October 15, 2024, presidential campaign news | CNN Politics

October 15, 2024, presidential campaign news

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Election official explains when they'll know if Trump or Harris won Georgia
02:59 - Source: CNN

What we covered here

• On the campaign trail: Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump were in battleground states Tuesday as they race to make their final pitches to voters just weeks until Election Day.

• Early voting record in Georgia: A record number of early votes were cast in Georgia on Tuesday as residents headed to the polls in a critical battleground state. Early in-person voting begins in North Carolina on Thursday.

• A very close race: The latest CNN Poll of Polls average of national polling still finds no clear leader in the presidential race, with an average of 50% of likely voters supporting Harris and 47% backing Trump.

• What to know before you cast your vote: Read CNN’s voter handbook to see how to vote in your area and read up on the 2024 candidates and their proposals on key issues.

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Vance acknowledges gender gap in polling, says moms are "best ambassadors" to convince women to support GOP ticket

Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance said Tuesday that mothers are “the best ambassadors” to convince women to vote for the GOP ticket, acknowledging the gender gap in the 2024 race that has seen Donald Trump leading among men and Kamala Harris leading among women.

“I see the polls, the polls tell you – and I don’t necessarily believe the polls – but you know, let’s say they’re right. If the polls are right, right now, frankly, Trump would win this election, and that’s a good thing,” the Ohio senator said at a Moms for America town hall in Pennsylvania. “The polls also tell you that we’re doing better – President Trump and I are doing better with male voters, and the Democrats are doing a little bit better with female voters.”

recent ABC News/Ipsos poll found a 17-point gender gap in the presidential race, with Trump winning male voters by 8 points and Harris leading among women by 9 points. The latest CNN Poll of Polls average of national polling still finds no clear leader in the presidential race, with an average of 50% of likely voters supporting Harris and 47% backing Trump.

Moms for America leaders said they also invited Vance’s Democratic counterpart, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, to attend the town hall, but they said he didn’t respond. Walz had three events in Pennsylvania on Tuesday – in Lawrence County, Butler County and Pittsburgh.

Trump says any Hispanic or African American who votes for Harris should have their “head examined”

Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a campaign rally in Atlanta, Georgia, on October 15, 2024.

Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he thought any Hispanic or African American who votes for Vice President Kamala Harris should have their “head examined,” echoing past comments he’s made about Jewish and Catholic Americans who vote for his Democratic rival in November’s election.

“I’ll tell you what. Any African American or Hispanic – and you know how well I’m doing there – that votes for Kamala, you gotta have your head examined because they, they are really screwing you,” The Republic nominee said at a campaign rally in Atlanta, Georgia.

Trump said the reason he thought they should have their “head examined” was because of illegal immigration.

“People that have worked there and worked there well for years are now being told that they no longer have a job because they have illegal immigrants coming in and taking their job,” Trump said.

He has previously argued that illegal immigration is impacting Hispanic and African Americans the most in the US.

The former president has also previously said he thought any Catholic who voted for Harris “should have their head examined,” and Trump has repeatedly said any Jewish person who votes for Harris “should have their head examined.”

Elon Musk gave nearly $75M to pro-Trump super PAC in Q3

Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, gave nearly $75 million to the pro-Trump super PAC that he helped form over the summer, new filings with the Federal Election Commission show, providing a massive infusion of cash to support the former president’s White House bid.

The new filing from the super PAC, America PAC, detailed seven separate contributions from Musk that totaled $74,950,000 between July and September. They’re the first contributions that Musk has made to the group, which received its initial funding from a network of the billionaire’s former partners and business associates.

According to the group’s filing, America PAC spent nearly $72 million in the quarter, entering October with about $4 million in cash on hand.

America PAC has taken on a critical supporting role for the Trump campaign, according to its independent expenditure filings, which cover some spending activity past the end of the third quarter period. To date, America PAC has now reported spending $95.8 million on the presidential race, including $56.9 million on canvassing and field operations. The group has also spent millions targeting a series of highly competitive House races, including key buckets of contests in California and New York.

Musk is one of several ultra wealthy donors who cut massive checks to pro-Trump organizations in the third quarter as the presidential race intensified. Miriam Adelson, widow of the late casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, gave $95 million to another leading pro-Trump super PAC, Preserve America, while Midwestern shipping magnate Dick Uihlein gave nearly $50 million to another group, Restoration PAC, adding to the pro-Trump outside effort.

Judge in Georgia pauses rule that would require counties to hand-count ballots

Signs direct people where to go to cast their votes on the first day of early voting at Atlanta Metropolitan State College on Tuesday, October 15, in Atlanta, Georgia.

A judge in Georgia has paused a new rule from the Georgia State Election Board that would have required officials to hand count the number of ballots cast at each polling place.

“No training has been administered (let alone developed), no protocols for handling write-in ballots … have been issued, and no allowances have been made in any county’s election budget for additional personnel and other expenses required to implement the Hand Count Rule,” Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney wrote in his order issued Tuesday.

“The administrative chaos that will – not may – ensue is entirely inconsistent with the obligations of our boards of elections (and the SEB) to ensure that our elections are fair, legal, and orderly.”

The hand count rule is the subject of litigation on multiple fronts and a separate hearing on the matter is set for Wednesday. Passed by the Donald Trump-backed Republican majority on the state election board, the rule would require officials at a polling place to match the number of ballots tallied by voting machines with a hand count of the number of ballots cast.

The measure has drawn bipartisan criticism, in part because the board forged ahead with it so close to Election Day.

Read more here.

DOJ to monitor voting in Ohio county after sheriff encouraged residents to note Harris supporters’ addresses

The Justice Department announced Tuesday that it will “monitor compliance” with federal civil rights laws in Portage County, Ohio, during early voting and on Election Day, a month after the sheriff encouraged residents to write down the addresses of supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris.

While the department did not mention the sheriff, it said in its news release that “voters in Portage County have raised concerns about intimidation resulting from the surveillance and the collection of personal information regarding voters, as well as threats concerning the electoral process.”

In a September Facebook post, Portage County Sheriff Bruce Zuchowski encouraged people to write down the addresses of supporters of Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee.

Zuchowski’s post included screen grabs from Fox News stories that read: “Kamala’s open borders are destroying small towns,” and “Biden-Harris’ open border fuels migrant crime wave.”

Portage County is approximately 30 miles southeast of Cleveland.

The Justice Department said it “regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities all across the country.”

Bernie Sanders says Trump "working overtime" to undermine democracy

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders said Tuesday that Donald Trump is “working overtime” to undermine democracy, with the independent senator also highlighting the broad coalition opposing the former president.

Sanders, a progressive who caucuses with Senate emocrats, was asked by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on “The Source” whether Trump’s refusal to commit to a peaceful transfer of power worries him.

Sanders, who has at times criticized Vice President Kamala Harris and the Biden administration, highlighted the importance of this election despite policy differences. He highlighted Republicans who now are not supporting Trump, including Utah Sen. Mitt Romney and former Vice President Dick Cheney, who said last month he is voting for Harris.

“They understand that because of his lack of support for democracy. Because of the fact that he’s a pathological liar. This is a guy who is not fit to be president of the United States,” Sanders said.

Asked by Collins what he makes of CNN reporting that Trump plans to visit a McDonald’s on Sunday in Pennsylvania and work the fry cooker after claiming without evidence that Harris lied about once working at the fast food chain, Sanders laughed.

“Well, look, I smile and laugh whenever Donald Trump, of all people, accuses somebody of lying. You know, what can you say? This guy lies every single day,” the senator said.

Trump calls himself the “father of IVF” at Fox News town hall focused on women’s issues

Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday called himself the “father of IVF” at a Fox News town hall focused on women’s issues.

The former president pointed to his statement earlier this year urging the Alabama state legislature to protect access to IVF after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled frozen embryos are children and that those who destroy them can be held liable for wrongful death. The GOP-controlled state legislature later passed a law aimed at protecting IVF patients and providers from legal liability and it was signed by the state’s Republican governor.

Trump’s declaration he is the “father of IVF” comes as Vice President Kamala Harris and other leading Democrats warn a Trump victory in November would threaten reproductive rights, including IVF.

Republicans who expressed support for IVF in the wake of the controversial Alabama Supreme Court ruling came under scrutiny for also backing legislation that declared human life as beginning at conception, which did not include an exception for IVF.

"I wasn't unhinged." Trump defends his comments suggesting using military against "enemy from within"

Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday defended his comments from over the weekend suggesting using the military to handle what he called “the enemy from within” on Election Day after Vice President Kamala Harris said Trump was “increasingly unstable and unhinged.”

Trump was asked about Harris playing a clip of him making those comments at her rally on Monday and the vice president calling him “out for unchecked power.”

“You know what they are? They’re a party of sound bites,” Trump said, adding, “They are very different, and it is the enemy from within, and they’re very dangerous.”

Some context: Trump said in the interview broadcast on Sunday that he isn’t worried about chaos from his supporters or foreign actors.

“I think the bigger problem are the people from within. We have some very bad people. We have some sick people. Radical left lunatics,” he told Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo.

“I think it should be very easily handled by, if necessary, by National Guard, or if really necessary, by the military, because they can’t let that happen,” he added.

Trump says some state abortion restrictions are “too tough” and are “going to be redone”

Former President Donald Trump said he thinks some state abortion restrictions are “too tough” and that they are “going to be redone.”

Fox News host Harris Faulkner noted that “some of them are not,” as several GOP-controlled states have enacted strict abortion restrictions in the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.

“It’s going to be redone,” Trump said. “They’re going to, you’re going to end up with a vote of the people. And some of them, I agree, they’re too tough, too tough. And those are going to be redone because already there’s a movement in those states.”

During the town hall, Trump again touted his role in overturning Roe v. Wade and eliminating the constitutional right to an abortion, as he argued the issue should be left to the states to legislate. He also expressed support for exceptions to abortion bans in the case of rape, incest and when the life of the mother is in danger.

Trump, who has struggled at times to navigate the hot-button issue of abortion throughout the campaign, has said he would veto a national abortion ban if it reached his desk if he were to be reelected.

Wisconsin students got texts that could scare them away from voting, voter protection groups say

The text message sent last week to young voters across Wisconsin.

A text message last week to young voters in Wisconsin is stirring new concerns in the battleground state about a messaging campaign that could intimidate college students from casting ballots this election, according to a letter from voter protection groups released Tuesday.

The two state codes that the text message cites refer to laws that govern former Wisconsin residents who vote absentee and the consequences of committing election fraud in the state.

But it’s the text message’s warning and wording of “don’t vote” that are causing much of the alarm among the voter protection groups who call the message “threatening” and warn the message could “frighten eligible young voters into not voting.”

Hostetler’s group and the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin alerted investigators and the public of the text message and their concerns about it on Tuesday, in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul that the groups released publicly online. The letter urges Garland and Kaul to investigate.

Read more about the texts sent to Wisconsin students

What to know about Kamala Harris' interview with Charlemagne tha God 

Vice President Kamala Harris participates in an interview with Charlamagne Tha God, co-host of iHeartMedia's morning show The Breakfast Club, in Detroit, Tuesday, October 15.

Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday addressed a wide range of topics during an interview with radio host Charlamagne tha God in Detroit as she seeks to shore up support among Black men.

Here’s what to know:

On her prosecution record: Harris debunked rumors that she disproportionately prosecuted Black men during her time as San Francisco’s district attorney. The vice president defended her record as “one of the most progressive prosecutors” on marijuana cases, and said if elected, she would work to decriminalize it.

On engagement with the Black church: Harris rejected criticism that she hasn’t engaged with the Black church, saying the Trump campaign is trying to “disconnect me from the people I have worked with and that I am from” to gain advantage in the election.

Urging Black voters to head to the polls: “We cannot allow circumstances to take us out the game, because then basically what we’re saying is all those people who are obstructionists who are standing in the way of change, they’re winning because they’re convincing people that it can’t be done so take yourself out don’t participate,” Harris said.

On appearing scripted: Harris brushed off criticism that she comes off “very scripted,” saying “that would be called discipline.” She added that some things “must be repeated to ensure that I have everyone know what I stand for, and the issues that I think are at stake in this election.”

On Trump: Harris agreed when Charlamagne tha God suggested former President Donald Trump is “about fascism.” She said the major party candidates for president offered two visions for the country. “One, mine, that is about taking us forward and progress and investing in the American people, investing in their ambitions, dealing with their challenges. And the other, Donald Trump, is about taking us backward,” she said. The vice president also said that Trump runs on problems, instead of solutions. Trump “does these rallies to try and instill fear around an issue where he actually could be part of a solution, but he chose not to,” she said.

Since becoming the Democratic nominee, Harris has faced criticism for her infrequent engagements with the press. In recent weeks, the vice president has participated in an uptick of interviews as part of the campaign’s efforts to reach voters where they are.

More than 300,000 votes cast on first day of Georgia early voting, 123% higher than previous record

People cast their votes on the first day of early voting in the US Presidential election at Metropolitan library on Tuesday,  October 15, in Atlanta, Georgia.

More than 300,000 votes were cast today during the first day of early voting in Georgia, according to a post from Georgia election official Gabriel Sterling.

The number is 123% higher than the previous record for the first day of voting.

The swing state is one of the most closely watched this election, with former President Donald Trump trying to reclaim it after losing there to President Joe Biden by a small margin four years ago, leading Trump and his allies to unsuccessfully push to overturn his defeat.

Those efforts have loomed large this year as new changes to how the state conducts elections have been approved by Republican members of the State Election Board, leading Democrats and others to mount legal challenges, many of which have yet to be resolved even as Election Day nears.

Another pro-Trump super PAC gets huge contribution from single donor

One of the leading pro-Trump super PACs reported another massive contribution from a single megadonor in the third quarter, new Federal Election Commission filings show, illustrating how ultra-wealthy conservatives rallied to support former President Donald Trump.

The group, Restoration PAC, reported raising $51.8 million in the third quarter, with $48.8 million coming from Midwestern shipping magnate Dick Uihlein. Uihlein has now given a total of $58.9 million this year to Restoration PAC, which has raised a total of $62.6 million so far this cycle, and is currently spending millions on advertising in the key battleground states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Georgia.

Earlier Tuesday, another leading pro-Trump super PAC, Preserve America, reported that it raised $95 million in the third quarter from conservative megadonor Miriam Adelson, who has now given that group a total of $100 million this year – adding another massive infusion of cash to the pro-Trump effort.

At campaign event in Philadelphia, Biden says Harris will "cut her own path" if she is elected president

President Joe Biden speaks at the Philadelphia Democratic City Committee Autumn Dinner in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Tuesday, October 15.

President Joe Biden made his return to the campaign trail in battleground Pennsylvania Tuesday night, making the case that voters should elect Vice President Kamala Harris as president in the November election, saying in part that “she’s been loyal so far, but she’s gonna cut her own path.”

Biden’s comments at the Philadelphia Democratic City Committee Autumn Dinner are reflective of the delicate balance he is attempting to walk on the campaign trail — advocating for his own vice president while trying to give her space to run separately from some of the administration’s record.

The president used the bulk of his comments to take aim directly at former President Donald Trump. Biden repeatedly called his predecessor a “loser” and said that Trump’s perspective is “old” and “totally dishonest.”

“Trump wasn’t only a loser in 2020, he’s a loser in everything he does,” the president said to the crowd gathered at the Sheetmetal Workers Banquet Hall.

Walz says if Trump was "your grandfather, you would take the keys from him"

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks at a campaign event at Acrisure Stadium, Tuesday, October 15, in Pittsburgh.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz again slammed former President Donald Trump after a bizarre episode in which the Republican nominee abruptly cut off a planned town hall and played music for his supporters, again suggesting Trump is mentally unfit to serve.

For the third time in three events in western Pennsylvania on Tuesday, Walz laid out the details of the episode from Monday night. But during the event at Acrisure Stadium, home of the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers, Walz made a reference to the sexual innuendos in the lyrics to “YMCA” by the Village People, a song frequently played at Trump campaign events.

Walz was interrupted on three different occasions by pro-Palestinian protesters during his remarks. On two occasions, Walz stopped speaking, which allowed the protesters’ voices to fill the venue, before carrying on with his remarks.

Walz urged supporters to vote early and to closely follow voting instructions while accusing Republicans of attempting to suppress votes.

Harris stops by Detroit watch party following Charlamagne tha God interview

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at Cred Cafe during a campaign event in Detroit, Michigan, on Tuesday, October 15.

Vice President Kamala Harris stopped by a watch party at Cred Cafe, a local Detroit small business owned by former NBA players Joe and Jamal Crawford, following her live interview with Charlamagne tha God.

She thanked attendees for their support and reminded them that early voting in Michigan begins in four days during her brief remarks.

GOP megadonors open wallets for fight for the Senate, driving record-breaking quarter for top super PAC

A network of leading conservative megadonors funneled tens of millions of dollars into the fight for the Senate during the third quarter of the year, new filings with the Federal Election Commission show, building a record-breaking war chest for the top Republican group engaged in a series of highly competitive races.

Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC aligned with outgoing Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell, reported raising $115.7 million in the third quarter, the largest quarterly total the group has ever reported, though slightly less than the $119 million that its Democratic counterpart, Senate Majority PAC, said it raised over the same period, also touting its haul as a record. (SMP has not yet filed its third quarter report.)

Between July and September, some of the leading donors to Republican candidates and causes opened their wallets to the Senate GOP super PAC.

Several billionaire financiers were among the biggest contributors – Citadel founder and CEO Ken Griffin gave the super PAC $20 million in the third quarter, bringing his total for the year to the group up to $27.5 million; Elliott Management founder and CEO Paul Singer gave $10 million, bringing his total for the year to $20 million; and Blackstone Group co-founder and CEO Stephen Schwarzman gave $9 million.

In addition, Miriam Adelson — widow of the casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, and who also gave $95 million to a pro-Trump super PAC in the quarter — gave the Senate Leadership Fund $5 million in Q3, bringing her total for the year to the group up to $15 million.

SLF has played a leading role in Republican Senate campaigns since its founding in 2015, and during the 2022 midterms, it spent a total of more than $290 million supporting GOP candidates.

Harris accuses Trump of running his campaign on “instilling fear” and slams his immigration rhetoric

Vice President Kamala Harris participates in an interview with Charlamagne Tha God, co-host of iHeartMedia's morning show The Breakfast Club, in Detroit, Tuesday, October 15.

Vice President Kamala Harris slammed former President Donald Trump for vowing to invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 in order to expedite the removal of undocumented gang members if reelected. Trump made the comments during his campaign event in Aurora, Colorado last week.

She pointed to false claims spread by Trump and his running mate JD Vance that immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating pets as an example. Harris also criticized her opponent for tanking the bipartisan border security bill earlier this year and said “he would prefer to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem.

The vice president said Trump “does these rallies to try and instill fear around an issue where he actually could be part of a solution, but he chose not to, because he prefers to run on a problem instead of fix a problem and we got to call it out and see it for what it is.”

Rallying for Harris in Philadelphia, Biden tells crowd "we're in the home stretch"

US President Joe Biden speaks at the Philadelphia Democratic City Committee Autumn Dinner in Philadelphia on Tuesday, October 15.

In a rare campaign-style appearance, President Joe Biden on Tuesday told a crowd in Philadelphia that the country is in the “home stretch” with three weeks to go until Election Day, lambasting former President Donald Trump while working to cement his own legacy.

Repeatedly calling Trump a loser, Biden railed into his predecessor’s business history and policies while describing Vice President Kamala Harris’ perspective on issues facing the country as “fresh and new.”

Biden reflected on his recent visits to sites impacted by hurricanes Helene and Milton while criticizing Trump’s views on climate.

“I just spent a week from Florida to North Carolina. It’s devastating. You know why? Because the ocean water is warming, increasing significantly the threats of significant weather.”

Biden also poked fun at Trump’s extended dancing after a town hall Monday night.

“Last night, his rallies stopped taking questions because someone got hurt. And guess what? He stood on the stage for 30 minutes and danced,” Biden said.

“I’m serious,” the president said. “What’s wrong with this guy?”