Donald Trump returns to the state of North Carolina on Friday address a meeting of the Fraternal Order of Police, while trying to portray himself as tougher on crime than his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harrisin the final months of the campaign.
Meanwhile, Harris’ campaign announced Friday that it $361 million from nearly 3 million donors in her first full month as a candidate. Trump’s team had announced On Wednesday, he earned $130 million in the same period.
There are 60 days until the November election. Early voting will begin in at least four states by the end of this month, with a dozen more scheduled to follow in mid-October.
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CHARLOTTE, NC — Donald Trump returns to the uncertain state of North Carolina on Friday to speak at a Fraternal Order of Police convention, seeking to portray himself as a tougher anti-crime opponent than his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, has been in the final months of the campaign.
Trump is expected to address the fall meeting of the FOP National Board of Trustees in Charlotte. FOPThe world’s largest law enforcement organization backed Trump’s 2020 re-election bid, with the president saying on behalf of its 373,000 members that Trump had “made it clear he supports us.”
The images of the former president and GOP candidate in a room full of police officers give Trump a platform to contrast their support with his characterization of Harris, a former San Francisco district attorney and California attorney general who Trump has called the “leader” of a “Marxist attack on police” across the country.
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Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz was asked Thursday at WCMU in Michigan how a Harris administration would handle the war between Israel and Hamas and whether his running mate would break with President Joe Biden, who has steadfastly supported Israel and worked to broker a ceasefire.
Walz said the October 7 Hamas attack that sparked the war was “a horrific act of violence against the people of Israel. They certainly have the right to defend themselves.”
But, he said, “we cannot allow what happened in Gaza to happen. The Palestinian people themselves have every right to life and freedom.”
He said those protesting the war in Michigan were speaking out for “all the right reasons.”
He said the only way forward was a ceasefire and the return of hostages. He did not mention the revelation earlier this week that six additional hostages had been killed by Hamas.
Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance is promoting Donald Trump’s plans to deport people living in the country illegally in record numbers.
Speaking to a friendly crowd of about 300 people at a Phoenix hotel, the Ohio senator said a second Trump administration would “finish that beautiful border wall,” stop releasing asylum seekers while they await a court hearing and end Medicare benefits for people in the country illegally, even though illegal immigrants are currently not eligible for Medicare.
“I have a message from Donald J. Trump,” Vance said. “If you’re in this country illegally in six months, pack your bags.”
The case of interference in federal elections against Donald Trump is progressing steadily.
A judge on Thursday allowed prosecutors to file court documents later this month making unflattering allegations about the former president as the Republican nominee enters the final weeks of his race for the White House.
The decision came hours after a court hearing in which U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan clashed with a Trump lawyer who accused the administration of trying to file an “unlawful” lawsuit ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
Chutkan made it clear that she would not let the upcoming election affect how she proceeds. She rejected defense attempts to delay the trial, but also acknowledged that the case is nowhere near a trial date.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys disagree over next steps in case after Supreme Court ruling the scope of prosecution is limited by ruling that former presidents are entitled to broad immunity from criminal charges. The case against Trump accuses him of plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 election in the run-up to the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.
Special Prosecutor Jack Smith’s team filed an amended complaint last week to throw out certain charges against Trump for which the Supreme Court said the former president enjoyed immunity. Defense attorneys, however, argue that those charges were not fully consistent with the justices’ ruling.
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