Election 2024 live: Harris and Walz target southern swing state as Trump questions her ‘right to run for president’

Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are launching a bus tour in the southern swing state of Georgia next week.

It will be the ticket’s first time campaigning together in the state and comes after their four-day convention in Chicago where the vice president accepted her party’s nomination on Thursday night.

Harris and Walz are also expected to record their first joint interview next week and attend fundraisers, likely in California, Florida, New York as well as the Peach State, according to NBC News.

After the bus tour, Harris is set to host a rally on her own in Savannah on the Georgia coast. It will be Harris’s second trip to the state following the start of her presidential campaign in July.

“Campaigning in this part of the Peach State is critical as it represents a diverse coalition of voters, including rural, suburban, and urban Georgians — with a large population of Black voters and working class families,” the Harris campaign said in a press release.

It comes as former President Donald Trump argued on Truth Social on Friday that Harris being allowed to take on the Democratic mantle is a “threat” to democracy because she didn’t win a primary.

Key Points

• Kamala Harris lays out case against ‘unserious’ Donald Trump in historic speech as she accepts Democratic nomination

• Trump blasts ‘all talk’ Harris in furious Truth Social ‘fact check’ of DNC speech

• Democrats react to Harris’s historic keynote convention speech

• Harris’s stepdaughter Ella Emhoff address DNC as grandnieces explain how to pronounce her name

• ‘Central Park Five’ warn against Trump after his death penalty crusade

Pink performs!

Friday 23 August 2024 02:40 , Mike Bedigan

Award winning artist Pink has taken to the stage with a group of singers, including her daughter Willow, to perform her hit song What About Us.

Senator Mark Kelly blasts Trump for his attitude towards military veterans

Friday 23 August 2024 02:49 , Mike Bedigan

Senator Mark Kelly took to the stage to cheers and chants of “A-ri-zo-na!”

“President Obama had to follow Michelle I had to follow Gabby and Pink,” he quipped. “Gabby impresses me every day, she was able to walk out an address you today because she’s a fighter.”

“We all need a team, I’ve flown into space four times, I’ve flown into combat nearly 40 times, not once did I do that by myself it took a team to accomplish the mission.”

Senator Kelly blasted Donad Trump and the accusations that he had once referred to veterans as “suckers and losers.”

“If we fall for that again and make him Commander-In-Chief, the only suckers would be us,” he said.

Senator Kelly was, at one point, tipped to be a favorite to join Kamala Harris on the Democratic ticket.

Gretchen Whitmer blasts Trump as ‘that man from Mar-A-Lago'

Friday 23 August 2024 03:08 , Mike Bedigan

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer laid into Donald Trump, calling him “that man from Mar-A-Lago” – in reference to previous insults he had thrown at her.

“In Michigan they call me governor, in Detroit the call me Big Gretch. Donald Trump called me that woman from Michigan... as an insult. Being a woman from Michigan is a badge of honor!” she said, to cheers.

“Like women across America we just GSD - ‘get stuff done.’”

She continued: “Donald Trump doesn’t know you, at all... But Kamala Harris, she gets us, she sees us, she is us. We’ve all lived through a lot of history over the last few years... floods and fires... a plot and a pandemic.

“One day s*** whill hit the fan and you’ll ask... who is in charge. What if it’s him? What if it’s that man from Mar-A-Lago?”

“What I know is that we need someone to come up with a plan, to tell the truth. Right now we get to choose, what if we get to choose the leader who is tough, tested and a total badass.”

“I know who I want as my Commander-In-Chief. America let’s choose Kamala Harris!”

Friday 23 August 2024 03:15 , Mike Bedigan

May Harris urges convention to elect ‘my big sister'

Friday 23 August 2024 03:26 , Mike Bedigan

Kamala Harris’ sister, Maya Harris, urged the convention to “roll up your sleeves” get out and vote, and elect “my big sister.”

Taking to the stage in a pink pant suit, she discussed growing up with her sister and mother, who she described as “a trailblazer.”

“She had great expectations for us but more than that she had greater expectations of us... she raised us to believe we could be anything we wanted to be,” she said.

She continued: “Kamala knows what it’s like to be underestimated... to be the underdog and yet still beat the odds.”

“She has created so much electrcity... so much joy around the nation. We are living in a time in which some are trying to divide us... my sister rejects that view.

“When others want to drag us back to the past, my sister says ‘hold up now... we are not going back.”

Kamala Harris takes to the stage in Chicago

Friday 23 August 2024 03:32 , Mike Bedigan

Kamala Harris has taken to the stage in Chicago, where she will formally accept the Democratic nomination for president.

The vice president arrived to roars, wearing a black pant suit, to Beyonce’s “Freedom” the song that has been a staple of her campaign so far.

Roy Cooper: One of Harris’s oldest friends who might be key to helping her win North Carolina

Friday 23 August 2024 03:35 , Mike Bedigan

Roy Cooper has just finished addressing the convention.

Here’s a profile on the North Carolina governor from The Independent’s Eric Garcia:

The last line of defense for abortion rights in the South - and Biden’s best ally

Friday 23 August 2024 03:39 , Mike Bedigan

Thanking and shushing the cheering delegates, Harris declared: “Let’s get to business!”

“Let me start by thanking my most incredible husband Doug, for being an incredible husband to me, and an incredible father to Cole and Ella... and happy anniversary dougie, I love you so very much.”

Adressing Joe Biden she said: “Joe, I am filled with grattitude, your record is extraordinary as history will show,” before adding: “To coach Tim Walz, you are going to be an incredible vice president!”

“America, the path that led me here was no doubt unexpected but I’m no stranger to unlikely journey.”

Harris went on to detail her mother’s life and her childhood.

Kamala Harris officially accepts the Democratic nomination for president

Friday 23 August 2024 03:48 , Mike Bedigan

Kamala Harris has officially accepted the Democratic party’s nomination for president.

“My only client has on behalf of the people, she said.

“On behalf of every American...on behalf of my mother and everyone who has ever set out on their own, unlikely journey... on behalf of everyone whose story could only be written in the greatest nation on earth, I accept your nomination for President of the United States of America.”

She added: “And with this election our nation has a precious, fleeting opportunity to move past the bitterness, cyncism and divisive battles of the past, a chance to chart a new way forward.

“Not as members of any one party or faction, but as Americans. I promise to be a president for all Americans.”

Kamala Harris has spoken often about her mother – but who is her father, Donald Harris?

Friday 23 August 2024 03:54 , Mike Bedigan

In her acceptance speech, Kamala Harris spoke about her mother’s journey to America and how she raised her and her sister.

But what about her father. Sheila Flynn investigates:

Harris says her dad taught her to be fearless, but he has also scolded her publicly

Harris raises the proverbial roof by accepting Democratic nomination

Friday 23 August 2024 04:01 , Mike Bedigan

The Independent’s Andrew Feinberg, live from the DNC in Chicago, reports that the cheers in the convention hall hit 120db - the same level as a plane taking off - when Harris told the crowd she accepted the nomination for president.

In pictures: Harris accepts the Democratic presidential nomination

Friday 23 August 2024 04:07 , Mike Bedigan

Black women from all generations celebrate Harris acceptance of Democratic nomination

Friday 23 August 2024 04:21 , Mike Bedigan

All while Harris delivered her speech, Black female staff at the United Center watched Harris’s speech on the monitors. Black women of various generations celebrated and took photos in front of campaign posters.

Salome Peters from Maryland said it was about time, citing Shirley Chisholm’s historic 1972 candidacy for presidency. “I’m so glad to be alive to help her fight, because put a woman in charge and everybody will be taken care of,” she told The Independent.

Tim Walz spotted playing with balloons with Harris’ niece

Friday 23 August 2024 04:30 , Mike Bedigan

As the balloons fell from the rafters at United Center, delegates on the convention floor playfully batted them around using the large flagpoles with which they'd been waving oversize American flags during the vice president's speech.

Harris’ running mate Tim Walz, who accepted his own nomination on Wednesday night, was spotted playing with the balloons with Harris’ niece.

The Independent’s Andrew Feinberg notes:

The scene is a marked contrast with the January 6 riot, during which flag-bearing Trump supporters used American flags and their attendant flagpoles to assault police officers, including then-Capitol Police Sergeant Aquilino Gonell, who spoke at the convention earlier this week.

Generations celebrate Harris’ candidacy

Friday 23 August 2024 04:40 , Mike Bedigan

Carolyn Harper, who is from Chicago, sat on the floor on the third story of the United Center with her daughters, as Harris delivered her historic acceptance speech.

"I didn't think this day would come anytime soon, and here we are. There’s nothing better than watching it with your daughters," she told The Independent.

Trump rages against Harris on Truth Social in ‘play-by-play’ of her acceptance speech

Friday 23 August 2024 04:50 , Mike Bedigan

Watch: Kamala Harris accepts Democratic nomination

Friday 23 August 2024 05:01 , Mike Bedigan

Internet disappointed by Beyonce’s no-show at DNC

Friday 23 August 2024 05:20 , Mike Bedigan

In pictures: 100,000 balloons drop as DNC closes

Friday 23 August 2024 05:40 , Mike Bedigan

Tim Walz is a ‘girl dad'

Friday 23 August 2024 06:01 , Mike Bedigan

‘He’s never changed, he never will:’ Exonerated Central Park 5 warn against Trump after his death penalty crusade

Friday 23 August 2024 06:20 , Mike Bedigan

When five Black and Latino teenagers were wrongly convicted of the rape of a jogger in New York City’s Central Park in 1989, he bought a full-page statement in The New York Daily News on 1 May, 1989, titled “BRING BACK THE DEATH PENALTY. BRING BACK OUR POLICE!”

On Thursday, four of the men – dubbed the “Central Park Five” – addressed the Democratic National Convention.

Alex Woodward has more:

Exonerated Central Park Five warn against Trump after his death penalty crusade

Watch: The key moments from Kamala Harris’ keynote DNC speech

Friday 23 August 2024 06:40 , Mike Bedigan

Two decades after 9/11, Harris and Democrats have reclaimed patriotism

Friday 23 August 2024 07:00 , Mike Bedigan

News Analysis: Kamala Harris and the Democrats aren’t being shy about reclaiming symbols of patriotism after years of Republican jingoism, writes Andrew Feinberg.

Two decades after 9/11, Harris and Democrats have reclaimed patriotism

Watch: How to pronounce 'Kamala Harris' - according to her nieces

Friday 23 August 2024 07:40 , Mike Bedigan

Ann Coulter deletes post mocking Tim Walz’s son after onslaught of criticism

Friday 23 August 2024 08:01 , Mike Bedigan

Conservative commentator Ann Coulter has deleted a social media post mocking Tim Walz’s son after an onslaught of criticism.

Gus Walz briefly stole the show on Wednesday night, during his father’s speech to accept the party’s vice presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention. The 17-year-old was filmed in the family box, crying with pride and calling out, “That’s my dad.”

Find out what happened here:

Ann Coulter deletes post mocking Tim Walz’s son after onslaught of criticism

Kamala Harris has spoken often about her mother – but who is her father, Donald Harris?

Friday 23 August 2024 08:20 , Mike Bedigan

In her acceptance speech, Kamala Harris spoke about her mother’s journey to America and how she raised her and her sister.

But what about her father. Sheila Flynn investigates:

Harris says her dad taught her to be fearless, but he has also scolded her publicly

ICYMI: The key moments from Kamala Harris' keynote DNC speech

Friday 23 August 2024 09:00 , Mike Bedigan

Kamala Harris lays out case against ‘unserious’ Donald Trump in historic speech

Friday 23 August 2024 09:20 , Joe Sommerlad

Good morning!

If you’re just joining us, Kamala Harris has made history as the first Black woman and first Asian-American to accept the nomination for president as she closed out the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago with both a personal and policy-driven speech on Thursday.

“On behalf of every American... on behalf of my mother and everyone who has ever set out on their own, unlikely journey... on behalf of everyone whose story could only be written in the greatest nation on earth, I accept your nomination for President of the United States of America,” she said.

The cheers in the convention hall hit 120 decibels – the same level as a plane taking off – when Harris told the crowd she accepted the nomination.

She went on to discuss her plans for the economy, immigration and abortion rights.

Her address also touched on her middle-class upbringing as the child of immigrants and lasted around 45 minutes, concluding, once more, with Beyonce’s hit song “Freedom”.

“Let’s get out there, and together let’s write the next great chapter in the greatest story ever told,” she said.

Harris was joined onstage by her husband Doug Emhoff, as well as her vice presidential nominee Tim Walz and his wife Gwen, as 100,000 balloons were released.

Here’s Alex Woodward and Andrew Feinberg’s report on a momentous evening.

Harris lays out the case against ‘unserious’ Trump in historic DNC acceptance speech

Trump blasts ‘all talk’ Harris in furious Truth Social ‘fact check’ of DNC speech

Friday 23 August 2024 09:40 , Joe Sommerlad

Donald Trump couldn’t let the convention end last night without one last attempt to grab the spotlight from Kamala Harris.

Here’s a fairly typical example of the 45 or so posts he made during the 45 minutes she was speaking, which surely constitutes a meltdown.

John Bowden watched the Madness of King Donald unfold.

Trump blasts ‘all talk’ Harris in furious Truth Social ‘fact check’ of DNC speech

Watch: Harris and Trump’s keynote convention speeches compared

Friday 23 August 2024 10:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Democrats react to Kamala Harris’s historic keynote convention speech

Friday 23 August 2024 10:20 , Joe Sommerlad

Democrats react to Kamala Harris’s historic keynote convention speech

Harris’s stepdaughter Ella Emhoff address DNC as grandnieces explain how to pronounce her name

Friday 23 August 2024 10:40 , Joe Sommerlad

Kamala’s family rallied around again last night to offer some more personal perspective on the Democratic presidential nominee.

Here’s more from Myriam Page.

Harris’s grandnieces show Trump even children can pronounce her name correctly

Internet devastated after rumor Beyonce at DNC turns out to be false

Friday 23 August 2024 11:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Well, it was a beautiful dream.

Internet devastated after rumor Beyoncé is performing at DNC turns out to be untrue

Watch: Highlights from the final day of the 2024 Democratic convention

Friday 23 August 2024 11:20 , Joe Sommerlad

Gretchen Whitmer, Adam Kinzinger, Mark Kelly, Leon Panetta and gold-medal-winning basketball superstar Steph Curry were among those addressing the United Center on Day Four.

Jason Crow and Elizabeth Warren, meanwhile, could not resist getting in on the couch jokes about JD Vance.

‘Central Park Five’ warn against Trump after his death penalty crusade

Friday 23 August 2024 11:40 , Joe Sommerlad

When five Black and Latino teenagers were wrongly convicted of the rape of a jogger in New York City’s Central Park in 1989, Donald Trump bought out full-page ads in all four major New York newspapers with a headline screaming to “BRING BACK THE DEATH PENALTY.”

“I want to hate these murderers and I always will,” Trump wrote. “I am not looking to psychoanalyze or understand them, I am looking to punish them.”

Their convictions were vacated in 2002 and the city paid $41m in 2014 to settle a civil rights lawsuit. Trump has refused to recant or apologize for those statements.

One of those teens, Yusef Salaam, now 50, spent nearly seven years in prison for his wrongful conviction. Last year, he was elected to New York’s City Council, representing Harlem.

On Thursday, Salaam stood on stage at the Democratic National Convention to endorse the woman running against the man who wanted him jailed.

Here’s Alex Woodward’s report.

Exonerated Central Park Five warn against Trump after his death penalty crusade

Gabrielle Giffords joins survivors of gun violence and families of those killed in shootings

Friday 23 August 2024 12:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Survivors and family members of victims of gun violence attested at the DNC on Thursday to the ways shootings impacted their lives and spurred them to advocacy.

One of the most potent speeches came from Gabrielle Giffords, the former Democratic congresswoman who was wounded in a 2011 shooting in her Arizona district.

Giffords, who was shot in the head while out greeting constituents, spoke yesterday about her long road to recovery.

“I learned to walk again, one step at a time. I learned to talk again, one word at a time,” said Giffords, who appeared with her husband, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly.

“I almost died, but I fought for life and I survived,” Giffords said, thrusting her arm into the air and drawing cheers from the crowd.

She then praised Vice President Harris and endorsed her.

“Kamala can beat the gun lobby and can beat gun trafficking,” decalred Giffords, who opened the Giffords Law Center to track and analyze firearm legislation in all 50 states.

At DNC, Gabrielle Giffords joins survivors of gun violence and families of those killed in shootings

Analysis: Two decades after 9/11, Harris and Democrats have reclaimed patriotism

Friday 23 August 2024 12:20 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s Andrew Feinberg on how the story of The Chicks, formerly The Dixie Chicks, charts Democrats’ reclaiming of their relationship with the Stars and Stripes after its brief brush with War on Terror infamy.

Two decades after 9/11, Harris and Democrats have reclaimed patriotism

DNC ratings smash RNC figures for third night in a row

Friday 23 August 2024 12:40 , Joe Sommerlad

The Democratic National Convention drew in more than 20 million viewers for the third night in a row on Wednesday, far surpassing the number of Americans who tuned in for the third night of the Republican National Convention earlier this month.

Here’s Rhian Lubin with the latest Nielsen ratings to make Trump’s blood boil.

DNC ratings smash RNC figures for third night in a row

Harris avoids getting specific on climate change – for now

Friday 23 August 2024 13:00 , Joe Sommerlad

It’s fair to say that environmental themes did not make headlines at the DNC this year.

Here’s John Bowden on where the Harris-Walz ticket stands on climate change.

Kamala Harris avoids getting specific on climate change — for now

Michelle Obama praises Gus Walz’s reaction to dad’s speech after Ann Coulter mocked teen

Friday 23 August 2024 13:20 , Joe Sommerlad

The former first lady has jumped to praise Tim Walz’s teenage son for his emotional reaction to his dad’s Democratic National Convention speech and taken a swipe at critics after firebrand conservative commentator Ann Coulter cruelly called him “weird.”

During Walz’s rousing acceptance speech for the vice presidential nomination on Wednesday night, Gus Walz proudly leaped to his feet, tears streaming down his face and shouted: “That’s my Dad!”

While most viewers and political pundits found the moment heartwarming, right-wing media pundit Coulter shared a news article about the teen’s reaction on X and captioned the post: “Talk about weird…”

James Liddell reports.

Michelle Obama praises Gus Walz and swipes at critics after Ann Coulter mocked teen

Meghan McCain praises DNC: ‘Maybe Republicans just shouldn’t have conventions’

Friday 23 August 2024 13:40 , Joe Sommerlad

Plenty of disaffected conservatives appeared at the United Center this week, from Stephanie Grisham and Olivia Troye to Adam Kinzinger, but none appear to have enjoyed the show more than Meghan McCain.

The Content Convention: A day in the life of a Kamala creator

Friday 23 August 2024 14:00 , Joe Sommerlad

The Content Convention: Day in the life of a Kamala creator

She tweeted about protesting at the DNC. The K-Hive called the Feds

Friday 23 August 2024 14:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Days before the Democratic National Convention kicked off, a university professor innocuously tweeted her excitement about the upcoming protests against the Gaza war outside the United Center, triggering a firestorm.

“Oh Kamala is NOT ready for Chicago. But don’t worry; we’re ready for her,” Eman Abdelhadi, an activist and professor of sociology at the University of Chicago, wrote.

Just minutes later, Kamala Harris supporters replied that they had reported her to the Feds.

Richard Hall has this report.

She tweeted about protesting Kamala Harris at the DNC. The K-Hive called the Feds

Stephen Colbert roasts Trump over Truth Social DNC ‘fact check’ – and one particular post about Walz

Friday 23 August 2024 15:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s Rhian Lubin with the latest from late-night, as Colbert ridicules the former president for his failed troll-a-thon last night.

Stephen Colbert roasts Trump over post about Walz in ‘fact check’ of Harris’s speech

Recap: Kamala Harris vows to ‘write next great chapter in greatest story ever’ as battle with Trump officially begins

Friday 23 August 2024 15:30 , Joe Sommerlad

In case you missed it, here’s Alex Woodward and Andrew Feinberg’s report on Kamala’s big night.

Harris lays out case against ‘unserious’ Trump in historic DNC acceptance speech

Watch: The key moments from Harris’s keynote DNC speech as she accepts presidential nomination

Friday 23 August 2024 16:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Pod Save America host does battle with Jesse Watters at DNC

Friday 23 August 2024 16:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Jon Favreau does pretty well here and the two manage to keep it friendly, with the former Obama speechwriter batting away the Fox man’s suggestion that Kamala is just a repackaged version of the 44th president.

Watch: The moment 10,000 balloons bring the 2024 DNC to a close

Friday 23 August 2024 17:00 , Joe Sommerlad

New York Times photographer captures key shot of the convention

Friday 23 August 2024 17:30 , Joe Sommerlad

The Republicans who came out in force at DNC for Harris – and ditched Trump

Friday 23 August 2024 18:00 , Alex Woodward

Several prominent Republicans and onetime Trumpworld figures came out in force at the Democratic National Convention in support of Kamala Harris – urging their own party members to vote for a Democrat rather than second Donald Trump back to the White House for a second term.

Notable Republican figures, some who had worked in Trump’s White House when he was president, used their platform at the DNC to speak directly to conservative voters at home, appealing to them to vote for Harris in November.

Rhian Lubin writes:

The Republicans who came out in force at DNC for Harris – and ditched Trump

Ella Emhoff declared a ‘fashion icon’ after wearing dress designed by TikTok star

Friday 23 August 2024 18:30 , Alex Woodward

Kamala Harris’s stepdaughter and fashion designer Ella Emhoff crafted a scene-stealing dress for Thursday’s DNC with the help of actor and internet personality Joe Ando, who has gone viral with his signature question “Can I make you a dress?”

Since then, he’s designed looks for the likes of Dakota Johnson, Keke Palmer, Millie Bobby Brown, Rachel Zegler, and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan.

The Independent’s senior lifestyle reporter Meredith Clark has more:

Ella Emhoff wears dress designed by TikTok star at 2024 DNC: ‘Fashion icon’

What’s next for Harris-Walz?

Friday 23 August 2024 19:13 , Alex Woodward

Fresh off their explosive reception in Chicago, Harris and Walz will be doing their first joint interview within the next week, with potential campaign stops in Georgia and other swing states.

Harris had told reporters earlier this month that she was asking her team to set up a proper sit-down interview by the end of August.

It’s still unclear where and when, and with whom, the Democrats will be speaking.

Harris, meanwhile, is back in Washington DC, and Walz is back to Minnesota.

The campaign is expected to do some make-up campaign dates in Georgia, where they had to scrap plans for a rally after Tropical Storm Debby, and continue barnstorming around Labor Day, the traditional kickoff for the pre-election sprint to November.

Democrats to RFK Jr: ‘Good riddance’

Friday 23 August 2024 20:26 , Alex Woodward

In response to Robert F Kennedy Jr’s announcement that he is suspending his presidential bid, Democratic National Committee had two words: “good riddance.”

His announcement “should come as no surprise, his candidacy has never been anything other than a spoiler campaign for Trump,” according to the DNC.

“He was recruited into the race by MAGA Republicans like Steve Bannon, he was propped up by Trump’s largest donor, and he parroted MAGA attacks on Democrats.”

DNC senior advisor Mary Beth Cahill said that “the more voters learned about RFK Jr. the less they liked him.”

“Donald Trump isn’t earning an endorsement that’s going to help build support, he’s inheriting the baggage of a failed fringe candidate,” she added. “Good riddance.”

Just in: Nebraska will have competing abortion measures on its November ballot

Friday 23 August 2024 20:40 , Alex Woodward

Nebraska voters will weigh in on two measures related to abortion this fall: one that would guarantee the right to an abortion up to the point of viability and the other to enshrine the state’s 12-week abortion ban.

On Friday, the state’s secretary of state confirmed both measures had met the required number of signatures to appear on the November ballot.

Ariana Baio has more:

Nebraska will have competing abortion measures on its November ballot

Just in: RFK Jr ‘suspends’ presidential campaign and endorses Trump as he rails against ‘rigged’ system

Friday 23 August 2024 20:52 , Alex Woodward

Dark horse presidential contender and well-known vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Friday that he is suspending his independent bid for the White House and throwing his support to Donald Trump.

“The mainstream of American politics and journalism derided my decision [to run],” Kennedy, 70, insisted during a press conference Friday afternoon, where he railed against chronic disease, “corruption” in health agencies, and the Democratic Party.

“In an honest system, I believe that I would have won the election,” the independent candidate claimed, slamming the media, without evidence, as being “tainted by government propaganda.”

Justin Rohrlich has more:

RFK Jr ‘suspends’ campaign, endorses Trump as he rails against ‘rigged’ system

Harris campaign responds to RFK’s Trump endorsement

Friday 23 August 2024 21:02 , Alex Woodward

After Robert F Kennedy Jr announced he was suspending his campaign and joining force with Trump, Harris-Walz campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon released a statement welcoming voters who are “tired” of Trump and “looking for a new way forward” instead.

“For any American out there who is tired of Donald Trump and looking for a new way forward, ours is a campaign for you,” she said.

“In order to deliver for working people and those who feel left behind, we need a leader who will fight for you, not just for themselves, and bring us together, not tear us apart,” she added. “Vice President Harris wants to earn your support. ... Even if we do not agree on every issue, Kamala Harris knows there is more that unites us than divides us: respect for our rights, public safety, protecting our freedoms, and opportunity for all.”

Harris tells reporters ‘we’re gonna win’ as she heads back to Washington

Friday 23 August 2024 21:17 , Alex Woodward

On their way out of Chicago to board helicopters to O’Hare airport on Friday, Vice President Harris and Doug Emhoff waved and took selfies with supporters who chanted “yes she can” and “when we fight, we win,” according to the White House pool.

Asked by reporters at the airport “what’s next” for Harris, she said: “We’re going to walk up those stairs.”

And after that?

”Win. We’re gonna win,” she said.

She did not respond to shouted questions about Kennedy’s endorsement of Trump.

Democrats reportedly raise $100 million during DNC

Friday 23 August 2024 21:33 , Alex Woodward

The primary online fundraising platform for Democratic candidates and causes reported raising more than $100 million during the DNC.

Donors gave $7.2 million to candidates during Harris’s acceptance speech, the platform ActBlueannounced on Friday.

“It is more than clear that Democrats are fired up and ready to win this thing,” ActBlue president and CEO Regina Wallace-Jones said in a statement. “I’ve never seen anything like it — the momentum to elect Vice President Kamala Harris, Governor Tim Walz, and Democrats up and down the ballot is remarkable.”

Harris’s convention speech ratings surge past his by 22 percent

Friday 23 August 2024 22:00 , Alex Woodward

Preliminary ratings for the Democratic National Convention show Kamala Harris’s keynote speech had 22 percent more viewers than Donald Trump’s address at the Republican conference last month.

Some 15 million people tuned into Harris’s 45-minute speech, according to the combined ratings of seven major networks shared by Michael Mulvihill, president of insights and analytics for the Fox Corporation. MSNBC alone averaged 6.8 million viewers during the vice president’s speech.

Katie Hawkinson has more:

Trump’s fear realized: Harris’s convention speech ratings surge past his by 22%

So, where did that Beyonce rumor come from?

Friday 23 August 2024 22:30 , Alex Woodward

Stars flooded to Chicago for the DNC for the four-day long convention, with performances from the likes of Stevie Wonder, John Legend, Patti LaBelle, Pink, Jason Isbell and The Chicks.

But on Friday, there was a different kind of buzz.

Where’d it come from?

Who started the rumor that Beyoncé would be at the DNC?

Nebraska is the latest state to put abortion rights on the ballot. Here are the rest

Friday 23 August 2024 23:00 , Alex Woodward

Voters in 10 states will have a chance to directly weigh in on the future of abortion care this November.

Here’s where, and what’s at stake:

Montana becomes latest state to put abortion rights on the ballot – here are the rest

Kamala Harris mentioned Palestinians in her DNC speech. But what can Uncommitted delegates expect now?

Saturday 24 August 2024 00:00 , Alex Woodward

In her convention speech, Kamala Harris said she is working to end Israel’s war in Gaza, “such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination.”

Her remarks echoed words from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on the first night of the convention.

But Abbas Alawieh, one of the leaders of the Uncommitted movement, told The Independent he wasn’t fully satisfied with what Harris said.

Eric Garcia reports on what’s next for the pro-Palestinian anti-war movement that gathered thousands of votes and sent three dozen delegates to the DNC.

What can pro-Palestine Democrats expect from Harris now? It’s probably not good news

Watch: A day in the life of a Kamala content creator at the DNC

Saturday 24 August 2024 01:00 , Alex Woodward

I used to be a Republican. Now, I’m a volunteer at the DNC

Saturday 24 August 2024 02:00 , Carmen Cusido

I had the rare opportunity to watch live as Vice President Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic nomination for President of the United States As a fellow woman of color, this is meaningful to me — but it’s even more noteworthy because it’s on the fourth anniversary of my dad’s death. My father Armando, a Cuban exile and small-business owner, was a staunch Republican, but I’d like to think he’d be proud of me nevertheless.

Inside the DNC: What it looked like from behind the scenes

ICYMI: RFK Jr ‘suspends’ presidential campaign and endorses Trump as he rails against ‘rigged’ system

Saturday 24 August 2024 03:00 , Alex Woodward

Dark horse presidential contender and well-known vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Friday that he is suspending his independent bid for the White House and throwing his support to Donald Trump.

“The mainstream of American politics and journalism derided my decision [to run],” Kennedy, 70, insisted during a press conference Friday afternoon, where he railed against chronic disease, “corruption” in health agencies, and the Democratic Party.

“In an honest system, I believe that I would have won the election,” the independent candidate claimed, slamming the media, without evidence, as being “tainted by government propaganda.”

Justin Rohrlich has more:

RFK Jr ‘suspends’ campaign, endorses Trump as he rails against ‘rigged’ system

Trump’s team rejects Kamala Harris’s boost as ‘temporary’ and a ‘sugar high'

Saturday 24 August 2024 04:00 , Alex Woodward

Donald Trump’s campaign has dismissed the rush of support around Kamala Harris in the wake of her Democratic convention speech as a “sugar high” and a “temporary high.”

“They didn’t hit it out of the park. It was fine,” a Trump adviser told NBC News. “We had a good week. Pleased with where things are and are headed.”

“Still expecting a bump” for Democrats, the person continued.

More than 14 million watched her remarks on Thursday night, and the four-day conference helped raise $100 million for Democratic candidates, according to fundraising platform ActBlue. Donors gave $7.2 million during Harris’s acceptance speech.

Two decades after 9/11, Harris and Democrats have reclaimed patriotism

Saturday 24 August 2024 05:00 , Andrew Feinberg

Republicans’ performative patriotism remained part-and-parcel of the GOP throughout the rise of Donald Trump and his presidency, leading Trump to claim “America First” as an alternative moniker for his “Make America Great Again” movement.

His supporters continued to claim the American flag as their own symbol, even using it to beat police officers as they sought to illegally keep Trump in office on January 6 2021.

But after this year’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago, it’s clear that Democrats are dead set on making sure those tricks won’t work anymore.

Two decades after 9/11, Harris and Democrats have reclaimed patriotism

Democrats reportedly raise $100 million during DNC

Saturday 24 August 2024 07:00 , Alex Woodward

The primary online fundraising platform for Democratic candidates and causes reported raising more than $100 million during the DNC.

Donors gave $7.2 million to candidates during Harris’s acceptance speech, the platform ActBlueannounced on Friday.

“It is more than clear that Democrats are fired up and ready to win this thing,” ActBlue president and CEO Regina Wallace-Jones said in a statement. “I’ve never seen anything like it — the momentum to elect Vice President Kamala Harris, Governor Tim Walz, and Democrats up and down the ballot is remarkable.”

Nebraska is the latest state to put abortion rights on the ballot. Here are the rest

Saturday 24 August 2024 08:00 , Alex Woodward

Voters in 10 states will have a chance to directly weigh in on the future of abortion care this November.

Here’s where, and what’s at stake:

Nebraska is the latest state to put abortion rights on the ballot – here are the rest

Kamala Harris mentioned Palestinians in her DNC speech. But what can Uncommitted delegates expect now?

Saturday 24 August 2024 09:00 , Alex Woodward

In her convention speech, Kamala Harris said she is working to end Israel’s war in Gaza, “such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination.”

Her remarks echoed words from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on the first night of the convention.

But Abbas Alawieh, one of the leaders of the Uncommitted movement, told The Independent he wasn’t fully satisfied with what Harris said.

Eric Garcia reports from Chicago on what’s next for the pro-Palestinian anti-war movement that gathered thousands of votes and sent three dozen delegates to the DNC.

What can pro-Palestine Democrats expect from Harris now? It’s probably not good news

So, where did that Beyonce rumor come from?

Saturday 24 August 2024 10:00 , Alex Woodward

Stars flooded to Chicago for the four-day long DNC, with performances from the likes of Stevie Wonder, John Legend, Patti LaBelle, Pink, Jason Isbell and The Chicks.

But on Friday, there was a different kind of buzz.

Where’d it come from?

Who started the rumor that Beyoncé would be at the DNC?

Harris’s convention speech ratings surge past Trump’s by 22 percent

Saturday 24 August 2024 11:00 , Alex Woodward

Preliminary ratings for the Democratic National Convention show Kamala Harris’s keynote speech had 22 percent more viewers than Donald Trump’s address at the Republican conference last month.

Some 15 million people tuned into Harris’s 45-minute speech, according to the combined ratings of seven major networks. MSNBC alone averaged 6.8 million viewers during the vice president’s speech.

Katie Hawkinson has more:

Trump’s fear realized: Harris’s convention speech ratings surge past his by 22%

What’s next for Harris-Walz? Joint interviews, battleground states and Labor Day

Saturday 24 August 2024 12:00 , Alex Woodward

Fresh off their explosive reception in Chicago, Harris and Walz will be doing their first joint interview within the next week, with potential campaign stops in Georgia and other swing states.

Harris had told reporters earlier this month that she was asking her team to set up a proper sit-down interview by the end of August.

It’s still unclear where and when, and with whom, the Democrats will be speaking.

Harris, meanwhile, is back in Washington DC, and Walz is back to Minnesota.

The campaign is expected to do some make-up campaign dates in Georgia, where they had to scrap plans for a rally after Tropical Storm Debby, and continue barnstorming around Labor Day, the traditional kickoff for the pre-election sprint to November.

She tweeted about protesting Kamala Harris at the DNC. Then the K-Hive called the Feds

Saturday 24 August 2024 13:00 , Alex Woodward

Nine days after tweeting that Chicago was “ready” for Kamala Harris, Eman Abdelhadi got a phone call from the FBI. The words “US Government” flashed up on caller ID. She was too afraid to answer.

The Independent’s Richard Hall has more on the anti-war demonstrators who protested at the DNC:

She tweeted about protesting Kamala Harris at the DNC. The K-Hive called the Feds

Trump questions Harris’s ‘right to run for president'

Saturday 24 August 2024 14:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Trump questioned Harris’s “right to run for president” in a post on Truth Social on Friday, arguing that her taking on the Democratic mantle despite not winning a primary is a “threat” to democracy.

The former president and Republican presidential candidate wrote “Kamala Harris is the Weakest Presidential Candidate in History on Crime. She’s allowed millions of people to pour through our Borders, many from prisons, mental institutions and, indeed, terrorists, coming in at levels never seen before.”

“What gives her the right to run for President? She got no votes to Biden’s 14 Million. She failed in her previous attempt, was the first one out of 22 people to quit, never made it to Iowa, and now she’s a Presidential Candidate? This is a Threat to Democracy!” he added.

Tim Walz’s former students traveled to the DNC to introduce America to their teacher and coach

Saturday 24 August 2024 15:00 , Alex Woodward

When Jacob Reitan needed a faculty adviser for his school’s first-ever gay-straight alliance, he turned to Tim Walz and his wife Gwen, who were both teachers at the time at Mankato West High School in Minnesota

“The Walzes are out of central casting for good, decent people,” Reitan, who graduated in 2000, told The Independent.

That a “football coach, a person who was well respected in the halls of West high school, would be a source of support and safety as a gay student — it meant the world to me,” said Reitan, now an attorney and LGBT+ rights activist in Minnesota.

We caught up with former Mankato West students who traveled to the DNC to cheer on their former teachers:

Tim Walz’s students introduce America to their teacher, coach and ally

From bad jokes to awkward donuts: Inside JD Vance’s very weird week on the road

Saturday 24 August 2024 16:00 , Josh Marcus

Ever since Tim Walz accused JD Vance and his running mate of being “weird,” the Republican vice presidential nominee has struggled to escape the perception, at least according to his political opponents, that he’s a strange, awkward guy who emerged from the right-wing corners of Silicon Valley and the Internet.

Sure, it may be hard to compete with the carnival charisma of Donald Trump, but another week on the campaign trail seemed to do little to change the attack lines against Vance.

There weren’t any all-time political gaffes like dismissing those without traditional families as “childless cat ladies,” but the US Senator for Ohio still managed to generate plenty of raised eyebrows and awkward silences.

READ MORE:

From bad jokes to awkward donuts: Inside JD Vance’s very weird week on the road

Big cheese and crab hats: The most ridiculous outfits spotted at the DNC

Saturday 24 August 2024 17:00 , Ariana Baio

People adorned in glittering cowboy hats, flecks of neon green, cheeseheads, and flannel shirts broke up the sea of blue signs and lighting that the Democratic National Committee set up to serve as the backdrop at the quadrennial convention as notable speakers and performers took to the stage.

An array of colors, patterns, sparkles, and hats of varying heights bobbed and weaved through the massive crowd at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois this week, at times looking more like the crowd for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.

READ MORE:

Big cheese and crab hats: The most ridiculous outfits spotted at the DNC

Jack Schlossberg brings the fun to the DNC as he cements the ‘vibes’ election

Saturday 24 August 2024 18:00 , Olivia Hebert

Jack Schlossberg brought the fun to the 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC) stage.

This week at the DNC, the 31-year-old Vogue correspondent had a ball at the Chicago political convention. Schlossberg has come a long way from reciting Lord Byron on a Rip Stick singing Rihanna while wearing Bluey sunglasses in silly TikTok videos, as an influx of fan cams of Schlossberg dressed in a suit at the DNC flooded social media feeds this week.

Throughout his time at the convention, held between 19 and 22 of August, the correspondent has been sharing snippets of his experience on social media. He posted a series of photos on Instagram, featuring him posing with notable politicians like former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.

READ MORE:

Jack Schlossberg brings the fun to the DNC as he cements the ‘vibes’ election

VIDEO: Trump claims Barack and Michelle Obama were nasty to him

Saturday 24 August 2024 19:00 , Lucy Leeson

Donald Trump has claimed Barack and Michelle Obama have been “nasty” to him during previous encounters.

The former US President made the claims after Robert F Kennedy Jr, the independent presidential candidate, decided to drop out of the presidential election race on Friday (23 August) and endorse Trump.

Speaking after Kennedy’s announcement, Trump said: “Barack Obama, he was nasty to me.

“He was nasty. Michelle was nasty. They’re all nasty. Nasty people. I was surprised, I thought he was, I was sort of nice to him.”

VOICES: The Democrats have a superpower when it comes to defeating Trump

Saturday 24 August 2024 20:00 , Anne McElvoy

It was a French, navy-blue, chic-but-sombre trousersuit and blouse for Kamala Harris’s nomination acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention. Rumours had abounded that she would carry on the mantle of Hillary Clinton by wearing “suffragette white” to signal the historic nature of her candidacy. But, as an aide replied tautly when I asked if we could expect her to talk about the prospect of being the first female president: “Kamala doesn’t need to prove her credentials.”

So the message in Chicago has differed from the failed Clinton campaign of 2016 and Hillary’s persistent citing of her encounters with the “glass ceiling”. Harris plays down this side of her beliefs – or perhaps calculates that, beyond sympathetic voters, Americans do not always warm to women talking about their struggles.

An economical, well-crafted speech was pitched to move Harris from the niche of feminist, liberal Californian, which is being moulded by the Trump-Vance camp into a caricature of ultra-leftish, busybody activism, to an all-American everywoman: a commonsensical, straight-talking, safe pair of hands on America and the West’s security.

READ MORE:

The Democrats have a superpower when it comes to defeating Trump

RFK mentions Biden 11 times after praising RNC for not focusing on president

Saturday 24 August 2024 21:00 , Oliver Browning

Robert F Kennedy Jr mentioned Joe Biden’s name eleven times in a speech moments after praising the RNC for not focusing on the US president.

The independent candidate abandoned his own presidential campaign on Friday 23 August and endorsed Republican Donald Trump, ending a bid he began as a Democrat trading on one of the most famous names in American politics.

During a press conference, he railed against chronic disease, “corruption” in health agencies, and the Democratic Party - focusing part of his attack on Mr Biden.

“In Chicago, Democratic speakers mentioned Donald Trump 147 times just on the first day, who needs a policy when you have Trump to hate?” he asked.

“In contrast, at the RNC, President Biden was mentioned only twice in four days.”

Trump promises to release all JFK assassination files as RFK Jr endorses him

Saturday 24 August 2024 22:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Former President Donald Trump has vowed to task a presidential commission to release all the files related to the 1963 assassination of President John F Kennedy.

Trump made the announcement alongside Kennedy’s nephew Robert F Kennedy Jr at a campaign rally in Arizona on Friday.

The Republican presidential candidate said that if he’s elected to a second term, he would establish an independent presidential commission on assassination attempts which would handle the release of the JFK files.

READ MORE:

Trump promises to release all JFK assassination files as RFK Jr endorses him

Foo Fighters issue curt response to Trump’s use of their hit ‘My Hero’ at Arizona rally

Saturday 24 August 2024 23:00 , Mike Bedigan

Foo Fighters say they did not authorize Donald Trump’s use of their hit track “My Hero” at a rally in which he received the endorsement of political rival-turned-backer Robert F Kennedy Jr.

The US rock band said they were not asked for permission over the song’s use and “would not have granted it” if they had.

Kennedy, who suspended his campaign as an independent presidential candidate on Friday, joined Trump onstage in Arizona, as pyrotechnics blasted and the Foos song played.

READ MORE:

Foo Fighters issue curt response to Trump’s use of hit ‘My Hero’ in Arizona