by The Associated Press

What happens if a convicted felon wins the presidency?

02:50 , Oliver O’Connell

Earlier this year, Donald Trump made history by becoming the first former president ever convicted of a crime.

Now, with Election Day looming and the Republican neck-and-neck with Kamala Harris in the polls, he could make history again: by becoming the first convicted felon elected to the nation’s highest office.

Joe Sommerlad looks at what that might mean.

What happens if a convicted felon – like Trump – wins the presidency?

Watch: Not a full house for Trump in Greensboro

02:35 , Oliver O’Connell

How has today’s Iowa poll performed in the past?

02:32 , Oliver O’Connell

Here’s a history of how Ann Selzer’s Iowa polls have performed since 2012:

‘We should be ready’ for Trump to reject election results if he loses, warns John Bolton

02:30 , Oliver O’Connell

John Bolton has warned that he doesn’t believe Donald Trump will accept the election results if he loses and “we should be ready” for him to reject them if Kamala Harris wins.

The former national security adviser, who has turned on Trump, was asked whether he believed the former president would accept the results if they are not in his favor on Tuesday.

Rhian Lubin reports.

John Bolton warns Trump won’t accept election result if he loses

Trump camp says ex-president ‘probably not’ invited to appear on SNL

02:28 , Oliver O’Connell

With Kamala Harris to appear on Saturday Night Live in just over an hour, the Associated Press asked the Trump camp for its reaction.

Jason Miller, a senior adviser to former president and Republican nominee Donald Trump, expressed surprise that Harris would appear on SNL given what he characterized as her unflattering portrayal on the show. Asked if Trump had been invited to appear, he said: “I don’t know. Probably not.”

Donald Trump hosted the show in 2015 at the start of his political career.

Watch: Trump attacks Biden… who hasn’t been running since late July

02:22 , Oliver O’Connell

Kamala Harris’s spokesperson notes that we are three days out from the election and Donald Trump is still “struggling to define his opponent” and is attacking his previous two rivals for the presidency.

Trump camp responds to new Iowa poll showing Harris in lead

02:18 , Oliver O’Connell

Rattled by this evening’s poll showing Kamala Harris leading Donald Trump by three points in Iowa — a state not believed to even be in contention — the Trump campaign has put out a memo called the Des Moines Register poll, conducted by Selzer, an outlier.

The memo refers instead to a poll by Emerson released earlier today which shows Trump up by 10 points (53-43%) and, oddly, to the 2020 results as if nothing might have changed since then.

Per the memo:

In the outlier Des Moines Register poll, they claim Harris leads with seniors (age 65+) by 19 points (55-36). In 2020, President Trump carried seniors 54-45 over Biden according to CNN exit polls.

The Emerson College poll released today concurs with the CNN exits from 2020, with President Trump solidly ahead 54-45 among voters aged 60-69, and 54-44 among voters aged 70+.

The Des Moines Register also claims Harris leads by 20 points among women (56-36). In 2020, President Trump tied Biden 49-49 among women according to CNN exits.

Once again, Emerson College’s poll today is more similar to the exits, showing instead a lead for President Trump of 5 points – 52-47.

Des Moines Register claims President Trump leads 51-39 among voters without a college degree. In 2020, President Trump won non-college voters by 17 points (58-41).

Here’s the front page of tomorrow’s Des Moines Register:

Trump will vote in person on Tuesday

02:11 , Oliver O’Connell

Donald Trump will vote in person in Palm Beach, Florida, on Election Day, he tells the crowd in Greensboro, North Carolina.

The former president asked how many of the audience had already voted.

Trump was photographed voting during the primaries with his wife Melania.

Trump appears to emulate ‘sex act’ on microphone

02:10 , Oliver O’Connell

Will Saturday Night Live go there tonight?

We’ll have to wait and see…

Trump appears to emulate ‘sex act’ on microphone after melting down over mic problems

PREMIUM: The roast by Obama that insulted Trump so deeply it motivated him to run for president

01:50 , Oliver O’Connell

Mike Bedigan examines the history of Donald Trump’s beef with the Obamas and the ‘roast’ that started it all.

Obama’s roast that insulted Trump so deeply it motivated him to run for president

Harris slams House speaker for suggesting GOP would probably try to cut federal semiconductor aid

01:40 , Oliver O’Connell

Kamala Harris on Saturday criticized House Speaker Mike Johnson for suggesting that Republicans would probably try to cut government subsidies for semiconductor manufacturing.

“It is my plan and intention to continue to invest in American manufacturing,” the Democratic nominee told reporters in Milwaukee.

Johnson later walked back his comments, indicating he only meant that Republicans would “streamline” the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act.

Continue reading…

Harris slams House speaker for suggesting GOP would probably try to cut federal semiconductor aid

Watch: Trump calls himself ‘father of fertilization’

01:39 , Oliver O’Connell

Can Democrats finally pull off a win in North Carolina?

01:25 , Oliver O’Connell

Eric Garcia reports for The Independent from Charlotte, North Carolina:

As Vice President Kamala Harris took the stage at the PNC Music Pavilion in Charlotte, North Carolina, women in line lamented that they had missed her speech starting. Just hours ago, just a few miles away, supporters began leaving the Gastonia Municipal Airport minutes after former president Donald Trump began to speak.

Continue reading…

Kamala Harris makes a play in a North Carolina. Can Democrats finally pull off a win?

Trump running 90 minutes late for Greensboro rally

01:13 , Oliver O’Connell

Donald Trump is currently running more than 90 minutes late for his rally in Greensboro, North Carolina. Doors opened at 3.30pm this afternoon.

We’ll bring you a live feed of his remarks when he takes the stage.

In the meantime, here’s The Independent’s Eric Garcia with a dispatch from one of the former president’s rallies earlier today in Gastonia.

Trump bets everything on North Carolina to stave off a Harris victory

Shock poll puts Harris ahead in Iowa

Saturday 2 November 2024 23:29 , Oliver O’Connell

J Ann Seltzer, widely considered to be among the best pollsters in the country, has just published her final survey of Iowa for The Des Moines Register.

To the surprise of many it shows a 12-point swing to the Democratic Party ticket since 2020, putting Kamala Harris three points over Donald Trump in the Hawkeye State at 47% to 44%.

Per the paper:

The results come as Trump and Harris have focused their attention almost exclusively on seven battleground states that are expected to shape the outcome of the election. Neither has campaigned in Iowa since the presidential primaries ended, and neither campaign has established a ground presence in the state.

A victory for Harris would be a surprising development after Iowa has swung aggressively to the right in recent elections, delivering Trump solid victories in 2016 and 2020.

The poll shows that women — particularly those who are older or who are politically independent — are driving the late shift toward Harris.

“Age and gender are the two most dynamic factors that are explaining these numbers,” Selzer said.

The poll of 808 likely Iowa voters, which include those who have already voted as well as those who say they definitely plan to vote, was conducted by Selzer & Co. from October 28-31. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points — so any lead Harris has is within that.