September showdown: Former President Donald Trump said he has “reached an agreement” to participate in the September 10 debate with Harris on ABC. However, the Harris campaign maintained that discussions are ongoing over the muting of microphones.
Trump praises RFK Jr. but doesn't explicitly say whether he would have administration role
From CNN's Kit Maher
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. joins Donald Trump onstage at a rally in Glendale, Arizona, on August 23.
Rebecca Noble/Getty Images
Former President Donald Trump praised Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after earning his endorsement but didn’t explicitly say whether he would have a role in a potential second Trump administration.
CNN reported Tuesday that Kennedy was added to the Trump transition team.
Trump said Kennedy’s support can help his campaign “build up the margins” and said the election – which several polls suggest will be a tight race with Vice President Kamala Harris – could be a “landslide” for Republicans.
Trump agreed when Dr. Phil said there are many things Kennedy could offer in a potential Trump administration, suggesting something environmental or attorney general.
“That’s true,” Trump said.
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Georgia Democratic strategists and organizers say focusing on rural communities is crucial to win
From CNN's Eva McKend
Ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz’s bus tour in southern Georgia, Democratic strategists and organizers see a real opportunity to reach voters in the rural pockets of the state.
Butler said the voters Harris encounters on the tour will primarily want to hear about how the Harris-Walz ticket will work to improve their lives from an economic standpoint.
This means a message grounded in reducing inflation and advancing affordable health care, Butler said.
Democratic strategist Fred Hicks says Democrats can’t afford to overlook any part of the state.
“In order to make Georgia truly competitive and give yourself any kind of breathing room, they’re going to need to get votes, drive up Democratic votes outside of Metro Atlanta,” Hicks said.
The veteran strategist says he’s watching how Walz, in particular, connects with voters in the rural South.
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Trump says mail-in voting "shouldn't be allowed"
From CNN's Kit Maher
Workers count mail-in and in-person absentee ballots at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on November 8, 2022.
Scott Olson/Getty Images/File
Former president Donald Trump said mail-in voting “shouldn’t be allowed” and that Republicans must gain control of the government so they can change the rules.
Asked if Republicans should play by the rules, Trump said: “It shouldn’t be allowed. It’s a whole different mindset.”
Trump claimed that vote counting in Democratic California is dishonest.
Asked, again, if Republicans should play hard under the rules, Trump said:
Trump’s campaign and the RNC are encouraging their supporters to vote by mail. Today, they rolled out a GOTV tool, where Pennsylvania voters can request a mail-in ballot directly through SwampTheVoteUSA.com.
Trump tells Dr. Phil the president's job is "more dangerous" than that of a race car driver
From CNN's Kit Maher
Donald Trump speaks with Dr. Phil on August 23.
Dr. Phil/Merit Street
In the second part of his interview with Dr. Phil, which was taped Friday, former President Donald Trump spoke about his assassination attempt.
Trump said that “being president is a dangerous job.”
Trump also said President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are to blame for the assassination attempt to a “certain extent” because they “weaponized” the government against him.
There is no evidence that either Biden or Harris were involved in Trump’s assassination attempt.
Trump also said that Democratic rhetoric could have contributed to the assassination attempt against him – particularly calling him a threat to democracy, which he says he is “just the opposite.”
“That was a standard line, just keep saying it,” Trump said. “That can get assassins or potential assassins going.”
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Gov. Brian Kemp will help fundraise for Trump on Thursday, source says
From CNN's Kristen Holmes
Brian Kemp walks through the CNN spin room ahead of a CNN Presidential Debate in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 27.
Getty Images
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp will attend a fundraiser for Donald Trump in Atlanta on Thursday where former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is the headliner, a source familiar with the matter tells CNN.
Kemp refused to support Trump’s questioning of the 2020 election, but the two have seemingly reconciled recently.
That same night, Kemp told Sean Hannity: “we’re going to put Georgia back in the red column for the presidential race, unlike we did in 2020.”
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RFK Jr. won't appear on the Nevada ballot
From CNN's Ethan Cohen
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. won’t appear on the Nevada ballot after he reached an agreement with Democratic challengers who argued he was ineligible to appear on the ballot as an independent candidate.
While the deadline for candidates to withdraw from the ballot has already passed in Nevada, the existing legal challenge to Kennedy’s candidacy gave him an avenue to have his name removed.
Harris will be in Savannah, Georgia, on Wednesday before starting campaign bus tour
From CNN's Ebony Davis
Vice President Kamala Harris will travel Wednesday to Savannah, Georgia, before beginning her bus tour with running mate, Gov. Tim Walz, according to her office. This marks her seventh visit to the Peach State this year.
The vice president’s office is not releasing the specific stops on her tour.
Few battlegrounds will be more closely watched than Georgia — where President Joe Biden won by fewer than 12,000 votes four years ago — for signs of how voters respond to campaign outreach.
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Harris has committed to supporting Ukraine
From CNN's Tami Luhby and Way Mullery
Kamala Harris speaks during the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on August 22.
She has met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at least six times and announced $1.5 billion for energy assistance, humanitarian needs, and other aid for the war-torn country last month.
At the Munich Security Conference this year, Harris said:
“More broadly, NATO is central to our approach to global security. For President Biden and me, our sacred commitment to NATO remains ironclad. And I do believe, as I have said before, NATO is the greatest military alliance the world has ever known.”
Trump added that he would instruct the Department of Justice to open civil rights investigations into “radical left” prosecutors’ offices that engaged in racial enforcement of the law, encourage Congress to use their legal authority over Washington, DC, to restore “law and order” and overhaul federal standards of disciplining minors to address rising crimes like carjackings.
Addressing policies made in what Trump calls the “Democrats’ war on police,” the former president vowed in a campaign video that he would pass a “record investment” to hire and retrain police, strengthen protections like qualified immunity, increase penalties for assaulting law enforcement officers and deploy the National Guard when local law enforcement “refuses to act.”
The former president added that he would require law enforcement agencies that receive money from his funding investment or the Department of Justice to use “proven common sense” measures such as stop-and-frisk.
Campaign issues: Trump dodged when asked how he would pay for his economic plan. Here's what's in the plan
From CNN's Alayna Treene and Ali Main in Las Vegas, Nevada
Donald Trump speaks during the keynote address of the Black Conservative Federation (BCF) Honors Gala in Columbia, South Carolina, US, on February 23.
Christian Monterrosa/Bloomberg/Getty Images
Former President Donald Trump on Friday dodged when asked by CNN how he plans to pay for his economic plan, which includes tax cuts that would add to the federal deficit.
Sixteen Nobel Prize-winning economists sent a stark warning in a letter in June that Trump’s agenda would not only “reignite inflation” but would have “a negative impact on the US’ economic standing in the world and a destabilizing effect on the US’ domestic economy.”
Trump has also opposed any changes to entitlement programs like Medicare or Social Security to help offset some of the costs of his cuts.
What he said: Trump has promised to extend the cuts from his 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, notably the TCJA’s individual income tax breaks. The former president has also talked about reducing the corporate tax rate from 21% to 15%.
Trump has also pledged to repeal Biden’s tax hikes, “immediately tackle” inflation and end what he called Biden’s “war” on American energy production.
Campaign issues: This is what's in Harris' economic proposal
From CNN's Tami Luhby and Way Mullery
High prices are a top concern for many Americans who are struggling to afford the cost of living after a spell of steep inflation. Many voters give President Joe Biden poor marks for his handling of the economy, and Vice President Kamala Harris may also face their wrath.
As part of her economic agenda, Harris wants to counter the increase in food costs, which she argues stems in part from some big grocery chains that are keeping prices high even though their production costs have leveled off.
To do so, she is calling for the first-ever federal ban on price gouging on food and groceries. She would also secure new authority for the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general to investigate and penalize companies that unfairly exploit consumers in the quest for excessive profits on food and groceries.
Harris has echoed many of the same economic themes as Biden in campaign speeches, saying she wants to give Americans more opportunities to get ahead.
She promised in a July rally to continue the Biden administration’s drive to eliminate so-called junk fees and to fully disclose all charges, such as for events, lodging and car rentals.
“On day one, I will take on price gouging and bring down costs. We will ban more of those hidden fees and surprise late charges that banks and other companies use to pad their profits,” she said.
The vice president’s plan promises to provide up to $25,000 in down-payment support for first-time homebuyers. The down-payment support would apply to working families who have paid rent on time for two years, with more generous support for first-time homebuyers. The plan would also provide a $10,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers, something Biden proposed earlier this year.
The plan would allow for more than 1 million first-time buyers per year, including first-generation homebuyers, to access the funds, according to her campaign.
Harris is also calling for the building of 3 million new housing units. To spur construction, she would provide a first-ever tax incentive for builders who build starter homes sold to first-time buyers. She also would expand an existing tax incentive for building affordable rental housing.
The plan also highlights two main proposals that aim to lower rent costs in the US. The first would block landlords from using algorithm-driven price-setting tools to set rents. The second would discourage wealthy investors from buying up properties and marking up rents in bulk by removing tax benefits for investors who buy large numbers of single-family rental homes.
“We want them to run the education of our children, because they’ll do a much better job of it,” he added.
The former president has also promised to “put parents back in charge and give them the final say” in education. In a January 2023 campaign video, the former president said he would give funding preferences and “favorable treatment” to schools that allow parents to elect principals, abolish teacher tenure for K-12 teachers, use merit pay to incentivize quality teaching and cut the number of school administrators, such as those overseeing diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
We want them to run the education of our children, because they’ll do a much better job of it.”
Trump also said in that campaign video that he would cut funding for schools that teach critical race theory and gender ideology. In a later speech, Trump said he would bring back the 1776 Commission, which was launched in his previous administration to “teach our values and promote our history and our traditions to our children.”
The former president said he would charge the Department of Justice and the Department of Education with investigating civil rights violations of race-based discrimination in schools while also removing “Marxists” from the Department of Education. A second Trump administration would pursue violations in schools of both the Constitution’s Establishment and Free Exercise clauses, which prohibit the government establishment of religion and protect a citizen’s right to practice their own religion, he said.
Analysis: Mark Zuckerberg’s election-season gift to Republicans
From CNN's Jon Passantino
Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg attends the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on online child sexual exploitation at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on January 31.
Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
Mark Zuckerberg, chairman and CEO of the social media company Meta, is handing Republicans political victories ahead of the 2024 presidential election, acquiescing to years of GOP grievances over his company’s policies.
In recent days, the Meta chief executive has made newsworthy public statements implicitly supporting right-wing “censorship” narratives and offered praise for Donald Trump as “badass” – even as he claimed he wanted to appear “neutral” and nonpartisan.
On Monday, Zuckerberg sent a letter to the powerful House Judiciary Committee, stating that the Biden administration had “pressured” Meta to “censor” content during the pandemic.
The Meta chief added that the pressure he felt was “wrong” and he came to “regret” that his company, the parent of Facebook and Instagram, was not more outspoken.
The letter was immediately weaponized by Trump, who used it to once again promote the lie that the 2020 election was stolen.
The Republican-led House Judiciary Committee also welcomed Zuckerberg’s letter, posting a copy Monday on social media and using it to attack President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who is now running as the Democratic nominee for president.
The letter was sent amid a two-year investigation by House Republicans into the content moderation policies of major social media networks.
In Georgia, Democrats are suing to stop new election certification rules. The state election board recently passed two rules that allow election officials to conduct a “reasonable inquiry” before certifying election results and permit members of county election boards to investigate ballot counts. The Democratic National Committee, the Georgia Democratic Party and Democratic members of several county election boards have argued in court that the rules could lead to post-election “chaos” if local officials refuse to certify elections.
In Arizona, proof of citizenship is currently required to register to vote. The US Supreme Court gave Arizona Republicans a partial win last week when it allowed part of a new voter ID law to stand, at least for now. People who newly register to vote in Arizona using a state form will now have to prove their citizenship, but people who are already registered will not have to prove citizenship to vote in the coming presidential election.
In North Carolina, there are new rules for voting by mail. People mailing in their ballot will have to include a photocopy of a photo ID and fill out their ballot in the presence of either two witnesses or a notary public. In many states controlled by Democrats, including the key states of Michigan and Pennsylvania, access to mail-in ballots has been expanded. In other states, many of them controlled by Republicans, absentee voting has been made more difficult.
In Texas, there is outcry over home searches tied to a voter fraud probe that dates back to 2022. The office of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton conducted raids last week. This week, the League of United Latin American Citizens, LULAC, filed a complaint with the Department of Justice over the raids, which its leaders said constitute “a direct attempt to suppress the Latino vote through intimidation and harassment, in violation of the Voting Rights Act and other federal civil rights law.”
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Vance accuses special counsel Jack Smith of trying to "influence the election"
From CNN's Kit Maher
Special counsel Jack Smith and Ohio Sen. JD Vance.
Getty Images
Ohio Sen. JD Vance, the Republican vice presidential candidate, accused special counsel Jack Smith of filing “lawsuits” against former President Donald Trump in order to influence the 2024 election, as he filed a superseding indictment in the election interference case Tuesday.
While Vance said he didn’t read the entire document, he said: “It looks like Jack Smith doing more what he does, which is filing these lawsuits in an effort to influence the election.”
The superseding indictment states on page 3: “The Defendant tried-but failed-to enlist the Vice President, who was also the Defendant’s running mate and, by virtue of the Constitution, the President of the Senate who plays a ceremonial role in the January 6 certification proceeding.”
As CNN reported, prosecutors are arguing that Trump’s pressure campaign on Pence fell outside the scope of his official duties.
“I don’t think that it changes anything legally,” Vance said. “It’s clearly an effort to try to do more election interference from Jack Smith. He should be ashamed of himself, and it’s one of the reasons why we have to win, because he should not be anywhere near power.”
Vance said the Supreme Court was “actually pretty sensible” in their immunity ruling, which granted Trump partial immunity from the election subversion case.
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There are less than 70 days until Election Day. Here's what you should know
On Wednesday, the Democrats will kick off a bus tour in Georgia, concluding with a rally in the Savannah area Thursday, according to their campaign. They also will sit down with CNN for their first joint interview on Thursday.
Trump, the Republican candidate, will deliver remarks on the economy in Potterville, Michigan, on Thursday, according to his campaign. The former president will also host a town hall that evening in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
Here are other headlines you should know:
Superseding indictment:
Special counsel Jack Smith filed a superseding indictment in the election interference case against Trump, slimming down the allegations against the 2024 presidential nominee in light of the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity.
Separately, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson told CBS Newsshe is “concerned” about the court’s decision to grant sweeping immunity to Trump because it treats one person differently than others in the criminal justice system.
Endorsements:
More than 200 Republicans who previously worked for former Presidents George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, former Sen. John McCain or Sen. Mitt Romney signed a letter backing Harris for president.
Former President Barack Obama offered a note of caution to Democrats buzzing over Harris’ campaign, telling donors on Martha’s Vineyard that the party needs to ramp up its focus — and spending — on down-ballot races.
Vance on Tuesday accused Harris of copying Trump and not having strong policy convictions of her own. The Ohio senator also said Harris sounded like a “vice principal” when she warned at the Democratic National Convention about the consequences of reelecting Trump.
Upcoming events:
Trump announced on Truth Social that he has “reached an agreement” to participate in a debate with Harris, scheduled for September 10 in Philadelphia on ABC News. However, the Harris campaign maintained that discussions are ongoing over the muting of microphones.
President Joe Biden and Harris will campaign together on Labor Day in Pittsburgh, the White House announced.
RFK Jr.:
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he’s been asked to serve on Trump’s transition team following his endorsement of the Republican nominee.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission on Tuesday ruled that Kennedy will remain on the ballot for the November general election.
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Trump is fundraising off the special counsel's superseding indictment
From CNN's Brian Rokus
Former President Donald Trump is soliciting donations after this afternoon’s superseding indictment.
He said in an email, “I WAS JUST INDICTED AGAIN!” and called it “Another Jack Smith HOAX!”
Trump also slammed the superseding indictment in a series of posts on Truth Social.
What happened: Special counsel Jack Smith on Tuesday filed a reworked indictment in the federal election interference case against Trump. Prosecutors have not dropped any of the four charges that they initially brought against the former president.
However, the newly retooled indictment has carved out some of Trump’s alleged conduct, including allegations about the attempts to use the Justice Department to promote his false claims of election fraud. Prosecutors are working to try to comply with the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling.
This post has been updated with Trump’s Truth Social posts.
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Obama emphasizes importance of redistricting and spending on down-ballot races to help Harris
From CNN's Gregory Krieg
Barack Obama gestures as he speaks during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, on August 20.
Mike Segar/Reuters
Former President Barack Obama offered a note of caution to Democrats buzzing over Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign, telling donors on Martha’s Vineyard on Monday night that the party needs to ramp up its focus — and spending — on down-ballot races across the country.
The NDRC told CNN the fundraiser brought in $1.7 million.
Obama said Republicans have been trying to “redraw maps and manipulate the rules” — which are backed up by courts “that are willing to uphold unfair maps and unfair rules.” This is an obstacle for Democrats, he said, policies aside.
“Politics in America is and always has been, not simply a matter of rhetoric and joy and excitement. It is also nuts and bolts exercises of power,” Obama said, adding that Democrats need to address these “nuts and bolts” to help Harris.
Democrats lost more than a thousand seats in state legislatures during Obama’s presidency, while also suffering a string of defeats at the gubernatorial level and in the US Congress. Meantime, Republicans won a 2010 House landslide before taking control of the Senate in 2014. The damage at the state level, though, has been the most difficult for Democrats to unwind, in part due to gerrymandering by state GOP leaders.
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Trump must enter new plea in 2020 election case
From CNN’s Hannah Rabinowitz, Katelyn Polantz and Tierney Sneed
Donald Trump will once again need to enter an official plea in court after special counsel prosecutors reworked the indictment against him in the federal election interference case.
Although Trump was charged with the same offenses as the original case, prosecutors narrowed the allegations and altered the language to try to comply with the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity earlier this summer.
Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is overseeing the case, has not yet set a date for that proceeding. It’s unclear if she will require the former president to appear in person for a re-arraignment, as prosecutors have indicated they don’t object to her waiving his appearance. Trump’s case was already set to return to Chutkan’s court next week for a hearing about the case’s schedule.
According to a source familiar with the matter, the Trump defense team expected a rewriting of the indictment to set up the next phase of the case after the Supreme Court ruling. But this coming so soon was a surprise — and the special counsel’s office didn’t give Trump’s team a head’s up before the new grand jury approved this indictment, the source said.
What changed: Notably, special counsel Jack Smith’s team said that Trump made repeated false claims on a Twitter account that he “regularly used for personal purposes,” and described his January 6, 2021, rally at the Ellipse as a “privately-funded, privately organized political rally.”
In addition, prosecutors removed language about Trump’s conversations with then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows from their allegations. They did, however, add details about other conversations in the indictment — including in one section that recounts a meeting Trump had with Michigan lawmakers.
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Harris and Walz will sit with CNN on Thursday for an exclusive joint interview
From CNN's Michael Williams and Kevin Liptak
Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz at the Liacouras Center at Temple University on August 6 in Philadelphia.
The interview, conducted by CNN’s chief political correspondent and anchor Dana Bash, will air at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday.
It occurs as the candidates embark on a bus tour through the battleground state of Georgia and marks the first time Harris has sat with a journalist for an in-depth, on-the-record conversation since President Joe Biden dropped his bid for a second term and endorsed her on July 21.
The 37 days since her candidacy began have generated a swell of enthusiasm and momentum for Harris, including at last week’s convention in Chicago. But her lack of a formal news conference or interview has generated criticism from her Republican rivals. Thursday’s interview fulfills a vow she made earlier in August to schedule a sit-down before the end of the month.
Here's how special counsel prosecutors reworked the indictment against Donald Trump
From CNN’s Hannah Rabinowitz, Marshall Cohen and Tierney Sneed
Special counsel prosecutors reworked the indictment against Donald Trump to narrow the allegations to try to comply with the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity earlier this summer.
Prosecutors did this in two ways – by cutting language about the former president’s interactions with senior Justice Department officials, and by adding language describing when Trump was acting as a candidate and not the president. Prosecutors noted several times that Trump didn’t have any constitutionally-assigned presidential duties regarding the post-election transition of power.
The Supreme Court ruling granted immunity to some of Trump’s conduct that falls within his official powers.
Smith’s team also emphasized their contention that Vice President Mike Pence was acting in a “ceremonial role” as president of the Senate when he presided over the Electoral College certification proceedings on January 6, 2021. The distinction is important because prosecutors are arguing that Trump’s pressure campaign on Pence was outside the scope of his official duties.
In addition, prosecutors cut references to Co-Conspirator 4. CNN has identified that person as then-Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark, who allegedly sought to use his position to aid Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
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Biden to join Harris for Labor Day push in Pittsburgh
From CNN's Arlette Saenz
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris embrace after his keynote address on Monday, August 19, in Chicago.
Austin Steele/CNN
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will campaign together on Labor Day in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the White House announced.
It will mark the first time the president and vice president are appearing jointly in a battleground state since Harris moved to the top of the Democratic ticket. Biden and Harris appeared together in Maryland earlier this month at a White House event touting efforts to lower prescription drug costs and on stage at the Democratic National Convention last week.
Harris is set to travel to Detroit, Michigan, on Monday before meeting Biden in Pittsburgh as part of the campaign’s push to appeal to working-class voters, a campaign official said. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and his wife Gwen Walz will spend Labor Day in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff will attend a Labor Day event in Newport News, Virginia.
While the details of Biden and Harris’ joint appearance were not immediately clear, the campaign is planning events across the country that will include community Labor Day parades and local union organizing events, the official said.
What Biden has been doing: Biden’s aides have said he will maintain a robust schedule in his final months in office, including hitting the campaign trail for Harris and events reinforcing the legacy pieces of his single term in office. The president is expected to be a frequent fixture in Pennsylvania, a critical battleground state where he lived as a child.
“I promise I’ll be the best volunteer Harris and Walz … have ever seen,” Biden said at the Democratic National Convention last week.
The president spent last week on vacation in Santa Ynez, California, and is currently at his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Aside from a quick outing to church on Saturday, he stayed largely out of the public eye as the convention played out in Chicago.
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Special counsel files reworked indictment in Trump election interference case
From CNN’s Katelyn Polantz
Special Counsel Jack Smith delivers remarks on a recently unsealed indictment including four felony counts against former President Donald Trump on August 1, 2023 in Washington, DC.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Special counsel Jack Smith filed a superseding indictment in the election interference case against former President Donald Trump, slimming down the allegations against the 2024 presidential nominee in light of the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity.
“Today, a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia returned a superseding indictment,” a spokesperson for Smith’s office, Peter Carr, said in a statement Tuesday, “charging the defendant with the same criminal offenses that were charged in the original indictment.”
Prosecutors have not dropped any of the four charges they initially brought against the former president. However, the newly retooled indictment carved out some of the alleged conduct, including allegations about the attempts to use the Justice Department to promote Trump’s false claims of election fraud.
It also adjusts how prosecutors describe the allegations regarding Trump’s election subversion schemes.
Pro-choice demonstrators gather at Freedom Plaza for the Annual Women's March on January 20 in Washington, DC.
Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images
Former President Donald Trump keeps lying that “everybody,” including Democrats, wanted the Supreme Court to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision that had guaranteed abortion rights around the country since 1973.
“Every Democrat, every Republican, everybody wanted Roe v. Wade terminated and brought back to the states,” Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, said on Fox News on Thursday morning.
“Everybody, Democrats, Republicans, Liberals, and Conservatives, wanted Roe v. Wade TERMINATED, and brought back to the States,” he wrote on social media on Thursday night.
The numbers debunk Trump’s lie: The specific numbers vary poll by poll, but numerous polls before and after the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe have arrived at broadly similar findings: strong overall support for Roe and even stronger Democratic support for Roe.
For example, a CNN poll conducted by SSRS in January 2022, roughly five months before the Supreme Court ruling, found that 69% of adults and 86% of Democrats were opposed to completely overturning Roe. In CNN polling going back to 1989, adults’ support for completely overturning Roe had never exceeded 36%.
A NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll in May 2022, after a draft of the court’s opinion overturning Roe was leaked, found that 64% of adults and 93% of Democrats opposed overturning Roe.
A Pew Research Center poll conducted in late June and early July 2022, days after the Supreme Court ruling, found that 57% of adults and 82% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents disapproved of the ruling. An NBC News poll conducted in June 2023, roughly a year after the ruling, found that 61% of registered voters and 92% of Democratic registered voters opposed the ruling. A CNN poll conducted by SSRS in April 2024 found that 65% of adults and 87% of Democrats disapproved of the Supreme Court ruling.
Trump’s campaign did not immediately respond Tuesday to a request to explain why he is still making such comments.
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Campaign issues: What Trump has said on energy
From CNN's Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, Abby Turner, Way Mullery and Kenneth Uzquiano
Donald Trump points to the crowd, accompanied by his son, Eric, at a caucus night party in Des Moines, Iowa, January 15.
At a South Carolina rally in February, he pledged to remove limits on American natural gas exports.The Washington Post has also reported that Trump, during an April meeting at Mar-a-Lago, pledged to roll back some of President Joe Biden’s climate policies if oil executives raised $1 billion for his campaign.
As for other energy sources, Trump has also changed his tune on the expansion of offshore wind farms, which he had touted at the start of his presidency as part of a broader push to “unleash the forces of economic innovation to more fully develop and explore our ocean economy.”
In May, Trump described wind farms as “horrible” and accused turbines of killing birds and whales, adding that he would “make sure that ends on day one.”
Trump says he's "reached an agreement" to take part in the September 10 debate against Harris
From CNN's Alejandra Jaramillo and Priscilla Alvarez
Former President Donald Trump speaks at Trump Force 47 campaign headquarters on August 26 in Roseville, Michigan.
Emily Elconin/Getty Images
Former President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he has “reached an agreement” to participate in a debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, scheduled for September 10 in Philadelphia on ABC News.
Trump noted that “the rules will be the same as the last CNN debate, which seemed to work out well for everyone.”
This announcement follows a period of negotiations between the Trump and Harris campaigns, which had reached a stalemate over specific debate protocols, particularly regarding the muting of microphones when candidates are not speaking.
CNN has reached out to the Harris campaign for comment.
The latest on the mics: The rules for the debate will largely mirror the terms used by CNN for its June debate, including that microphones will be muted as the other candidate speaks and no studio audience will be present, a person familiar with the matter told CNN.
But later Tuesday, the Harris campaign said that discussions are ongoing with ABC over whether microphones will remain on, according to a source familiar.
This post has been updated with remarks from the Harris campaign. CNN’s Hadas Gold contributed to this post.
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RFK Jr. will remain on the ballot in Wisconsin
From CNN's Matt Holt
The Wisconsin Elections Commission on Tuesday ruled that former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will remain on the ballot for the November general election.
Wisconsin Elections Commissioner chairwoman Ann Jacobs said that Kennedy requested to be withdrawn – but Wisconsin law states that once a candidate files nomination papers, “the name of that person shall appear upon the ballot except in case of death of the person.” The commission voted 5-1 in favor of keeping him on the ballot.
The commission also voted to allow Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein and independent presidential candidate Cornel West to be on the ballot.
Last week, Kennedy suspended his campaign and backed former President Donald Trump, appearing with the former president at a rally in Arizona.
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Campaign issues: See what's in Harris' tax plan
From CNN's Tami Luhby and Way Mullery
Kamala Harris attends the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago on August 22.
Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service/Getty Images
Kamala Harris has proposed using tax credits to provide relief to middle class and lower-income Americans.
Her plan revives or extends temporary measures that Joe Biden and congressional Democrats enacted in major packages when the party controlled Congress during the first two years of the president’s term.
Harris’ proposal would restore the American Rescue Plan’s popular expansion of the child tax credit to as much as $3,600, up from $2,000, and call for it to be made permanent. The enhancement was only in effect in 2021.
Her plan would restore the American Rescue Plan’s enhancement of the earned income tax credit, known as the EITC, which increased the maximum credit for workers without dependent children to roughly $1,500. That previous boost was only for 2021.
Plus, the proposal would also add a new child tax credit of up to $6,000 for middle-class and lower-income families with children in their first year of life.
Voters in these states will make a decision on abortion in November
From CNN's Annette Choi and Lauren Mascarenhas
This November, voters in several states will take to the polls to determine the future of abortion access , after a nationwide effort by organizers to secure a wave of ballot measures aimed at restoring or protecting the right to an abortion — and some aimed at restricting it.
Abortion rights advocates hope the effort will restore the issue of reproductive health access to the people, after the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, eliminating the national right to an abortion.
Ten states have already secured abortion measures on the 2024 ballot:
Arizona: The Arizona Abortion Access Act would enshrine the right to an abortion in the state constitution up to fetal viability
Colorado: The Colorado Right to Abortion and Health Insurance Coverage Initiative would enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution and approve the use of public funds for abortion.
Florida: The Amendment to Limit Government Interference with Abortion would protect the right to an abortion up to the point of “viability.”
Maryland: The Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative would enshrine abortion as a right in the state’s constitution.
Missouri: The measure would establish the right in the state constitution to make reproductive care decisions without government interference — including abortion, up to fetal viability.
Montana: The Right to Abortion Initiative would amend the state constitution to protect the right to make decisions about one’s own pregnancy — including the right to abortion — through fetal viability.
Nebraska: In dueling measures, the Protect Women and Children amendment would enshrine the current 12-week abortion ban in the constitution, with exceptions, while the Protect the Right to Abortion Initiative would enshrine the right to an abortion up to the point of viability.
Nevada: The Nevada Right to Abortion Initiative would establish the fundamental right to an abortion, up to the point of fetal viability.
New York: The New York Equal Rights Amendment would amend the equal protection clause of the state’s constitution to say that a person’s rights cannot be denied due to “pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy.”
South Dakota: The Right to Abortion Initiative would legalize abortion — with regulations — during the first and second trimesters of pregnancy
Seven states have already seen a vote on abortion access since Roe v. Wade was overturned, including Ohio, Michigan and Kansas. Every measure aimed at protecting abortion access has passed, while all measures to restrict it have failed.
Here’s a look at how abortion access has changed since the Dobbs decision:
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Vance says he'd love to see RFK Jr. advising Trump on staff for his potential second administration
From CNN's Kit Maher and Ali Main in Big Rapids, Michigan
JD Vance speaks at Majestic Friesians Horse Farms in Big Rapids, Michiga on Tuesday.
Jeff Kowalsky/AFP/Getty Images
Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance said he would like to see Robert F. Kennedy Jr. advising former President Donald Trump on who could serve in a potential second administration, especially when it comes to health issues facing Americans.
CNN reported earlier today that Kennedy, who suspended his independent campaign Friday and endorsed Trump — along with former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard — have been added to the former president’s transition team.
Vance said it is “a little premature to talk about specific roles” for Kennedy in a Trump administration, but they would cross that bridge if they get to it.
Vance on Tuesday also accused Vice President Kamala Harris of copying former Trump and not having strong policy convictions of her own, as the pair prepare to face off in a debate next month.
“Kamala has decided that the American people don’t like her policies, and she’s exactly right about that,” he said, blaming Harris for promoting a “wide-open southern border” through the Biden administration’s immigration policies.
Harris recently adopted a policy to eliminate taxes on tips, two months after Trump announced his support for the same policy in Nevada, where both candidates are vying for support from service industry workers.
Vance said Harris sounded like a “vice principal” when she warned at the Democratic National Convention about the consequences of reelecting Trump.
“First of all, that is not a very presidential thing to say. Is she the vice president or the vice principal?” Trump’s running mate said.
Vance also criticized Harris on “the substance” of her remarks and her “tone” at the DNC.
Vance’s mother, Beverly Aikins, joined him on the campaign trail on Tuesday. As he often does, Vance highlighted his personal story, including his mother’s struggle with addiction, to connect with voters in rural America.
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Raffensperger says Georgia election board is "a mess" but that he's not worried about result certification
From CNN staff
In this November 2022 photo, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger speaks at a press conference at the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta.
Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger told CNN that he still believes the State Election Board “is a mess.”
But speaking to a handful of media in Forsyth, Georgia, during a statewide election training seminar, the Republican secretary of state said he is not concerned that county election officials will delay certification of November’s results.
Some background: Earlier this month, Georgia’s Republican-controlled State Election Board approved an ambiguous new rule saying that counties will now have the opportunity for a “reasonable inquiry” to ensure tabulation and canvassing of the election are complete and accurate before local election officials certify the results.
Certification is a mandatory part of the voting process as a final check to verify the results with the secretary of state’s office.
Last week, during an interview with CNN-affiliate WSB, Raffensperger voiced concern with the actions of the board. He has previously called the board “a mess.”
Democrats, with the backing of Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign, on Monday sued to block controversial new election rules they warned could lead to post-election “chaos” in the presidential battleground state.
The lawsuit marks a significant escalation of a controversy that has been brewing for weeks over the action of three Republican members of the state elections board, who recently won praise from former President Donald Trump for their moves.
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Harris campaign launches new initiative to mobilize young voters in swing states
From CNN's Ebony Davis
Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign launched a “Back-to-School” initiative on Tuesday geared toward young voters in key battleground states.
The initiative will target college students across 150 campuses throughout the fall semester and will include visits from surrogates, as well as targeted ads and social media outreach, in addition to the campaign doubling its campus organizing staff.
The campaign formally kicked off the effort with campus visits from Planned Parenthood President Alexis McGill Johnson at the University of Pittsburgh and from Florida Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost, the first Gen Z member of Congress, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Bennett College in Greensboro.
The campaign believes this push will build off of Harris’ month-long college tour that she launched last year under the Biden administration, where she traveled to several states to galvanize young voters on issues including women’s reproductive rights, gun safety and climate change.
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Emhoff to attend fundraisers in 3 states this week
From CNN's Aaron Pellish
Harris' husband, Doug Emhoff, watches his wife take the stage at the 2024 Democratic National Convention on Thursday in Chicago.
Rebecca Wright/CNN
Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff will attend fundraisers this week in Idaho, California and Colorado, Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign announced on Tuesday.
Emhoff will visit Ketchum, Idaho, on Thursday, followed by stops in San Francisco and Aspen, Colorado, on Friday.
Harris and her running mate Gov. Tim Walz are getting ready to kick off a bus tour in Georgia on Wednesday. They will conclude with a rally in the Savannah area on Thursday, according to their campaign.
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Here's what is coming up in the final sprint to Election Day
From CNN's Annette Choi and Zachary B. Wolf
The race to Election Day in November is on.
Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have picked their running mates and held nominating conventions to rally their parties. They have limited time to convince the few undecided voters and make sure everyone in key battleground states gets to the polls.
Justice Jackson says she is "concerned" about the Supreme Court's Trump immunity ruling
From CNN’s John Fritze
Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson told CBS News she is “concerned” about the court’s divisive decision to grant sweeping immunity to former President Donald Trump because it treats one person differently than others in the criminal justice system.
Jackson’s remarks, which come as she promotes a new memoir to be published next week, were in response to a question about the court’s decision on July 1 to grant broad immunity to the former president. A 6-3 majority of the court ruled that Trump may claim immunity from criminal prosecution for some of his official actions.
Jackson, who was nominated by President Joe Biden, dissented from that decision.
The reverberations of the ruling are still being felt in the criminal cases pending against Trump. The Supreme Court’s decision has delayed special counsel Jack Smith’s criminal case against the GOP presidential nominee for attempting to overturn the 2020 election. Trump, the Supreme Court ruled, could still be prosecuted for unofficial actions. A District Court in Washington, DC, will hold a hearing on next steps in that case next week.
Over the three-day period in July that covered Biden’s withdrawal from the White House race and the rapid consolidation of Democratic support for his vice president, Harris’ principal campaign committee took in more than double what Trump’s campaign account reported collecting in the three days surrounding his felony conviction in New York, according to the review of contributions that total more than $200 this cycle.
The Harris campaign had previously announced collecting a whopping $310 million in July through its joint fundraising efforts with aligned Democratic Party committees – far exceeding the nearly $139 million that the Trump political operation said it had brought in last month.
The CNN review examined sums raised by each candidate’s main campaign committee – a valuable resource in politics because those committees by law must receive discounts on television advertising, giving candidate-controlled money a greater impact than donations to parties and outside groups.
Read more on the newly filed campaign reports here.
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Harris and Walz kick off Georgia bus tour tomorrow as Trump campaigns in other key states later this week
From CNN staff
While former President Donald Trump campaigns in two “blue wall” states this week, Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will visit another key battleground.
On Wednesday, Harris and Walz will kick off a bus tour in Georgia, concluding with a rally in the Savannah area on Thursday, according to their campaign.
Few battlegrounds will be more closely watched than Georgia — where President Joe Biden won by fewer than 12,000 votes four years ago — for signs of how voters respond to campaign outreach.
Trump will deliver remarks on the economy in Potterville, Michigan, on Thursday, according to his campaign. The former president will also host a town hall that evening in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
Trump “will meet with Wisconsinites to listen to their concerns and share his promising agenda: to make America affordable again,” his campaign said.
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Where the candidates stand: Immigration
From CNN's Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, Abby Turner, Way Mullery and Kenneth Uzquiano
A smuggler scales the border wall from Sonora, Mexico, as photographed from Ruby, Arizona, on June 26.
Adrees Latif/Reuters
Donald Trump has made immigration and the border a central campaign issue, successfully pressuring Republicans to reject a major bipartisan border deal earlier this year and making a trip to the southern border on February 29, where he touted his previous hard-line immigration policies.
Meanwhile, Harris has quickly started to try to counter Trump’s attacks on her immigration record and outlined her policies.
Use the “Alien Enemies Act to remove known or suspected gang members, drug dealers, or cartel members from the United States,” he wrote in a Des Moines Register op-ed published about a week before the Iowa caucuses in January.
“We will shift massive portions of federal law enforcement to immigration enforcement — including parts of the DEA, ATF, FBI, and DHS,” he wrote.
“Carry out the largest domestic deportation operation in American history,” he said in a video posted on Truth Social in late February before his border visit.
“We will shift massive portions of federal law enforcement to immigration enforcement — including parts of the DEA, ATF, FBI, and DHS,” he added.
But in June, Trump proposed “automatically” giving green cards to foreign nationals who graduate from US colleges — comments that break from his efforts to curb both legal and illegal immigration while in office.
Her campaign released a video in late July citing Harris’ support for increasing the number of Border Patrol agents and Trump’s successful push to scuttle a bipartisan immigration deal that included some of the toughest border security measures in recent memory.
In June of this year, the White House announced a crackdown on asylum claims meant to continue reducing crossings at the US-Mexico border – a policy that Harris’ campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, indicated in late July to CBS News would continue under a Harris administration.
Trump’s attacks stem from Biden having tasked Harris with overseeing diplomatic efforts in Central America in March 2021. While Harris focused on long-term fixes, the Department of Homeland Security remained responsible for overseeing border security.
She has only occasionally talked about her efforts as the situation along the US-Mexico border became a political vulnerability for Biden. But she put her own stamp on the administration’s efforts, engaging the private sector. Harris pulled together the Partnership for Central America, which has acted as a liaison between companies and the US government. Her team and the partnership are closely coordinating on initiatives that have led to job creation in the region. Harris has also engaged directly with foreign leaders in the region.
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Harris will schedule a sit-down interview by the end of the month, senior campaign adviser says
From CNN's Sam Fossum
Kamala Harris speaks during the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on August 22.
Al Drago/Bloomberg/Getty Images
Vice President Kamala Harris will schedule a sit-down interview by the end of the month, according to a senior campaign adviser.
“The vice president’s been taking questions from reporters who are covering her on the campaign trail,” Ian Sams also told CNN.
This comes amid mounting pressure and criticism against Harris for not participating in a sit-down interview or news conference since being named the Democratic nominee. Harris campaign officials have previously said that she would participate in an interview by the end of August.
On the September ABC debate, Sams said that as far as the Harris campaign is concerned the disagreement over the microphones is essentially “over.” This comes after former President Donald Trump said yesterday that he would rather have the microphones always on for both candidates during the debate, despite his campaign pushing to keep the same rules as the last presidential debate.
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Several key Senate races are also on the ballot this November. Here are the seats most likely to flip
From CNN's Simone Pathe
West Virginia Governor Jim Justice speaks alongside his bulldog "Babydog" during the second day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, July 16.
Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images
While Kamala Harris has improved on President Joe Biden’s standing in many states, the shape of the crucial Senate races that will determine the majority is the same.
Democrats are facing an incredibly unfavorable map this year, defending seats in places that former President Donald Trump won by comfortable margins and presidential battlegrounds that he narrowly lost in 2020.
West Virginia: West Virginia would have been tough to hold even with Joe Manchin, but without the Democrat-turned-independent senator running for reelection, Republican Gov. Jim Justice is poised to be the next senator from a state Trump is expected to carry by double digits.
Montana: Sen. Jon Tester remains the most endangered Democrat running for reelection. This is the first time he’s on the ballot at the same time as Trump. A new wild card: Montana will now also have an abortion measure on the November ballot.
Ohio: Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown is vulnerable because he, too, is running for reelection in a Trump state. Brown is up against Republican businessman Bernie Moreno, whom Democrats boosted in the GOP primary because they thought he’d be the weakest opponent. The car dealership owner trailed Brown even when Biden was atop the ticket. That doesn’t mean that Brown is safe.
Michigan: The race is to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow, making it an open seat, which is typically harder to defend. Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin, a three-term congresswoman, is running statewide for the first time. She’ll face a challenging race against Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers.
Arizona: Another open-seat race Democrats are trying to defend where the border is front and center. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s departure from the race gave way to a two-way matchup between Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego, a Marine veteran, and Republican Kari Lake, a Trump ally who hasn’t let go of claims that she won the 2022 gubernatorial election.
Nevada: Sen. Jacky Rosen is running for a second term and the Harris-led ticket has strengthened her position. It’s still tough terrain for Democrats, with a transient population and demographics that may be moving away from the party. But abortion is also on the ballot in Nevada, a state where Democrats believe reproductive rights are particularly salient.
Tulsi Gabbard and RFK Jr. added to Trump transition team
From CNN's Kristen Holmes
Former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have both been added to Donald Trump’s transition team. They endorsed the GOP presidential nominee in recent days.
Gabbard, who now identifies as an independent, endorsed Trump on Monday at a National Guard conference in Detroit.
Democrats file lawsuit to block new GOP-backed Georgia election certification rules
From CNN's Fredreka Schouten and Tierney Sneed
Democrats, with the backing of Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign, on Monday sued to block controversial new election rules in Georgia that they warned could lead to post-election “chaos” in the presidential battleground state in November.
The lawsuit, filed in Georgia state court by the Democratic National Committee, the Georgia Democratic Party and Democratic members of several county election boards, takes aim at two rules passed recently by the Georgia State Election Board that allow election officials to conduct a “reasonable inquiry” before certifying election results and permit members of county election boards to investigate ballot counts.
The lawsuit marks a significant escalation of a controversy that has been brewing for weeks over the action of three Republican members of the state elections board, who recently won praise from former President Donald Trump for their moves.
Democrats are seeking a court ruling that makes clear that election superintendents do not have the discretion to delay the certification of election results or to refuse to certify the results altogether.
Harris campaign launches another new TV ad today highlighting housing costs
From CNN's David Wright
Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign is up with another ad promoting her proposals to lower housing costs, the second new ad from the campaign that began airing today as part of a concerted effort to highlight the issue.
“My childhood, we were renters. My mother saved for well over a decade to buy a home. I was a teenager when that day finally came and I can remember so well, how excited she was. I know what home ownership means,” Harris says in the ad. “Sadly, right now it is out of reach for far too many American families.”
Harris also touts her record as a prosecutor, saying that she “took on the big banks who exploited people in the housing market,” vowing to “fight for a law that cracks down” on abusive practices.
Harris promises to build 3 million new homes and rentals, saying, “We should be doing everything we can to make it more affordable to buy a home.”
It’s the second ad that the Harris campaign has launched today emphasizing high costs of living. Earlier, the campaign went up with another minute-long ad detailing her plans.
And a third ad from the Harris campaign, produced earlier this week, also raises the issue of housing costs. “We must create an opportunity economy where everyone has a chance to get a car loan, buy a home, start a business,” Harris says in a clip featured in the ad.
Not only was the Arizona ruling a missed opportunity for the justices to explain when they will engage in election and voting cases, experts say it has also heightened concern that the court is unevenly applying a murky legal principle intended to reduce chaos rather than add to it.
That lack of clarity – and what critics see as an inconsistent application of the doctrine – could be a critical factor in this year’s election.
Why this matters: As in past years, the Supreme Court is almost certain to be asked to take up a series of down-to-the-wire election-year lawsuits ahead of the November election. Some of those cases are already percolating in lower courts, and some are likely to appear without much warning.
Read more about how the Supreme Court may be creating uncertainty in how it will handle election disputes this fall.
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Scarred by 2020 smears, voting companies and election officials brace for November
From CNN's Marshall Cohen
Weeks before the 2022 midterms, a stranger showed up at the Denver headquarters of Dominion Voting Systems. He didn’t have an appointment, so the front desk asked him to leave. But staffers noticed him lingering outside, and one Dominion executive spotted a rifle case and scope in his vehicle.
A week later, the man returned, rambling about supposed problems with election security. He then said he had a pistol in his car. Alarmed, Dominion staff involved the police and obtained a restraining order.
The episode, described in court filings and by a senior Dominion official who spoke to CNN on the condition of anonymity, is part of the continued fallout from 2020 election lies. The impact has been acutely felt at Dominion, the voting technology company that became the poster child for baseless right-wing voter fraud claims in 2020.
The avalanche of disinformation forced voting companies and election officials to overhaul their approach for 2024, according to interviews with nearly a dozen people involved in running the election. They’ve ramped up investments in physical security, found new ways to combat false claims, and cracked down on employees’ political postings.
Yet, more than one year after Fox News paid Dominion $787 million, the largest known defamation settlement in US media history, former President Donald Trump and his allies are still flooding right-wing media with the lie that voting machine companies rigged the 2020 election — and that the 2024 election might be stolen too.
Even as they adapt for 2024, some involved in administering elections still fear for their lives. There has been an exodus of election workers who have quit or retired.
More than 200 former aides to McCain, Romney and Bushes sign letter endorsing Harris
From CNN's Aaron Pellish
More than 200 Republicans who previously worked for former Presidents George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, former Sen. John McCain or Sen. Mitt Romney signed a letter backing Vice President Kamala Harris for president.
The letter, which echoes the pledge of support from a similar group of Republicans for President Joe Biden ahead of the 2020 election, seeks to convince voters who backed previous Republican presidential nominees to support Harris and prevent former President Donald Trump from being reelected.
“Of course, we have plenty of honest, ideological disagreements with Vice President Harris and Gov. Walz. That’s to be expected. The alternative, however, is simply untenable,” the letter read.
Among those who signed the letter are former George H.W. Bush chief of staff Jean Becker, former McCain chiefs of staff Mark Salter and Christopher Koch, and Olivia Troye, the former Homeland Security adviser to Vice President Mike Pence.
The letter marks another notch of support from former Republicans after several, including Troye and former Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger, spoke at the DNC last week in support of Harris. In her remarks at the convention, Harris made a direct appeal to independent and Republican-leaning voters, assuring them she’d serve as a president “for all Americans.”
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Trump campaign launches ad claiming Harris immigration policies will drain Social Security
From CNN's David Wright
Donald Trump’s campaign launched a new ad Tuesday claiming that Kamala Harris’ immigration policies will cause cuts to Social Security benefits, pointedly aimed at senior voters and mixing several key attack lines.
“Attention seniors,” the ad opens. “Kamala Harris has promised amnesty for the 10 million illegals she allowed in as borders czar, making them eligible for Social Security. Studies warn this will lead to cuts in your social security benefits.”
It continues, “President Trump opposes amnesty and any cuts to your benefits and will eliminate taxes on Social Security because he’s on your side.”
The new ad from the Trump campaign references a 2020 paper from a far-right organization, the Federation for American Immigration Reform, highlighting the line, “adding more migrants will doom Social Security.”
Key context: Non-US citizens typically do not qualify for social welfare programs like Social Security and unemployment insurance. At the same time, migrants who are legally authorized to work in the US make contributions to the programs via payroll deductions.
Vice President Harris has not promised amnesty or Social Security benefits to undocumented immigrants, and has gone on an offensive on the issue since becoming the Democratic nominee, while the Biden administration has embraced some Trump administration policies in an effort to secure the southern border. In her speech accepting the Democratic nomination last week, Harris said that “we can create an earned pathway to citizenship and secure our border.
And as immigration has become a major point of attack from the Trump campaign and its allies, the Harris campaign has spent more than $10 million airing an ad looking to blunt that criticism, touting her record in law enforcement, vowing that “she will hire thousands more border agents and crack down on fentanyl and human trafficking.”
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RFK Jr. says he's been asked to serve on Trump's transition team
From CNN's Aaron Pellish
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks on stage beside Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump during a campaign event at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, on August 23.
Tom Brenner/The Washington Post/Getty Images
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he’s been asked to serve on former President Donald Trump’s transition team following his endorsement of the Republican nominee.
In an interview with conservative talk show host Tucker Carlson released Monday, Kennedy reiterated that he’s going to campaign on behalf of Trump, and said he’s involved in conversations about “policy issues” with Trump’s team, including conversations about potential staff for his next administration.
CNN has reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.
The comment is the latest detail revealed about the conversations between Kennedy leading up to and following his endorsement of Trump. Prior to suspending his presidential campaign, Kennedy and Trump spoke on multiple occasions, and discussed the possibility of Kennedy dropping out of the race in exchange for a role in his administration. After he dropped out, both Kennedy and Trump suggested Kennedy would play oversee a health-related portfolio in the next Trump administration.
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Tim Walz once shared a warm working relationship with Kristi Noem. Now it’s gone ice cold
From CNN's Daniel Strauss and Allison Gordon
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem
Getty Images
Since Tim Walz’s rise to Democratic VP nominee, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has been bashing her governing neighbor as a “radical” who criticized her efforts to maintain “freedom” during the height of the Covid pandemic.
But just a decade ago, Walz and Noem, then colleagues in the House of Representatives, had a far different rapport, cosponsoring legislation, taking selfies and kindly speaking of the other. Over a decade ago, as they taped a short video together touting a prairie lands bill, they were more than just a little gracious with each other.
“It’s a smart bill and I’m grateful to the Congresswoman both as we share similar geography out there, and while our producers are great stewards of the land, we share that land with our sportsmen and making sure that we have those resources available,” Walz, then a congressman at the time, said as he sat on a couch with Noem.
“I love working with Tim just because he’s got such a commonsense approach, which I like too,” Noem said.
Compare that to Noem’s words about Walz in recent weeks.
“Walz is no leader. He’s a radical. I served with him in Congress. He pretended to be moderate, then showed his true extremist colors as soon as he became governor,” Noem wrote on X.
In broadcast interviews, Noem went further. She said on NewsMax that Harris had “chosen a radical leftist governor who truly believes that socialism is the future for America and put him on the ticket with her.” And in an interview with Fox News, Noem piled on, saying that during the protests following the death of George Floyd in 2020, Walz “didn’t take decisive action, didn’t support his cops.”
Walz has refrained from responding to Noem’s more recent comments. In a statement, Walz spokesperson Teddy Tschann said Walz was eager to work with Republicans to help farmers and veterans.
CNN’s Owen Dahlkamp contributed to this story.
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Harris campaign's new ad focuses on economic messaging
From CNN's David Wright
Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign today launched another new ad focused on economic messaging, the latest spot touting her proposals to lower housing costs and cut taxes.
The new ad includes clips of Harris speaking at campaign events, voicing concerns about the high cost of living and emphasizing housing and tax cuts.
The ad also features clips of Harris drawing a contrast with former President Donald Trump, saying, “If you wanna know who someone cares about, look who they fight for. Donald Trump fights for billionaires and large corporations. I will fight to give money back to working and middle class America.”
Harris’ campaign has leaned into economic messaging in its most recent ads. Over the weekend, the campaign went up with another new spot containing similar themes, including an emphasis on the cost of living and tax cuts.
The newest ad began airing this morning in Pennsylvania, the premier battleground state this cycle, and will likely hit airwaves across all key battlegrounds: Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, Arizona, Nevada and North Carolina.
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 22.
Paul Sancya/AP
“Mr. Vice President, I’m speaking.”
Kamala Harris’ most stinging line in an otherwise unmemorable debate with then-Vice President Mike Pence in 2020 perfectly explains the latest twist in her showdown with Donald Trump.
Most Democrats have heard more than enough from the Republican nominee. But Harris wants to let him have the chance to say exactly what he wants, when he wants in their scheduled debate clash on ABC News on September 10.
The vice president’s camp is trying to reverse a rule that President Joe Biden’s team secured for their fateful debate with Trump that ensured that a candidate’s microphones were muted when it was not their turn to speak. The restriction was seen as an attempt to prevent a repeat of Trump’s constant interruptions in their debates in 2020, which drove Biden to warn at one point: “Will you shut up, man?”
The Harris campaign hopes to give Trump a chance to sabotage himself with an insulting interruption or his overbearing personality.
Trump’s camp is pushing back, although the ex-president on Monday undermined the position of his own team, saying he’d be quite happy to lose the mute button.
The spat underscores the huge potential importance of the confrontation in defining the narrative for the rest of the campaign, following the most consequential presidential debate ever – on CNN in late June – that knocked Biden out of the race.
It’s especially key for Trump, who has struggled to adapt to his new foe since the withdrawal of Biden. The meeting may be his best chance to slow Harris’ momentum coming out of her Chicago convention, especially since he and his campaign believe she’s not ready for the pressure of responding to policy questions and follow-ups from an opponent as feral as Trump.
Arizona police association that endorsed Trump last week backs Democrat Ruben Gallego for Senate
From CNN's Veronica Stracqualursi
The president of the Arizona Police Association, Justin Harris, right, pauses while speaking as Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump listens at a campaign rally in Glendale, Arizona on August 23.
Ross D. Franklin/AP
The Arizona Police Association, whose president appeared with former President Donald Trump at his campaign rally last week, on Monday endorsed Democratic Senate nominee Ruben Gallego over his Republican opponent Kari Lake.
Campaigning in Glendale, Arizona, on Friday, Trump invited Harris up on stage with him, turning over the mic to Harris so he could announce an endorsement of the former president’s reelection bid. After several minutes of Harris speaking, the crowd appeared to get restless and Trump could be heard telling Harris, “You gotta go.”
At the conclusion of his remarks, Harris said the Arizona Police Association was proud to endorse Trump for president.
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Trump and Harris prepare for upcoming debate and sprint to November. Here's what to know from Monday
From CNN staff
Vice President Kamala Harris and Former President Donald Trump.
Getty Images
With the presidential race entering its final stretch, Vice President Kamala Harris looking to build on the momentum of last week’s Democratic National Convention and former President Donald Trump honing his lines of attack.
The two candidates are expected to go head-to-head at a debate later this month.
Here’s the latest news from Monday:
Afghanistan withdrawal: Trump and Harris marked the third anniversary of the attack at Kabul airport’s Abbey Gate that killed 13 US military service members. Trump participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. At an event in Michigan later in the day, Trump said he would demand the resignation of all officials involved in the withdrawal if he is reelected. Harris and President Joe Biden also commemorated the occasion in a statement.
Former Democrat endorses Trump: Former Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard, who now identifies as an independent, endorsed Trump on Monday. Gabbard said she believes Trump would “walk us back from the brink of war.” She has been helping Trump with debate prep.
Debate dispute: Trump said on Monday he was “not spending a lot of time” preparing for the upcoming debate with Harris on September 10. Meantime, the former president and his campaign have been casting doubt on whether the debate will take place amid a dispute over the rules. Trump said on Monday he would rather have the microphones always on, despite his campaign pushing to keep the same rules as the last presidential debate — when mics were muted unless it was the candidate’s turn to speak. The Harris campaign believes the debate issue is “resolved,” a spokesperson said.
Focus on the economy: Both candidates put out a new wave of campaign ads this week focusing on the economy. One of the ads from the Trump campaign stitches together clips of Harris voicing concerns about rising prices, juxtaposed with clips of Harris saying that “Bidenomics is working.” The Harris campaign, meanwhile, also began airing a new ad that echos her pitch for an “opportunity economy.”
Classified documents case: The Justice Department is arguing to revive its classified documents case against Trump. In the first formal filing since Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the criminal case last month, the DOJ vigorously defended special prosecutors. Cannon ruled the Justice Department didn’t have the ability to appoint or fund special prosecutors like Jack Smith.
Meantime: An Arizona judge has set a trial date of January 5, 2026, for allies of Trump charged with a criminal conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election. Several defendants, including conservative attorney John Eastman and multiple Arizona Republicans who served as fake electors, were in the courtroom during the hearing. Trump himself was not charged.
