October 4, 2024, presidential campaign news

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Supporters watch as former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Saginaw, Michigan, on Thursday.

Former President Donald Trump on Friday suggested he thought Israel should strike Iranian nuclear sites in response to Iran’s launching of ballistic missiles towards Israel this week and said he disagreed with President Joe Biden counseling Israel to take a proportional response and not strike the nuclear sites.

Trump said at a town hall in Fayetteville, North Carolina, “They asked?(Biden), ‘What?do?you?think?about,?what?do?you?think?about?Iran? Would you hit Iran?’ And he goes: ‘As long as they don’t hit the nuclear stuff.’ That’s the thing you want to hit, right? I said, ‘I think he got that one wrong. Isn’t that the one you’re supposed to hit?’”

Biden?is hoping?Israel will adopt?a measured approach that can both uphold?its?right to strike back while avoiding action that could?prompt further retaliation?and?tip the region into full-scale war. Israel has not given assurances to the Biden administration that targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities is off the table, a top US State Department official told CNN on Friday.

A sign after a ceremony renaming Fort Bragg as Fort Liberty, near Fayetteville, North Carolina, on June 2, 2023.

Former President Donald Trump said during a town hall in North Carolina on Friday that if elected back to the White House, he would change the name of Fort Liberty back to Fort Bragg after the US Army renamed it last year as part of a push to rename bases that bore the name of Confederate leaders.

“Should we change the name from Fort Liberty back to Fort Bragg?” the Republican presidential nominee said at the campaign event in Fayetteville.

“So here’s what we do: We get elected, I’m doing it,” Trump said.

Trump said later in the town hall, “I think I just learned the secret to winning absolutely and by massive margins: I’m going to promise to you as I said at the beginning that we’re going to change the name back to Fort Bragg.”

The fort, which is one of the largest military installations in the world, was previously named after Gen. Braxton Bragg, an unpopular Confederate general who was widely criticized for his temper and subpar performance on the battlefield.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a rally in Flint, Michigan, on October 4.

Vice President Kamala Harris attacked former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, at a rally in Flint, Michigan, on Friday for not committing to continuing funding for an automobile manufacturing plant that received grant funding from the Biden administration.

On Wednesday, Vance was asked by reporters at an event whether Trump would continue funding a $500 million federal grant for GM’s Lansing Grand River Plant. The grant came as part of funding approved by President Joe Biden to incentivize automobile manufacturers to invest in electric vehicles as part of the Inflation Reduction Act, which passed after a tie-breaking vote from Harris.

“The $500 million grant came along with some really ridiculous strings and no protections for American jobs not getting shipped to foreign countries, because a lot of — not just the cars themselves, but the battery components, the minerals, this stuff is all produced in China,” Vance said at an event in Marne, Michigan, on Wednesday.

“And so when we write massive checks on American taxpayer expense to these companies, a lot of times, what we’re doing is selling American middle class jobs to the Communist Chinese, and we ought to be doing exactly the opposite,” he added.

Harris seized on Vance’s comment at her rally on Friday, telling voters they “deserve a president” who won’t jeopardize the estimated 650 jobs preserved by federal funding.

Vice President Kamala Harris discussed efforts to end the war in Gaza with leaders from the Muslim and Arab American community in Flint, Michigan, on Friday, according to a campaign official.

Activists pushing for a halt to US military aid to Israel have threatened to erode Harris’ coalition in the critical swing state, which has one of the country’s largest Arab American population.

Harris told the leaders that she was seeking to end the war in Gaza in a way that provided for Israel’s security, the release of hostages, an end to suffering in the enclave, and guarantees of dignity and self-determination for Palestinians, according to the official.

Harris also “expressed concern about civilian casualties and displacement” to the leaders and reiterated that the administration wants to see a diplomatic solution to ongoing tensions while preventing a wider war, the official said.

Aw’el Alzayat, the CEO of Emgage Action — an organization aimed at boosting the Muslim American vote that endorsed Harris last month — also released a statement on the meeting. Alzayat said the organization called on Harris to do “everything in her power, should she win, to end the war and reset US policy in the region.”

“Emgage Action also reiterated the organization and the Muslim community’s disappointment in the handling of the crisis that has endangered the wellbeing of our communities at home and is now widening to a broader regional war,” Alzayat said in the statement.

Some context: The meeting came as tensions escalate even further in the Middle East. Israel has turned much of its attention to a fight against Hezbollah to its north, launching days of heavy bombardment in Lebanon. The region is also on edge waiting for Israel’s response to an Iranian missile barrage earlier this week, its?largest-ever attack on Israel.

Judge Scott McAfee presides in court during a hearing at the Fulton County Courthouse, in Atlanta, Georgia, on May 28.

A judge has rejected a lawsuit filed by Republican Party officials in Georgia that sought to cast doubt on the security of voting machines that will be used across the state in the upcoming 2024 election.

Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee noted in his ruling issued Friday that the equipment remains certified and the consequences of potential security risks “are — at this point — purely hypothetical.”

The failed lawsuit, filed by GOP officials in Dekalb County and a familiar cast of pro-Trump lawyers just weeks before early voting begins in the state, argued the Dominion voting machines are not in compliance with Georgia law. The officials wanted the Secretary of State’s office?to make voting records and ballot images available for public inspection within 24 hours of the election.

But McAfee said the relief sought by GOP officials would not have addressed any vulnerabilities and that the matter should be decided by policymakers, not courts.

State officials including Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, insist the voting equipment is secure and there has been no proof of widespread fraud. Officials said the lawsuit was?an attempt to mislead voters and lay the groundwork to once again question the 2024 election results?if Donald Trump?loses.

Kamala Harris is taking her advocacy for reproductive rights to a conversational and sometimes risqué place: The hugely popular “Call Her Daddy” podcast.

Harris taped an interview with podcast host Alex Cooper on Tuesday, according to Harris campaign aides. The episode will be released sometime next week. “Call Her Daddy” typically drops new episodes on Wednesdays.

The campaign said the conversation focused on reproductive freedom, abortion rights and other issues of importance to women. This comes as she and former President Donald Trump race to make their pitch to voters with 32 days until Election Day.

Spotify bills “Call Her Daddy” as “the most listened-to podcast by women.” It routinely ranks in the streaming service’s top 20 podcasts overall. Cooper and the show have a reputation for raunchy sex and relationship conversations. Earlier this year, Cooper struck a $125 million deal to move the show to SiriusXM starting in 2025.

Harris also recently appeared on “All The Smoke,” a podcast hosted by two retired NBA stars.

Trump has also taped multiple podcast interviews during his reelection campaign, including a chat with financial broadcaster Dave Ramsey that came out earlier this week.

As both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump court endorsements from the highest echelons of corporate America, there’s at least one name who won’t be taking sides: JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon.

The chief executive and chairman of the country’s largest bank is once again staying on the political sidelines, according to a spokesperson, who confirms he will “not be endorsing a candidate for president.” The clarification comes after Trump?reposted a post?from a little-known social media profile on X, claiming falsely that Dimon had endorsed Trump.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Dimon raised eyebrows when he praised some of Trump’s policies, while stopping short of suggesting he’d vote for him.

During the prior administration, Dimon found himself on Trump’s speed dial as the former president sought his advice on tariffs and taxes. Dimon, sources said, often tried to soften the president’s harder-line positions to avoid trade wars.

More about the JP Morgan CEO: Dimon, a registered Democrat for much of his life, has been engaging with both political candidates and their respective advisers to share his policy views, according to a source with knowledge of the outreach. As CNN has reported, Vice President Kamala Harris hosted Dimon for lunch at the US Naval Observatory in April.

His wife, Judy, however, has donated roughly $300,000 to the Democratic National Committee and various Harris-affiliated entities. She also attended a small-group gathering with Harris at the Washington home of a top JP Morgan executive in July, as CNN has reported.

Former President Donald Trump shakes hands with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp at a temporary relief shelter as he visits areas impacted by Hurricane Helene on Friday, October 4, in Evans, Georgia.

Former President Donald Trump on Friday was briefed on the impact of Hurricane Helene in Georgia and praised GOP Gov. Brian Kemp for his response and recovery efforts after the storm devastated parts of the state.

Trump was joined by Kemp a the briefing, and it was their first face-to-face meeting since their relationship frayed around the 2020 presidential election. Kemp?clashed with the former president?after he refused to call a special legislative session to help Trump as he sought?overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia.

Trump thanked the Georgia governor for his work amid the hurricane devastation.

During Trump’s visit, the Georgia Republican thanked the former president “for coming back to our state again for the second time to view storm damage and keep a national focus on our state as we recover.”

Trump also asked about communication in the state and Kemp gave him an update, telling the former president “it’s getting better.”

Trump also thanked Elon Musk for providing Starlink to areas impacted by the hurricane. On Wednesday, SpaceX’s satellite internet service announced it would provide free service for 30 days in affected regions.

Asked about the possible impact the storm will have on voter turnout, Trump said he “is not thinking about voters right now, I’m thinking about lives.”

This post was updated with additional remarks from Trump and Kemp.

Sen. JD Vance speaks during a campaign event in Lindale, Georgia on Friday.

Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance said he respects former first lady Melania Trump voicing her support for abortion rights, but it won’t impact the way he or the Trump campaign speaks about the issue.

The former first lady said in a new video posted Thursday that she believes there is “no room for compromise” when it comes to a woman’s “individual freedom,” after?The Guardian?reported excerpts from her forthcoming book in which she says she supports abortion rights “free from any intervention or pressure from the government.”

Vance did not take a particular stance on whether the Georgia six-week?abortion ban, which was struck down this week, should be reinstated. Vance said Donald Trump “couldn’t be more clear” that he wants individual states to determine their abortion policy.

“The national government is going to be focused on national issues and the people of Georgia can make up their own minds,” he said.

Vance was also asked by CNN which state he believes has the best abortion policy, which he did not address.

Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks during a campaign event at a fire station in Redford Charter Township, Michigan, on Friday, October 4.

Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday highlighted her record on labor issues, contrasting it with former President Donald Trump’s, while visiting a fire department near Detroit, just after a major firefighters’ union declined to endorse either candidate.

The vice president told the firefighters she was “thankful for the union that supports you and your right all that you deserve,” also expressing gratitude to other labor unions represented at the event at the Redford Township Fire Department in Michigan.

The president of the International Association of Firefighters announced on Thursday the group decided not to endorse a presidential candidate this election cycle in an effort to “preserve and strengthen” unity, after previously backing President Joe Biden in 2020.

Harris also commented on the tentative deal reached between dockworkers and management that allowed members of the International Longshoremen’s Association to resume work on Friday after being on strike, calling it “another example of the power of collective bargaining.”

Democrats outspent Republicans on advertising by a combined total of more than $31 million across 20 of the most competitive US House races in September, ad data shows, and held the edge in 17 of those contests.

Each of the races drew between about $5 to $10 million in ad spending during the month, with two toss-up contests in Alaska and Pennsylvania topping $10 million, according to data from the ad tracking firm AdImpact.

The list of 20 races that saw the most ad spending last month stretches across the country, with five states hosting a pair of top contests, including California, New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Arizona.

And overall, including races not on the top 20 list, California and New York are dominating the House map – those two states accounted for nearly a quarter of all ad spending in House races in September (24%).

Counting all US House races, California saw more than $30 million worth of ad spending in the month, while New York saw $28.5 million. Pennsylvania ($20 million), Michigan ($17 million) and Arizona ($13 million) were also bombarded with ads.

Across the country, the parties combined for a total of about $245 million spent on advertising for House races in September – including all advertisers, campaigns and outside groups, from both parties – and Democrats led Republicans by about $153 million to $91 million.

Sen. JD Vance speaks during a campaign event in Lindale, Georgia, on Friday.

Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance reiterated that he is focused on the future, not the past, when asked if he would describe the 2020 election as “rigged,” as former President Donald Trump falsely and repeatedly alleges.

“Bless your heart,” Vance said after the reporter was booed heavily by the Georgia crowd.

He continued, “And I think it’s interesting that the American media wants to talk so much about 2020, and the reason they want to talk about 2020 is because they don’t want to talk about what happened afterwards.”

Remember: During the vice presidential debate this week, Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz put Vance on the spot during a discussion of the January 6, 2021, insurrection and Trump’s false claims that he won the 2020 election.

“Did he lose the 2020 election?” Walz asked Vance, attempting to force the Ohio senator to acknowledge a reality that Trump himself won’t.

“Tim, I’m focused on the future,” was how Vance began his response.

“That is a damning nonanswer,” Walz shot back.

President Joe Biden, standing with White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, speaks during a surprise appearance to take questions during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, DC, on Friday.

President Joe Biden said he’s “singing from the same song sheet” as Vice President Kamala Harris as his administration deals with multiple crises on the domestic and international levels.

“I’m in constant contact with her,” he said while answering questions in the White House briefing room for the first time as president on Friday. “She’s aware … we’re singing from the same song sheet.”

He told reporters Harris “helped pass all the laws that are being employed now.”

Biden also joked that he was getting back into the presidential race

Asked if he wanted to reconsider dropping out of the race, Biden paused and turned around as he was walking out of the room.

“I’m back in!” he said with a smile.

President Joe Biden speaks during a news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on October 4 in Washington, DC.

President Joe Biden made a surprise appearance at the podium during the White House news briefing, where he answered a question on the upcoming November election.

A reporter asked Biden: “I’d like to know how you’re feeling about how this?election is going. And then?also, do you have confidence?that it will be a free and fair?election and that it will be?peaceful?”

Biden responded: “Two separate questions. I’m confident it’ll be free and?fair; I don’t know whether it?will be peaceful.”

More context: Biden, who has pitched the 2024 contest as a choice between the continuation of democracy in America and its possible destruction, has long said he doubts whether Trump would concede if he lost a second time —?or whether the country will see a repeat of his efforts four years ago to shake Americans’ trust in the integrity of their vote and go to extreme lengths to deny any outcome unfavorable to him.

In an August interview, the president said he’s “not confident at all” at a peaceful transfer if Trump loses.

Biden on Friday also referred to a moment during the vice presidential debate this week, when GOP vice presidential candidate JD Vance was put on the spot by Democratic running mate Tim Walz during a discussion of the January 6, 2021, insurrection and former President Donald Trump’s false claims that he won the 2020 election.

Watch the moment below:

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Updated 11:58 PM EDT, Fri October 4, 2024

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Biden confident 2024 election will be fair, not so sure it will be peaceful

00:39 - Source: CNN

CNN’s Michael Williams contributed reporting to this post.

This post has been updated with additional context on Biden’s remarks.

An employee installs components on a vehicle at the General Motors Co. Lansing Delta Township Assembly Plant in Lansing, Michigan, in February 2020.

Vice President Kamala Harris will hit Ohio Sen. JD Vance for refusing to commit to continuing federal support for a General Motors plant in Lansing, Michigan, during her remarks in Flint, Michigan on Friday, a senior campaign official told CNN.

On Wednesday, Vance was asked by reporters at an event whether former president Donald Trump would continue funding a $500 million federal grant approved by the Biden administration for GM’s Lansing Grand River Plant. The grant came as part of funding approved by Biden to incentivize automobile manufacturers to invest in electric vehicles as part of the Inflation Reduction Act, which passed after a tie-breaking vote from Harris.

“And so when we write massive checks on American taxpayer expense to these companies, a lot of times, what we’re doing is selling American middle class jobs to the Communist Chinese, and we ought to be doing exactly the opposite,” he said.

Harris is expected to argue Trump and Vance are threatening manufacturing jobs in Michigan by refusing to commit to maintaining funding for plants that manufacture electric vehicles, the official told CNN. The Biden administration has estimated funding for the plant has helped preserve 650 jobs.

Harris is also expected to highlight a $60 million in federal funding to help create an electric vehicle battery manufacturing plant in Flint, which the administration estimates will create 150 jobs.

Magic Johnson at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in February 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio.

NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson will speak at Vice President Kamala Harris’ event in Flint, Michigan, on Friday, organizers at the event told CNN.

Johnson, a native of Lansing, Michigan, has previously endorsed Harris and joined the leadership of multiple outreach coalitions for the Harris campaign, including “Athletes for Harris” and “Business Leaders for Harris.”

A key voting group: Johnson’s remarks come as the Harris campaign continues to make efforts to connect to Black voters in key states, including Black male voters. Recent polls have indicated Trump is performing stronger with Black male voters than he did in the 2020 election against President Joe Biden.

Additional speakers scheduled to speak tonight include United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) President April Verrett, Michigan Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters, and Michigan Rep. Elissa Slotkin, among others.

Some Americans have already started casting their ballots in states with early voting, as Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump continue to push toward Election Day.

While policy proposals have featured heavily on the campaign trail, other headlines have also spread widely on social media.

Here are some of those viral stories you might have missed this week:

?“Your mics are cut”

Vice presidential nominees JD Vance and Tim Walz faced off Tuesday in their first and only debate. In the middle of a heated exchange on immigration, Vance and Walz started talking over each other. CBS News’ Margaret Brennan, one of the two debate moderators, tried to regain control several times.

Then she said, “The audience can’t hear you because your mics are cut,” as the candidates could be faintly heard talking in the background. Ahead of the debate, CBS News said it reserved the right to turn off the candidates’ mics during the showdown.

A clip of the moment was posted on CBS’ TikTok account — drawing more than 3 million views and more than 319,000 likes. CNN also posted a clip on its TikTok account and got 1.8 million views.

Political impressions out in full force

“Saturday Night Live” returned last week — and so did the star-studded political impressions, garnering millions of views online. The cold open featured Maya Rudolph as Kamala Harris, Jim Gaffigan as Tim Walz, Andy Samberg as Doug Emhoff and James Austin Johnson as Donald Trump, among others.

“Donald Trump is stuck in the past. But it’s like what I say to my husband, Doug, when he leaves his phone at the Chilis: We are not going back,” Rudolph said as she impersonated Harris. Samberg as Emhoff later came out to the song “Teach Me How to Dougie.”

The sketch received more than 8 million views and 179,000 likes on SNL’s YouTube account.

Comedians on TikTok are also jumping in on the action. Comedian Allison Reese, who is no stranger to viral fame for her Harris impressions, got more than 174,000 likes and 1.2 million views for a TikTok of her Harris persona reacting to the vice presidential debate. On the other side of the impression ticket, comedian Austin Nasso, known for his viral video impersonations of Trump, garnered more than 32,000 likes and 390,000 views for a video posted Monday.

Melania Trump’s comments about abortion rights

Former first lady Melania Trump suggested a break with her husband over abortion rights in her new memoir and social media video.

In a video posted to X on Thursday morning, the former first lady said that she believes there is “no room for compromise” when it comes to a woman’s “individual freedom.” The video followed a story from The Guardian on excerpts from her forthcoming book in which she says that “restricting a woman’s right to choose whether to terminate an unwanted pregnancy is the same as denying her control over her own body.”

In the first five hours after it posted, the video got more than 473,000 views on X. “Melania Trump” was trending on Thursday afternoon, with more than 35,000 posts about her circling the platform — many also mentioned the CNN story about her book publisher requesting a quarter of a million dollars for an interview. As of Friday afternoon, the video had surged to about 4.3 million views.

Donald Trump regularly takes credit for the overturning of Roe v. Wade, which eliminated federal protections for abortion and led to the enactment of severe restrictions on the procedure in mostly Republican-led states.

Supporters watch as former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Saginaw, Michigan, on October 3, 2024.

When absentee ballots first landed on doorsteps in Michigan last month, so did Paul Hudson, a Grand Rapids lawyer and a Republican running to represent the area in Congress. Armed with an app that told him where likely voters lived and which houses might be swayed, he spent that morning walking a densely populated purple community where single-story ranches with Trump flags neighbor homes with “Harris Walz” signs on their lush, well-manicured lawns.

It’s a conventional strategy to compete in close races, one battle-tested by campaigns big and small every election. And it’s a playbook that former President?Donald Trump’s campaign has tossed aside.

Targeting irregular voters, teaching supporters to surveil polling places and bombarding states with voting-related lawsuits – this is the machine the Trump campaign has built for an election that many expect to hinge on just tens of thousands of ballots cast across seven battleground states. It’s a gamble, Trump’s campaign internally acknowledges, but one that they insist is built on data they have collected over nearly a decade and tested for the past six months.

That, and tens of millions of dollars injected lately by a super PAC aligned with?tech billionaire?Elon Musk, one of Trump’s most vocal and influential supporters.

The campaign’s untraditional strategy was on display?when conservative commentator Tucker Carlson came to Grand Rapids last month. He urged his audience to download an app – 10xVotes?– that promises to help them find the non-voting conservatives among their family and friends. Days later, the Michigan state party chairman also plugged 10xVotes?when he rolled into Traverse City, Michigan, alongside Trump running mate JD Vance.

Read the full story.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene speaks at a campaign event of Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance in Lindale, Georgia, on Friday.

GOP Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene drew attention to the low turnout problem in northwest Georgia and told voters November 5 is not an “ordinary” election, but Republicans’ opportunity “to take our country back.”

Urging residents to resist the urge to tune out politics, Greene said if they don’t vote, they are part of the problem.

“If you don’t participate in this election, you’re going to be part of the very problem that we are trying to fix,” she said.

Greene also used her speaking time to draw attention to murders she said, without evidence, were committed by undocumented immigrants.

“You aren’t going to sit on the sidelines and let America go to hell. You’re going step up and you’re gonna step on the battlefield and make sure that northwest Georgia turns out the vote for President Trump and JD Vance,” Greene said.

Greene, a staunch Trump ally, represents Georgia’s 14th?congressional district, which includes Lindale and Floyd County.

CNN observed Trump signs and signs with the name of the Georgia lawmaker on the road leading up to the event. There was also a “Republicans for Harris” sign on the same street.

Both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are campaigning in battleground states on Friday as Election Day quickly approaches.

Harris is in Michigan to hold campaign events in Detroit and Flint.

Harris will meet with a group of Arab American and Muslim American leaders in Flint, according to three sources. The anticipated meeting comes as the Harris campaign works to garner support within the community amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and Israel’s strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Tomorrow, Harris will travel to?North?Carolina to survey the damage caused by Hurricane Helene, be briefed?about the continued recovery efforts across the state and provide updates on federal actions.

Trump is expected to travel to Evans, Georgia, to receive a briefing on?Hurricane Helene damage?and deliver remarks to the press at 3:45 p.m. ET.

He will be joined by GOP Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. It will be their first face-to-face meeting since their relationship frayed around the 2020 presidential election. Kemp clashed with the former president after he refused to call a special legislative session to help Trump as he sought?overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia.

Trump will then travel to North Carolina, where he will hold a town hall in Fayetteville at 7 p.m. ET.

Tomorrow, Trump will return to Butler, Pennsylvania —?the site of his first assassination attempt —?to hold a campaign rally.

Ohio Sen. JD Vance will deliver remarks about immigration at a campaign event in Lindale, Georgia. He will join Trump in Pennsylvania tomorrow.

Vice President Kamala Harris will meet with a group of Arab American and Muslim American leaders in Flint, Michigan, on Friday, according to three sources.

The anticipated meeting comes as the Harris campaign works to garner support within the community amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and Israel’s strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

CNN reached out to the Harris campaign for comment.

Michigan, which President Joe Biden narrowly won in his 2020 matchup against then-President Donald Trump, will be a crucial battleground again this November — and the Muslim American vote could be especially critical.

Emgage Action, an organization aimed at boosting the Muslim American vote, endorsed Harris last month while acknowledging “strong disappointment,” with the Biden administration’s stance in Gaza. The leaders of Emgage Action are expected to participate in the meeting, according to one of the sources.

On Thursday, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee,?took the campaign’s pitch to Emgage Action’s “Million Muslim Votes: A Way Forward” summit.

“I know the pain of this community is deep. Our hearts are broken. … It’s on our minds every day. The scale of death and destruction in Gaza is staggering and devastating. Tens of thousands of innocent civilians killed, families fleeing for safety, over and over again,” Walz said while reiterating calls for a ceasefire.

A new television ad from former President Donald Trump’s campaign deletes key words from two separate quotes to deceptively attack Vice President Kamala Harris.

The ad, which Trump also?posted?on social media on?Wednesday, targets Harris on tax policy. Three components of the 30-second spot are dishonest: the two edited quotes and an important statistic, which the ad inaccurately describes.

The ad vs. what Harris actually said: The ad twice shows a video clip of Harris saying this: “Taxes are gonna have to go up.” It also shows those words on screen in big, all-caps text.

But it cuts out critical words from Harris’ actual comments. What she said in that sentence — at an event in 2019, during her previous presidential campaign — was that “estate?taxes are gonna have to go up?for the richest Americans.”

By removing the words “estate” and “for the richest Americans,” the ad significantly alters Harris’ meaning.

The ad vs. what the Times actually wrote: Additional on-screen text in the ad quotes The New York Times as saying, “Harris is seeking to significantly raise taxes.” It attributes the quote to an August 22 article.

But as the Times itself?noted?on Thursday, this, too, is a misleading edit. What the?August 22 article actually said?was this: “Harris is seeking to significantly raise taxes?on the wealthiest Americans and large corporations.”

Read more fact checking on the ad.

Fresh off?his vice presidential debate, Tim Walz arrived Wednesday evening at a Puerto Rican-owned restaurant in southeast Pennsylvania to speak with Latino voters.

“This thing’s gonna come down to our ‘blue wall’ states, come down to Pennsylvania,” the Minnesota governor said at Mofongo Restaurant as diners sipped on colorful drinks.

“Might come right through this restaurant,” he added.

At the same time, just blocks away, a campaign office for?Donald Trump?hummed with activity, as Latino supporters of the former president worked the phones in English and Spanish.

Marcia Heras, an immigrant from Ecuador, drove the hour from Allentown to make calls.

“Familia, la vida y fin de la guerra,” Heras told CNN were the longtime conservative’s reasons for supporting Trump: family, life and the ending of war.

This snapshot of dueling outreach efforts on a rainy weeknight provides a small glimpse into how crucial the?Latino vote?is to the Trump and Kamala Harris campaigns in Pennsylvania,?a key battleground state?where the past two presidential elections have been decided by a single point.

Keep reading here about this key demographic in Pennsylvania.

More than $100 million worth of presidential advertising is set to air in the opening week of October — the final full month of campaigning in the 2024 presidential election — and Democrats are maintaining their overall spending advantage, even as close air wars are being fought in key swing states.

In total, Democrats have more than $60 million worth of ad bookings from October 1 to 7, while Republicans have about $41 million reserved, according to AdImpact data. Across the top seven battleground states, however, the gap is smaller, with about $45 million for Democrats and $39 million for Republicans.

And in a few pivotal states — including Pennsylvania — Republicans have a slight edge this week, $12.5 million to $11.1 million.

Republicans also lead advertising for the presidential race this week in Georgia, where they are slightly outspending Democrats by about $5.7 million to $5.2 million — and Wisconsin, where the GOP edge is larger, $6.2 million to $4.6 million.

Meanwhile, Democrats lead advertising in Michigan this week by a small margin, $6.9 million to $6.2 million, while they are significantly outspending Republicans in North Carolina, $8.2 million to $3.5 million.

Sen. JD Vance speaks during a campaign event in Traverse City, Michigan, on September 25.

Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance, as well as Tesla CEO Elon Musk, will be joining former President Donald Trump at his return to Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, according to a campaign official.

Vance, who was selected as Trump’s running mate just days after the attempted assassination attempt in July, will deliver remarks.

Since the second attempted assassination last month, Vance has said the onus is not on Trump to tone down rhetoric, but on Democrats.

“There are absolutely people on our side who say things that I think are ridiculous that they shouldn’t say. But what is one-sided is that our guy is the one who keeps getting?shot?at. That’s what’s one-sided,”?Vance?said at an event in Sparta, Michigan, on September 17. “If God forbid, people had taken an attempt on Kamala?Harris’ life, I would be looking in the mirror and saying, ‘how could we do a lot better?’”

The Trump campaign also announced Friday that Musk, family members of the man who was killed during the assassination attempt in July, and a number of other guests — including GOP members of Congress — will also join Trump at the rally.

Trump’s son Eric Trump and Republican National Committee co-chair Lara Trump are also expected to be in attendance, along with RNC chair Michael Whatley.

This post has been updated to include additional guests expected to be in attendance.

LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and billionaire Mark Cuban on Friday launched “Business Leaders for Harris,” a?new initiative?aimed at drawing a contrast between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump’s economic agendas.

The campaign features business founders and CEOs, as well as small business owners from across the nation, making the case for why they support Harris while encouraging others in the business community to do the same.

The website includes testimonials from additional business executives including Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings, former American Express CEO Ken Chenault, former Merck CEO Ken Frazier and Box CEO Aaron Levine.

The “Business Leaders for Harris” podcast was also launched to amplify these messages ahead of the election. The?first episode?features Cuban and Hastings.

The Harris campaign launched a new ad as part of its aggressive approach to reach Latino voters in key battleground states ahead of Election Day.

The ad, titled “Why do we fight,” highlights Harris’ record working for middle-class families and tackling corporate greed.

“She fought giant drug companies to lower the cost of insulin and she won. So we know she will take on the corrupt companies that overcharge our families for food and rent,” it continued.

A recent poll among Latino?registered voters?from NBC News, Telemundo and CNBC?finds Harris well ahead of Trump among the group, but faring less well than other recent Democratic nominees with this?growing segment of the electorate.?Overall, 54% of?Latino?registered voters in the poll said they supported Harris, 40% backed Trump.

The 60-second spot will air across swing states during Hispanic Heritage Month on high-viewership events and shows, including Major League Baseball divisional games, high-ranked telenovelas, Chivas’ Apertura 2024, LaLiga fútbol and during both Vice President Harris’ and Trump’s Univision town halls next week. This blitz is part of the Harris campaign’s $370 million investment in TV, radio and digital reservations until Election Day.

Former President Barack Obama speaks on Tuesday, August 20, in Chicago during the DNC.

Former President?Barack Obama?plans to commence a 27-day campaign sprint for Vice President?Kamala Harris?next week in Pennsylvania, an adviser to the?Democratic presidential nominee’s?campaign?said, hoping his star power among Democrats can help?propel her to the office he once held.

Openly concerned about Democratic complacency and acutely aware of?razor-thin margins in polls, Obama — who, along with his wife,?Michelle,?is one of the?party’s most popular figures?— is seeking to help Harris in any way he can, aides have said.

The Thursday rally in Pittsburgh will be the first in a string of events Obama?plans to hold?across?electoral battlegrounds in the weeks ahead of Election Day, according to a senior Harris campaign official.

Aside from rallies, an Obama aide said?the former president?intends to help Democrats by recording candidate-specific advertisements and lending his name to email solicitations for campaign cash, including for down-ballot races. He headlined a?$4 million fundraiser?for Harris in Los Angeles last month.

The?2024?election, in Obama’s view, is an “all hands on deck” moment, aides have said.

“I wish I could give you a four-?or five-point plan as to how we’re going to win this election. Truthfully, the plan is we’re going to push through it,” he said during the California fundraising event, according to excerpts from his office.

Matthew Olsen, head of the National Security Division within the Department of Justice, said the?onslaught of foreign election interference “is more aggressive than ever this election cycle” and represents a “clear and present danger.”

“We’re seeing Russia, Iran and China targeting our elections,” Olsen said on CBS Thursday evening. “They see this as a period of vulnerability for us,” he continued.

When pressed on the frequent allegation from former President Donald Trump that the Russia election interference during the 2016 election was a hoax, Olsen said “it was actually happening then, it is actually happening now.”

Olsen said Russia has been seeking to “boost the candidacy of the former president and to denigrate the candidacy of the vice president.”

Olsen also told CBS’s Norah O’Donnell that Iran is “compromising” Trump’s campaign and his agency is “gravely” concerned about Iran plotting against former and current elected officials.

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump

Vice President Kamala Harris holds 49% support to former President Donald Trump’s 48% in the race for president, according to the latest national CNN Poll of Polls, suggesting no clear leader in the race for the presidency.

The current average matches where the race stood just before the?September 10 presidential debate, and includes four polls conducted in late September through early October.

All were completed by October 1, when vice presidential candidates Tim Walz and JD Vance?met for their only debate?of the campaign cycle. All but one of the included polls found a race within that poll’s margin of sampling error.

More about the polls:?The CNN Poll of Polls is an average of the four most recent non-partisan, national surveys of registered or likely voters that meet CNN’s standards and ask about a 2024 presidential general election between Harris and Trump. The Poll of Polls includes results from the CBS News poll conducted Sept. 18-20, the Quinnipiac University poll conducted Sept. 19-22, the CNN poll conducted Sept. 19-22 and the NPR/PBS News/Marist poll conducted Sept. 27-Oct. 1.

Former President Donald Trump will travel to Evans, Georgia, on Friday to receive a briefing on?Hurricane Helene damage?and deliver remarks to the press at 3:45 p.m. ET

He will be joined by GOP Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.

Former Congresswoman Liz Cheney speaks at a campaign event for Vice President Kamala Harris in Ripon, Wisconsin, on Thursday.

Republican former Rep. Liz Cheney on Thursday said she is “proudly” casting her vote for Vice President Kamala Harris in Wisconsin, invoking the events of January 6, 2021, and touting her endorsement of the Democratic presidential nominee in the crucial battleground state.

“I tell you, I have never voted for a Democrat, but this year, I am proudly casting my vote for Vice President Kamala Harris,” Cheney said at a Harris campaign event in Ripon, Wisconsin. In an attempt to persuade swing voters, she pointed toward former President Donald Trump’s actions on January 6, declaring that anyone “who would do these things can never be trusted with power again.”

The campaign event is the latest effort from the former Wyoming congresswoman to move undecided voters away from Donald Trump with less than five weeks until Election Day. Cheney, who previously told CNN she was committed to doing what was necessary to stop the former president from returning to the White House, announced that she was voting for?Harris last month?in North Carolina, another battleground state. She has said she expected to campaign against Trump in battleground states.

At the Thursday campaign event in Ripon –?home to a schoolhouse known as the birthplace of the Republican Party – Harris made a direct appeal to Republican and independent voters.

Read more here about the joint campaign event.