Election 2024 updates: Trump criticizes Michelle Obama; Harris courts voters in Michigan
Editor's note: This page reflects the news from the campaign trail for the 2024 election from Monday, Oct. 28. For the latest news on the presidential election, read USA TODAY's live election updates for Tuesday, Oct. 29.
Just eight days until Election Day.
In the final stretch of the 2024 presidential election, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are focused on two pivotal battlegrounds that could decide the race for the White House: Michigan and Georgia.
The Trump campaign scrambled to distance itself from a backlash against racist, vulgar, and sexist comments made by speakers at the former president's Sunday night rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Harris and President Joe Biden both used the rally to contrast the Democratic campaign with Trump's, as polls continued to show a photo-finish race.
Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz rallied together in Ann Arbor, Michigan, for one of their final pitches to swing state voters. The rally focused on individual freedoms, particularly reproductive rights that they said have been under assault since Roe v. Wade was overturned. Meanwhile, Trump delivered his final pitch to Atlanta voters on Monday evening in an address attacking his political opponents and urged his supporters to vote on Election Day.
Keep up with the USA TODAY Network's live coverage from the campaign trail.
Obama says Trump’s MSG rally featured 'the most sexist, racist, bigoted stereotypes'
Speaking at a Philadelphia rally supporting Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday night, former President Barack Obama ripped into Donald Trump’s rally in New York City.
"So the man holds this big rally at Madison Square Garden, and the warmup speakers were … trotting out and peddling the most racist, sexist, bigoted stereotypes," Obama said of the former president.
Comedian Tony Hinchliffe, one of the featured speakers, called Puerto Rico a floating island of garbage and talked about carving watermelons with a Black friend.
“These are fellow citizens he's talking about here in Philadelphia. They're your neighbor. They're your coworkers,” he said. “And that is the reason why this election should not be close. It should be clear.”
— Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy
Harris at Michigan rally: Trump refused to 'acknowledge the pain' caused by overturning Roe v. Wade
Vice President Kamala Harris urged Michiganders to make their voices heard on Election Day at a Monday night rally in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
She talked about her rival, former President Donald Trump, and his refusal to "acknowledge the pain and suffering he has caused" with the overturning of Roe v Wade.
"He insists that quote, everyone wanted for Roe v. Wade to be overturned," she said. "Everyone wanted this?"
Women are being denied care during miscarriages, she said. "Some only being treated when they developed sepsis."
“They didn't want this.”
“The men of America are seeing their daughters and wives and sisters and mothers put at risk because their rights have been taken from them. The men of America don't want this.”
— Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy
Trump: 'You must get out and you have to vote'
Former President Donald Trump has claimed he is leading the polls but reminded his supporters that they must cast ballots and get their friends to do the same.
"You must get out and you have to vote," Trump said before wrapping his Atlanta rally, speaking for more than 75 minutes on Monday night.
Trump leads some national and battleground state polls but they are well within the margin of error. Most analysts believe the race is pretty much tied.
— David Jackson
Trump makes pitch to women
The gender gap appears to be very much on former President Donald Trump's mind.
While not specifically mentioning Vice President Kamala Harris' substantial advantage among female voters, Trump devoted a segment of the Atlanta rally to a specific theme: "I will protect the women of our country."
Trump then proceeded to describe crime, illegal border crossings, and the economy as women's issues.
— David Jackson
Trump: 'I'm not a Nazi'
Former President Donald Trump is spending part of this Atlanta rally disputing some Democratic accusations against him — including claims he is another "Hitler" and a "Nazi."
"'He's Hitler!'" Trump mockingly growled at one point. "And then they say 'he's a Nazi.'"
He quickly added: "I'm not a Nazi ... I'm the opposite of a Nazi."
Trump also disputed allegations that he is too old and "tired," saying he has never been more energized.
— David Jackson
Trump opens Atlanta rally, criticizes Michelle Obama
Former President Donald Trump began his Atlanta rally more than 50 minutes late, reminding Georgia voters how important they will be next week. "We love Georgia," Trump told the cheering crowd.
He also started what was now his standard speech opening question: Are you better off now than you were four years ago? No, the crowd replied.
Trump added a notable name to his Democratic attack list: former first lady Michelle Obama, who ripped the former president in a weekend speech.
"She was nasty," Trump told the Atlanta crowd.
The former first lady told Harris supporters about Trump: "I hope that you’ll forgive me if I’m a little angry that we are indifferent to his erratic behavior, his obvious mental decline, his history as a convicted felon, a known slum lord, a predator found liable for sexual abuse, all of this while we pick apart Kamala’s answers from interviews that he doesn’t even have the courage to do."
Replied Trump: "That was a big mistake she made." He did not elaborate.
— David Jackson
Trump: Harris running a 'campaign of demonization and hate'
At one point, former President Donald Trump accused Vice President Kamala Harris of "running a campaign of demonization and hate," drawing accusations of hypocrisy. "She's a hater," he said.
Democrats pointed out that Trump is the one who has attacked Harris' intelligence, ethnicity, and competence.
Earlier, Harris said Trump is "fixated on his grievances, on himself and on dividing our country," citing Sunday's Madison Square Garden rally as the latest example.
"It is absolutely something that is intended to and is fanning the fuel of trying to divide our country," Harris said.
— David Jackson
John Legend calls Trump a 'career con artist'
John Legend on Monday opened for a concert and rally supporting Vice President Kamal Harris at Temple University's Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, with the musician saying the Democratic presidential nominee would be a president for "every American" if elected.
"The contrast could not be clearer," Legend said, adding that former President Donald Trump was focused on serving Wall Street, billionaires, big corporations, and "whichever dictator wrote him a nice note or gave him a hug."
The voters have a choice, Legend said — they could either pick Harris or "you can stand with a career con artist who's far more interested in himself than in you."
Former President Barack Obama and rockstar Bruce Springsteen are scheduled to attend the Philadelphia event.
— Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy
Michelle Obama to campaign for Harris on Saturday
Former first lady Michelle Obama will stump for Vice President Kamala Harris in Pennsylvania, the Harris campaign announced Monday night. It did not specify where.
During an appearance at a Michigan rally Saturday, Obama criticized former President Donald Trump, referring to the Republican presidential candidate as a "convicted felon, a known slum lord, a predator found liable for sexual abuse" who has "no honesty, no decency, no morals."
“I hope you’ll forgive me if I am worried that we will blow this opportunity to finally turn the page on this ugliness once and for all,” Obama said in the rally supporting Harris. "Because believe me, if Donald Trump is president again, at some point or another, that ugliness will touch all of our lives."
Though former President Barack Obama has headlined multiple rallies for Harris this month, it was not a given that his wife would appear at additional events.
The former first lady is also headlining a rally that’s being put on by her nonpartisan, nonprofit organization When We All Vote on Tuesday in Atlanta. She is expected to emphasize the importance of voting.
— Francesca Chambers
Democrat on Trump's 'little secret' remark: It's incumbent 'to be transparent'
Former President Donald Trump said during his Madison Square Garden rally that he has a "little secret" to help the GOP win big in congressional races.
That cryptic reference has Democrats questioning what the Republican presidential nominee could mean with a little more than a week to go before Election Day. Some Democrats thought Trump's remarks referred to the House's role in settling — or perhaps trying to overturn — contested election results for the White House.
"It's incumbent upon them to be transparent and to tell the voters exactly what their secret is, and if it is not an effort to overturn the election with Mike Johnson as the Speaker of the House, then tell us what it is," said Rep. Dan Goldman, a New York Democrat who before being elected to Congress served as a federal prosecutor and later a lead counsel during Trump's first impeachment.
But the Trump campaign said the former president was simply referring to a campaign strategy in which he tunes in to virtual rallies in key House districts that will determine which party controls the chamber for the next two years.
"President Trump has done countless tele-rallies reaching millions of Americans across the country in key regions that also helps bolster Republicans in congressional races," said Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung.
— Riley Beggin and Josh Meyer
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries blasts Trump rally as 'racist'
Top House Democrat Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said in a statement that former President Donald Trump's rally in Madison Square Garden Sunday featured "racist, dangerous and un-American statements" from the president's supporters.
"The unadulterated hatred directed at Puerto Ricans, the Jewish community, women, Latinos, African-Americans, Muslim Americans and decent people of every race by Donald Trump and far right extremists is disqualifying," he said. "These people are unfit to govern and must forever be banished to the dustbin of history in November."
Comedian Tony Hinchliffe who spoke before Trump on Sunday, referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage,” joked about a Black person in the crowd “carving watermelons” and said Latinos don't use birth control. Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson falsely referred to Vice-President Kamala Harris, who is half-Black and half Indian-American as “Samoan-Malaysian” and a “low IQ former California prosecutor.” Businessman Grant Cardone referred to Harris's nonexistent “pimp handlers.”
-Riley Beggin
What are the swing states? See polling, past results for key states for 2024 presidential election
Just more than a week away from Nov. 5, all eyes are on seven states that are likely to decide the 2024 presidential election.
Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have been cycling through these battleground states hosting rallies, giving interviews and bringing celebrities along for the ride, as they try to persuade any remaining undecided voters and mobilize their supporters.
National polls and state polls alike are showing an incredibly close race. That means small margins of voters in these states could have big consequences for the Electoral College. Here is what to know about the battleground states: Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada and Arizona.
-Kinsey Crowley
Trump to Christians: Get out there and vote
During a religious summit near Atlanta, Trump talked about the role of faith in his life ? particularly in surviving the July 12 assassination attempt ? and in the presidential election.
“We have to get all the Christians to get out there and vote," Trump told the supportive group.
Trump, who is counting on religious voters in Georgia and other battleground states, said Christians don't always turn out for elections.
"I shouldn't scold anyone," he said, "but Christians aren't known for being very solid voters, you know."
Faith summit organizers ended the event by praying with Trump.
-David Jackson
Harris campaign turns Trump comedian’s Puerto Rico insult into TV ad
The Harris campaign quickly seized on a highly ridiculed insult about Puerto Rico from a comedian during Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally, turning the remark into a 30-second television ad.
The new ad features a clip of comedian Tony Hinchliffe referring to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage” before Trump is heard saying, “Puerto Rico.”
“I will never forget what Donald Trump did,” Harris says in the ad as she criticizes Trump’s response to Hurricane Maria in 2017 while he was president. “He abandoned the island and offered nothing more than paper towels and insults. Americans deserve better.”
The Harris campaign has highlighted the insult in its appeal to Puerto Rican voters, who represent a significant share of voters in the battleground state of Pennsylvania.
?Joey Garrison
Mariah Carey joins Kerry Washington for GOTV video
The Queen of Christmas will need to wait just a little longer.
Mariah Carey posted a playful video on social media Monday of her singing the intro of the song “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” before Kerry Washington burst into view.
“No, no, no, no, no. It’s not your season yet,” Washington says, decked out in a VOTE shirt and hat. “It’s voting season.” She proceeds to ask Carey if the pop star has registered and made a plan to vote.
More: Actress Kerry Washington says voters are 'the real fixers' at Wisconsin stop for Harris
“It’s my season, before it’s her season,” Washington joked. The actress previously played a political uber-fixer on the hit-show Scandal and has been campaigning for Kamala Harris.
“So now all we need is youuuuu,” the pair sang.
–Karissa Waddick
Harris to sit with host Charlamagne tha God for second interview
Harris will sit down with radio host Charlamagne tha God on Tuesday morning for an interview a week out from Election Day, the Hill reported. The interview will air at 7 a.m. on his radio show “The Breakfast Club.”
This marks Harris’ second interview in weeks with the popular host. Earlier this month, he hosted an “audio town hall” with her in Detroit, where she faced wide-ranging questions about her candidacy and the 2024 race.
?Sudiksha Kochi
More: Harris says she remains open to reparations in interview with Charlamagne Tha God: 5 moments
Trump attends 'National Faith Advisory Board Summit' near Atlanta
Before his rally tonight outside Atlanta, Trump made a stop at a religious forum hosted by former spiritual adviser Paula White.
"That is a lot of religion out there," Trump told the cheering crowd at the inaugural National Faith Advisory Board Summit.
?David Jackson
More: An Ohio college was in crisis. Then presidential politics made things worse.
JD Vance responds to racist, vulgar comments from Trump’s MSG rally
During a Wisconsin campaign event on Monday, Republican Vice-Presidential nominee JD Vance responded to racist and crude remarks about Puerto Rico, Blacks, Jews and women made at Donald Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally, saying that “we need to stop being so offended at every little thing in the United States of America.”
“I’m so over it,” Vance said, of the outraged response.
Vance was asked by a reporter about how he and Trump would unite the country if they are elected, after Trump’s rally on Sunday night. where speakers called Kamala Harris the “antichrist” and “the devil” and a comedian made racist jokes.
Vance, who also spoke at the Madison Square Garden rally, said he had not yet listened to the controversial comments.
Earlier in his speech on Monday, Vance argued that Harris was “endangering the life” of Trump. He criticized Harris for calling Trump a fascist and her running mate, Tim Walz, for comparing Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally to a pro-Nazi event.
–Karissa Waddick
More: Steve Bannon, to be released from prison on Tuesday after 4-month sentence
Who is Tony Hinchcliffe, aka 'Kill Tony, the Trump-supporting comedian?
Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, known as Kill Tony, has been known for years for his offensive material, but he became front page news on Sunday night at a rally for Donald Trump thanks to comment targeting Latinos, Blacks and Jews one week from Election Day.
"I don't know if you know this, but there's literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now," Hinchcliffe said in New York City. "I think it's called Puerto Rico."
He went on to say that Latinos "love making babies" and made a vulgar remark about immigrants entering the country.
The 40-year-old proceeded to point out a Black man out in the crowd, claiming the two had "carved watermelons together."
More: Donald Trump is in a strong poll position - does it matter?
The Trump campaign has attempted to distance itself from the comedian. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt took to Fox News where she dismissed Hinchcliffe's comments.
"It was a comedian who made a joke in poor taste," she said Monday morning. "Obviously that joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or our campaign."
Hinchcliffe's comments have sparked outrage and criticism from both sides of the aisle and he has long been known for his insult-style comedy, as a recurring figure on "The Joe Rogan Experience" and garnering millions of subscribers on his own weekly podcast "Kill Tony."
?Sam Woodward
Walz rips Trump over 'garbage can' of the world remark
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz tore into former President Donald Trump at a Monday event in Waukesha, Wisc. for saying the U.S. is the "garbage can for the world" in a speech last week.
"Very difficult to love this country when Donald Trump can only love himself. That's why he has a difficult time doing that," the Democratic vice presidential nominee told a small group of invited Kamala Harris supporters at the Co-Pilot Cafe.
"Their closing argument last night was clear to the rest of the world. It's about hate, it's about division, it's about, dividing us," Walz said, referring to the former president's Sunday night rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. The event featured several speakers who made racist comments about Harris, Puerto Ricans, Latinos in general, and Blacks.
Walz said that, while the Harris campaign has a to-do list, "Donald Trump has an enemies list. It just gets longer and longer every day."
He spoke after Waukesha Mayor Sean Reilly, a lifelong Republican who became an independent after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and recently endorsed Harris.
?Francesca Chambers
More: Trump vows to go after his enemies if elected. Meet two enforcers ready to carry that out
Nevada Supreme Court upholds counting mail ballots without postmarks after Election Day
The Nevada Supreme Court ruled Monday the state could count mailed ballots that arrive without a postmark up to three days after Election Day.
The Republican National Committee and former President Donald Trump’s campaign committee had sought to block the counting on ballots without postmarks. But the high court noted that state law says if “the date of the postmark cannot be determined,” ballots received within three days of Election Day “shall be deemed to have been postmarked on or before the day of the election.”
Tossup states such as Nevada have become a legal battleground over rules in the closely contested election. Republicans have focused many of their cases on the rules for voter registration and counting mailed ballots.
But few votes are at stake in the postmark dispute because only 24 arrived that way during the primary, according to the trial judge.
?Bart Jansen
More: Election official in Reno, Nevada tells AP she was forced out before 2024 election
Trump to address the press on Tuesday morning
The Trump campaign has been secretive about this week's non-rally schedule as Election Day nears on Nov. 5. But it did let one cat partially out of the bag Monday: The Republican presidential nominee will be speaking with the media on Tuesday.
Trump "will deliver remarks to the press in Palm Beach, Florida, on Tuesday," said a short announcement. The event takes place at his Mar-a-Lago home.
No word on topic or whether he will take questions.
?David Jackson
Ballot box attack an ‘attempt to disenfranchise,’ Washington state Dems chair says
Washington state’s Democratic leader is speaking out after reports that hundreds of votes were destroyed after a ballot box was set on fire early Monday morning.
Authorities, including the FBI, are investigating after someone allegedly stuck an incendiary device to a ballot box at a public transit center in Vancouver, Washington, which ignited flames, according to local news reports. The result is hundreds of burned ballots, elections officials said.
Shasti Conrad, chair of the state Democratic Party, said in a statement to USA TODAY that this represents “an attempt to disenfranchise” voters. State Democrats trut that law enforcement and other officials will "find those responsible and hold them accountable," she added.
The attack in Washington is the second ballot box fire that police have responded to in the Pacific Northwest region. In nearby Portland, police responded to a fire at a ballot box on Monday morning at an elections office.
Conrad and others stressed how people concerned about their ballot was destroyed should check its status at VoteWA.gov or by calling their county's auditor or elections department to find out where their ballot is in the process of being counted. To get a replacement ballot, Washington state voters can call the Clark County elections office at 564-397-2345 or send an email to [email protected].
?Phillip M. Bailey
Kids pick Harris in Nickelodeon contest to win the presidency
Children across the country selected Kamala Harris to win the White House in Nickelodeon’s nationwide “Kids Pick the President” contest, the network announced Monday.The virtual survey of more than 32,000 of the nation’s children showed 52% supported Harris and 48% supported Donald Trump. The contest is intended for entertainment purposes only and is not a scientific poll. “Kids Pick the President” has accurately predicted the outcome of every election but two since 1988. Kids chose John Kerry over George W. Bush in 2004 and Hillary Clinton over Trump in 2016.
Voters in the 2024 election must be 18 years old on or before Election Day on Nov. 5.
- Rachel Barber
Harris to Black men: You’re not in Trump’s club
Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris warned Black men thinking about backing former President Donald Trump in 2024 that her Republican rival doesn’t care about them like she does.
“Part of what we have to help people understand is, don't think you're in Donald Trump's club,” Harris, the Democratic nominee, told football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe in an interview on his podcast, “Club Shay Shay.”
“You're not," she added. "He's not going to be thinking about you.”
Harris specifically brought up racial disparities in colon cancer and prostate cancer deaths, and the need to do medical screenings. According to the American Cancer Society, Black men are about 40% more likely to die from colon cancer than other groups and 70% more likely to die from prostate cancer.
Both candidates have rushed to popular podcasts as a strategy to reach undecided voters in this razor-thin contest.
Harris and her allies have been keen on making direct appeals to Black men as surveys for months have shown Trump making slight gains with segments of that demographic. A recent ABC News/Ipsos survey, however, showed Harris winning 85% of the Black male vote.
— Phillip M. Bailey
‘Fixated on his grievances’: Harris responds to Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally
Vice President Kamala Harris accused Republican nominee Donald Trump of “fanning the fuel of trying to divide our country” in response to the former president’s campaign rally at Madison Square Garden that included racist remarks from speakers.
“Donald Trump's event in Madison Square Garden really highlighted a point that I've been making throughout this campaign,” Harris said Monday before boarding Air Force Two to head to Saginaw, Michigan.
“He is focused and fixated on his grievances, on himself and on dividing our country and it is not in any way, something that will strengthen the American family, the American worker,” Harris said.
Comedian Tony Hinchliffe, among the speakers at the Sunday night Madison Square Garden event in New York, referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage,” and joked about a Black person in the crowd “carving watermelons.”
Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson provided a made-up ethnicity for Harris in his remarks, calling her “Samoan-Malaysian” and a “low IQ former California prosecutor.” In his speech, businessman Grant Cardone said Harris has “pimp handlers.”
- Joey Garrison
Joe Biden casts last ballot as president
President Joe Biden cast his early-voting ballot in the 2024 general election on Monday, his last as president.
The president waited in line at the Department of Elections office in Wilmington, Delaware, with about 50 people ahead of him. He chatted with people as he waited his turn.
After casting his vote, he shook hands with few people and posed for a photo. Asked if the experience was bittersweet, he said it "just sweet."
Biden decided to abandon his plans to seek re-election in July after a disastrous debate performance, paving the way for his Vice President Kamala Harris to win the Democratic nomination.
– Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy
Congressional Hispanic Caucus condemns Puerto Rico insults at Donald Trump's rally
Tony Hinchliffe, a comedian who called Puerto Rico a "floating island of garbage" at a Trump rally Sunday night, was leveling "a direct attack on countless hardworking Americans," a caucus representing Hispanic members of Congress said in a statement Monday.
"This type of language emboldens prejudice, encourages violence, and undermines the values of unity and respect that our country is built on," CHC Chair Rep. Nanette Barragán, D-Calif. said. "It’s deeply troubling to see Republican leaders celebrate this rhetoric instead of promoting unity and truth."
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus has an all-Democratic membership, while Republicans have their own Congressional Hispanic Conference.
– Riley Beggin
Elon Musk and his PAC sued by Philadelphia DA over $1 million giveaway
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner sued Elon Musk and his political action committee Monday to stop them from giving away $1 million each day to a swing state registered voter who signs their petition.
"America PAC and Musk are lulling Philadelphia citizens ... to give up their personal identifying information and make a political pledge in exchange for the chance to win $1 million," according to the legal complaint.
The lottery violates Pennsylvania's law requiring all lotteries in the state to be regulated by the government, according to the complaint. It also allegedly violates Pennsylvania consumer protection laws because Musk and his America PAC "have not published a complete set of lottery rules or shown how they are protecting the privacy of participants’ personal information."
The U.S. Justice Department has already sent the PAC a warning letter, saying the giveaway could violate federal election law, according to a Wednesday CNN report. Federal law prohibits paying people to register to vote, and some legal experts say the giveaway could violate that law because you have to be registered to sign the petition.
– Aysha Bagchi and Josh Meyer
Steve Bannon to be released from prison Tuesday
Steve Bannon, former White House chief strategist under the Trump administration, will be released from a Connecticut prison on Tuesday – a week out from Election Day – after serving a four month sentence.
He reported to prison for contempt of Congress after defying a subpoena from the House committee that investigated the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021. He was also fined $6,500.
-- Sudiksha Kochi and Bart Jansen
Actress Kerry Washington says voters are 'the real fixers' at Wisconsin stop for Harris
Wisconsin needed handling. So the Harris campaign sent Kerry Washington.
Washington, who played the fictional uber-fixer Olivia Pope on the hit ABC series "Scandal," rallied Kamala Harris supporters on Sunday as an exclusive new USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll showed a dead heat in Wisconsin between the vice president and former President Donald Trump.
The Harris campaign is leaving nothing to chance in the Midwest in the final days of the presidential race and has been putting every celebrity and national politician available on the road.
"You here in Wisconsin have the capacity to save the soul of this county, to really stand between us and a man who has said that he wants to be a dictator on day one, to stand between us and a man who said he wants generals more like Hitler’s generals," Washington told a roomful of Black women on Sunday at a private Harris campaign event at a cafe.
– Francesca Chambers
Can early votes be counted before Election Day?
Laws that dictate when early votes are received, processed and counted vary by state.
Some places, like Alabama, Washington, D.C. and Idaho cannot begin counting votes until after the polls close on Election Day. Others, like Florida, Arizona and Nevada, can begin processing days before. Releasing results early is a felony in some states.
– Sam Woodward
Virginia asks Supreme Court to allow purge of suspected noncitizens from voter rolls
Virginia Republicans have asked the Supreme Court to let them reinstate a purge of suspected noncitizens from voter rolls.
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares filed an emergency petition with the high court hours after a federal appeals court on Sunday upheld a lower court's ruling stopping the purge.
U.S. District Judge Patricia Giles on Friday blocked a state program that had removed about 1,500 names since Aug. 7 because federal law prohibits voter purges within 90 days of an election. She also ordered the state to restore the registrations of those canceled during that period.
Miyares told the high court that decision violates "Virginia law and common sense." He asked for a high court decision by Tuesday.
– Bart Jansen and Maureen Groppe
Donald Trump's Madison Square Garden rally sparks backlash
Donald Trump's campaign stops on Monday come after his highly-touted Madison Square Garden rally courted controversy. A warm-up act from a comedian sparked a political furor with a key constituency Trump is hoping to win over in his bid for a second term in the White House.
During the early stages of the rally, the comedian Tony Hinchliffe, who goes by the stage name Kill Tony, mocked Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage” and also said Latino people have too many children. While Trump's campaign later sought to distance itself from the joke, it had already garnered condemnation from fellow Republicans, major celebrities and others.
– Zac Anderson
Harris would take cognitive test, says Trump should too
Harris said she would take a cognitive test, and challenged Trump to take one as well, in an interview with CBS over the weekend.
Trump called for Harris to take and "pass a test on Cognitive Stamina and Agility," in a post on Truth Social earlier this month. He wrote at the time, "she is slow and lethargic in answering even the easiest of questions."
Harris hit back, telling CBS anchor Norah O’Donnell, "This is what he has resorted to.
“And I think he actually is increasingly unstable and unhinged,” she continued, “and has resorted to name calling because he actually has no plan for the American people,"
– Savannah Kuchar
Senate poll roundup: Republicans remain ahead in Montana, ties in Pennsylvania and Michigan
Several new polls released Monday and over the weekend show Democrats have an advantage in Arizona and Wisconsin's Senate races, while Republicans have an edge Montana, Nebraska and Texas.
And two new polls from InsiderAdvantage in Pennsylvania and Michigan show Senate races there in a statistical tie. In Michigan, Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin has consistently polled a few percentage points ahead of her opponent, former GOP Rep. Mike Rogers.
The race in Pennsylvania has been tighter, with incumbent Sen. Bob Casey, a Democrat, typically polling around one percentage point above GOP candidate David McCormick.
A poll from The Hill and Emerson College show Montana GOP candidate Tim Sheehy ahead of incumbent Sen. Jon Tester by four percentage points in the race that is likely to determine control of the U.S. Senate next year. Sheehy has consistently polled ahead of Tester in the state.
Incumbent Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Deb Fischer of Nebraska also remained ahead in polls against challengers in their states, according to a poll from the New York Times and Siena College.
Rep. Reuben Gallego, D-Ariz., remained ahead in polling against GOP candidate Kari Lake according to a poll from Trafalgar Group and Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., ahead of GOP challenger Eric Hovde by two percentage points in Wisconsin, according to a poll from USA TODAY and Suffolk University.
– Riley Beggin
When do we find out who won the election?
It is not clear exactly when the election results will be announced, as the timing depends on a variety of factors. Each state handles its elections differently, ranging from weeks-long early voting to strict voter ID laws.
But you can anticipate delays.
Some key swing states that Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are vying for, like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, aren't permitted to start processing absentee and mail-in ballots until Election Day, which is expected to slow down the count.
– Sudiksha Kochi and Sam Woodward
How many days until Election Day? See the countdown clock
There are just eight days until Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
– Sam Woodward
Are schools closed on Election Day?
It depends on your school or district, as well as the state where you live. However, many public schools will be closed for Election Day, which is Nov. 5.
Schools across the country are used as polling places where voters can cast their ballots on Election Day, along with community centers and other local gathering places.
– Sudiksha Kochi
What time do polls open on Election Day?
It depends where you live.
In some states like Arizona and Connecticut, polling locations can open as early as 6 a.m. on Election Day, which is Nov. 5. In other places, locations will open later in the morning, at 7 a.m. or 8 a.m.
You can find your polling location and its hours by contacting your state and local election office or visiting usa.gov for more information.
– Sudiksha Kochi
JB Pritzker hits Donald Trump after former president's allies accuse him of fascism
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker says Donald Trump “demonstrates all of the qualities of somebody who is using peoples’ fears to advance a cause that is antidemocratic” but declined on Sunday to directly label him a fascist.
“You can put whatever label you want on it, but you’ve heard him say antidemocratic things,” Pritzker told USA TODAY. “And at the same time, he says things that are motivational to some of the worst elements of peoples’ thinking – racism, sexism, you know, xenophobia, the concern about immigrants and so on.”
Pritzker added, “So there’s no doubt that you can take some quotes of Donald Trump’s and read them in the most extreme texts that there are out there, and say, he must be reading those, or someone is telling him those, and he is drawn to them.”
The governor's comments came after former White House chief of staff John Kelly in an interview with The New York Times last week said the 2024 presidential candidate fits the bill for a fascist.
Last year, after Trump pledged to root out fascists and referred to liberals as “vermin," Pritzker said the Republican’s comments were “frightening to those of us who know the history of Europe in the 1930s and 40s.” Kamala Harris said last week on CNN that she thinks Trump is a “fascist."
– Francesca Chambers
Trump-aligned group is already planning lawsuits over election results
A Trump-aligned group that has filed lawsuits in several swing states challenging voter registration lists is already planning to sue over this year's election results, one of the group's founders told USA TODAY.
"We feel compelled to file in defense of this beautiful country," said Marly Hornik, who co-founded United Sovereign Americans in 2023. "We already have signs and numbers coming in of errors inside of the process."
The organization, which describes itself as nonpartisan, is regularly represented by Bruce Castor, a lawyer for former President Donald Trump in his impeachment trial for the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Lawsuits from both the group and Republican organizations suggest widespread voter fraud could be happening – without providing proof that it is.
The claims feed into the false narrative from Trump that he didn't lose the 2020 election, which critics fear is a precursor to claiming similar election theft if he loses again. Numerous counts and audits showed President Joe Biden won the last presidential election. Nearly all of more than 60 lawsuits from Trump allies in the wake of that election failed.
– Aysha Bagchi
New polls show slim leads for Republicans in Nebraska and Texas Senate races
New polls from The New York Times/Siena College, conducted between Oct. 23 and Oct. 26, show tight Senate races in both Nebraska and Texas.
In Texas, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, a Trump-endorsed, two-term incumbent is leading his Democratic opponent Rep. Colin Allred 50% to 46% among 1,180 voters in Texas, according to the poll. Democrats have been eyeing the seat as one they could possibly flip to keep control of the Senate, pouring millions of dollars into the race.
In Nebraska, Republican Sen. Deb Fischer is leading her independent opponent Dan Osborn 48% to 46% among 1,194 voters in Nebraska. Five percent of likely voters said they were undecided or didn’t answer.
– Sudiksha Kochi
Court rejects Mississippi’s 5-day grace period for mailed ballots ? but policy for 2024 is uncertain
A federal appeals court revived a Republican lawsuit against Mississippi’s grace period for mailed ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted if they arrive up to five days after Election Day.
But the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals didn’t block the state law that allowed the grace period. Instead, the appeals court sent the case back to U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola for further review.
Guirola had rejected the lawsuit in the July from the state and national Republican Parties that challenged the grace period approved during the COVID pandemic. “The upshot: These statutes ‘mandate holding all elections for Congress and the Presidency on a single day throughout the Union,’” Judge Andrew Oldham wrote for the three-judge appeals panel.
If the case were appealed to the Supreme Court it could potentially have brought implications because more than a dozen states have grace periods for mailed ballots postmarked by Election Day to arrive up to 10 days afterward.
?Bart Jansen
Court refuses to revive Virginia policy to remove suspected noncitizens from voter rolls
A federal appeals court on Sunday rejected a Republican case from Virginia that sought to reinstate a purge of suspected noncitizens from voter rolls.
U.S. District Judge Patricia Giles on Friday had halted the state program that removed about 1,500 names since Aug. 7 because federal law prohibits removing names from voter rolls within 90 days of an election. She also ordered the registration of those who were removed to be restored.
The state appealed but the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Giles’ ruling.
"For the second time in three days, a federal court ruled Virginia's purge of eligible citizens is unlawful,” said Ryan Snow, a lawyer with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “We urge the Supreme Court to stop this madness and make it clear that it is unacceptable to block eligible citizens from voting."
?Bart Jansen
Harris and Trump locked in a dead heat in key battleground state, new poll shows
A new USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll found that Trump and Harris are almost tied in Wisconsin, 48% to 47%, among 500 likely voters. The results are within the poll’s margin of error of 4.4 percentage points. The poll was conducted Oct. 20 to 23.
In Door County, Wisconsin, which has been a bellwether for the state, Harris has a slight edge. Harris leads Trump in that area, 50% to 47%, the poll of 300 likely Door County voters found. The results are still within the margin of error of 5.7 percentage points.
Wisconsin, which has 10 electoral votes, is among several important swing states that both Trump and Harris are eyeing to help catapult them to the presidency.
? Rebecca Morin and Sudiksha Kochi
Does Puerto Rico vote in the 2024 presidential race?
No, Puerto Rican residents cannot vote for president.
They can help choose each party's nominee for president, however. The political parties have the ability to include them in the primary selection process.
Trump won Puerto Rico's 2024 GOP primary, winning 23 of the territory's Republican delegates.
While Puerto Ricans on the island can’t vote for President, more than two-thirds of Boricuas live in the United States where they can vote for president.
? Sudiksha Kochi
More: Does Puerto Rico vote for president? What to know about the island's role in the election
Trump faces backlash from Bad Bunny, Puerto Ricans amid fight for Latino vote
Puerto Ricans, including Grammy-winning artists Bad Bunny and Ricky Martin, widely condemned Trump after comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who goes by the stage name Kill Tony, derided the island as a “floating island of garbage” at the former president’s campaign rally in Madison Square Garden.
The backlash comes as Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris are locked in a tight race - and are counting on Latino voters to help get them to the White House. Puerto Rican voters living in the United States make up the second largest Latino group in the country, including in key battleground states like Pennsylvania.
In the face of a growing uproar, senior Trump advisor Danielle Alvarez on Sunday night issued a statement addressing Hinchcliffe's bit. “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign,” she said.
? Rebecca Morin and Sudiksha Kochi
Where do Trump, Harris stand in the polls?
Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are neck-and-neck in national polls. Trump leads Harris by 0.1 percentage points in Real Clear Politics' average of national polls, well within the margin of error of each survey included.
It's also a tight race in battleground states across the country. For example, according to Real Clear Politics' average of polls in Michigan, Trump leads by just 0.2 percentage points.
– Marina Pitofsky
Election Day is Nov. 5. Sign up for USA TODAY's On Politics newsletter for breaking news and exclusive analysis.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Election updates: Kamala Harris and Donald Trump court swing states