Jobs report set to be released days before election

(NEW YORK) — The Republican Nebraska lawmaker who effectively helped kill an 11th-hour push to make the winner of the state receive all of the Electoral College votes on Election Day — a move that would have likely benefited former President Donald Trump in a tight race with Vice President Kamala Harris — told ABC News Prime Anchor Linsey Davis that effort “did not seem fair.”

“I’m always willing to listen to people and try to find a compromise, but also try to understand why they’re voting yes … But this just did not seem fair. If we’re going to go ahead and change [the rules] in the state of Nebraska, I think we should do it mid-term. I think we should do it two years before the presidential election,” Nebraska State Sen. Mike McDonnell told Davis on Tuesday of the timing around a potential law change.

The potential winner-take-all electoral change would have been pivotal if the Republican-leaning state then allocated all of its five electoral votes solely to Trump if he won statewide, instead of dividing them with Harris if she won in one of Nebraska’s three congressional districts. Nebraska gives three Electoral College votes to the statewide winner and one to the winner of each congressional district.

Earlier this week, McDonnell, who was one of three state Republican holdouts that Gov. Jim Pillen needed to break an expected filibuster in a special legislative session, said he would not support the change before November. This announcement effectively killed the winner-take-all push.

Instead, McDonnell said he believed the legislature should take up the issue in next year’s legislative session, which tentatively starts the first week of January 2025.

“We do listen, as Nebraskans, and sometimes people say, oh, ‘Nebraska nice,’ that means, you know, you’re kind of weak — and it’s not. We work hard and we play by the rules and we’re just asking everyone to come in, work hard in Omaha, the 2nd Congressional District, and play by the rules,” McDonnell said Tuesday.

McDonnell mentioned that he had been opposed previously to “winner-take-all” in the state since he ran for legislature starting in 2016.

Pressed by Davis if anyone or anything could make him change his decision, McDonnell was resolute: “No. I’ve tried to listen and I always will listen. I think the rest of the country should follow us and look at the unicameral [Nebraska Legislature] and look at getting rid of the winner-take-all.”

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen later released a statement Tuesday confirming he has “no plans” to call a special session before the November general election.

Trump on Monday thanked Pillen for attempting to “simplify the complexity” of the state’s electoral map, while attacking McDonnell for opposing it, calling him a “Grandstander.”

“Unfortunately, a Democrat turned Republican(?) State Senator named Mike McDonnell decided, for no reason whatsoever, to get in the way of a great Republican, common sense, victory. Just another ‘Grandstander!'” Trump wrote in a social media post.

Meanwhile, Harris’ running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, while speaking at a New York fundraiser on Monday night, celebrated McDonnell’s decision, saying that the race would be close because the “Electoral College is the way it is,” before stating, “Thank God for that one guy in Omaha” — a reference to McDonnell.

Asked to respond to Trump’s comments, McDonnell said, “Well, today’s the first day I’ve talked to the media and I’m always willing to get, as I said, over the last eight years, serving in the legislature – willing to talk to people and listen.”

And asked about Walz’s comments and if Harris and Trump should make campaign stops in Omaha — as well as if his own decision may have changed the outcome of the election — McDonnell stayed away from making any predictions, but invited them both to Omaha.

“I’m inviting both Vice President Harris and President Trump. Come to Omaha. Come have a debate here! There’s still 42 days. Listen to the people. Talk to the people and answer the questions,” McDonnell said.

McDonnell emphasized that most — if not all — of the feedback he had gotten about the issue had been civil.

“We know it’s a very important issue. It’s a passionate issue, and people are passionate about it … 90% of them have been professional and polite,” McDonnell told Davis.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(CHICAGO) — The final day of the Democratic National Convention wraps up with Kamala Harris’ big moment: her acceptance speech in which she gets to tell her story to the millions of Americans watching.

Her campaign says, in addition to describing her middle-class upbringing, she will continue to stress optimism and patriotism — the “politics of joy” — the overall themes we’ve heard throughout the gathering.

Here’s how the news is developing:

Harris correct that Trump’s tariff proposal would act like a tax, but her estimated effects outpace independent analyses

Harris said Trump “intends to enact what in effect is a national sales tax —call it a Trump tax — that would raise prices on middle class families by almost $4,000 a year.”

Trump has said that he would propose a 10% tariff on all non-domestic goods sold in the U.S. While tariffs are levied separately from taxes, economists say that much of their impact would be passed along to consumers, making them analogous to a tax.

Harris’ figure about how much it will cost families is higher than current estimates.

The American Action Forum, a center-right think tank, has projected additional costs per household of $1,700 to $2,350 annually. The Peterson Institute of International Economics, another Washington, D.C.-based think tank, projected that such tariffs would cost a middle-income household about $1,700 extra each year.

—PolitiFact’s Louis Jacobson and Grace Abels

Excitement, but some disappointment

Harris jazzed up the crowd, but some attendees were sad about one notable no show.

“I’m so sad about Beyonce,” one attendee said.

Fact-checking Harris’ abortion attacks on Trump

Harris said, “As a part of his agenda, [Trump] and his allies would limit access to birth control, ban medication abortion, and enact a nationwide abortion ban, with or without Congress. And get this … He plans to create a national anti-abortion coordinator and force states to report on women’s miscarriages and abortions.”

Most of the language in Harris’ claim stems from the policies in Project 2025. But it’s not all accurate. Project 2025 doesn’t call to ban abortion nationwide, though its recommendations could curtail some contraceptives and limit abortion access. In addition, what’s known about Trump’s abortion agenda doesn’t line up with either Harris’ description or Project 2025’s wish list.

Project 2025 suggests that the Department of Health and Human Services Department should “return to being known as the Department of Life by explicitly rejecting the notion that abortion is health care.”

The manual recommends that the Food and Drug Administration reverse its 2000 approval of mifepristone, the first pill taken in a two-drug regimen for a medication abortion, which is the most common form of abortion in the U.S. — accounting for around 63% of abortions in 2023. (In June, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a legal challenge to mifepristone’s FDA approval over procedural grounds.)

If mifepristone were to remain approved, Project 2025 recommends new rules, such as cutting limits on its use from 10 weeks into pregnancy to seven and requiring that it be provided to patients in person — part of the group’s efforts to limit access to the drug by mail. It also calls for the Justice Department to enforce the 1873 Comstock Act, which bans the mailing of “obscene” materials, with respect to mifepristone. Abortion access supporters fear that a strict interpretation of the law could go further to ban mailing the materials used in procedural abortions, such as surgical instruments and equipment.

The plan proposes withholding federal money from states that don’t report to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention how many abortions take place within their borders; would prohibit abortion providers, such as Planned Parenthood, from receiving Medicaid funds; and calls for the Department of Health and Human Services to ensure that the training of medical professionals, including doctors and nurses, omits abortion training.

The document says some forms of emergency contraception — particularly Ella, a pill that can be taken within five days of unprotected sex to prevent pregnancy — should be excluded from no-cost coverage. The Affordable Care Act requires most private health insurers to cover recommended preventive services, which involves a range of birth control methods, including emergency contraception.

As for how this all aligns with Trump’s views, the former president recently said states should decide abortion regulations and that he wouldn’t block access to contraceptives. He said during his June 27 debate with Biden that he wouldn’t ban mifepristone after the Supreme Court “approved” it. But the court rejected the lawsuit based on standing, not the case’s merits. He has not weighed in on the Comstock Act or said whether he supports it being used to block abortion medication, or other kinds of abortions.

—PolitiFact’s Samantha Putterman and Aaron Sharockman

100,000 balloons drop on crowd

Some 100,000 red, white and blue balloons are falling in the arena while Beyonce’s “Freedom” plays as the final night of the DNC wraps up.

In preparation, volunteers and convention staff began inflating them on Wednesday, a convention official said.

Harris has a fine line to walk on Israel-Hamas

This speech was the first time Harris has spoken at such length to address the Israel-Hamas war and crisis in Gaza. She has to walk a fine line to balance American foreign policy interests in supporting Israel with the serious concerns many of her party’s voters have about the conflict’s impacts on individuals in Gaza. Protests have continued throughout the DNC to include the voice of Palestinians on stage, and “Uncommitted” movement voters have been pushing the Democrats to take a harder line on Israel.

— 538’s Monica Potts

‘America let us show each other and the world who we are’

Harris wrapped her historic speech by again citing her late mother’s words.

“My mother had another lesson she used to teach. Never let anyone tell you who you are. You show them who you are,” she said.

“America, let us show each other, and the world who we are, and what we stand for: Freedom, opportunity, compassion, dignity, fairness and endless possibilities,” she added

Harris pushed Americans to remember “the privilege and pride of being an American.”

“Let’s get out there and let’s fight for it. Let’s get out there, and let’s vote for it,” she said.

Fact-checking Harris’ claim Trump would deploy the military against U.S. citizens

In a litany of attacks against Trump, Harris cited the former president’s “explicit intent to deploy our active duty military against our own citizens.’

In 2023, Trump told voters at a campaign rally in Iowa that he wouldn’t wait for governors or mayors to “get crime out of our cities” by calling in the military.

Calling New York City and Chicago “crime dens,” Trump said, “And one of the other things I’ll do — because you’re supposed to not be involved in that, you just have to be asked by the governor or the mayor to come in — the next time, I’m not waiting. One of the things I did was let them run it, and we’re going to show how bad a job they do … We don’t have to wait any longer.”

—PolitiFact’s Aaron Sharockman

Scenes from inside the United Center

As Harris speaks, onlookers old and young are hanging on to every word of her historic acceptance speech.

Project 2025 is unpopular

Harris earlier mentioned Project 2025, which risks getting too wonky for the average viewer. But Democrats have been talking about it a lot this week, trying to tie it to Trump. The plan, a conservative roadmap for governance, is pretty unpopular with voters and is getting more so over time. In July, it was 32 points underwater on favorability. A majority of respondents also don’t like the specific policies laid out, like “firing thousands of federal employees and replacing them with appointees loyal to the president,” “reducing federal civil rights protections for lesbian, gay, and transgender people,” and withdrawing federal approval for the abortion pill mifepristone.

— 538’s Monica Potts

Harris calls for cease-fire deal, says Israel must be able to defend itself

Harris, like Biden before her, is trying to balance support for Israel’s security with condemnation of the violence in Gaza.

She said she and Biden are working around the clock for a hostage and cease-fire deal.

“I will always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself because the people of Israel must never again face the horror that a terrorist organization called Hamas calls on Oct. 7,” she said. “At the same time, what has happened in Gaza over the past 10 months is devastating so many innocent lives lost.”

Harris on her vision as commander-in-chief

Harris laid out her experience on the global stage as vice president, saying she has “confronted threats to our security, negotiated with foreign leaders, strengthened our alliances and engaged with our brave troops overseas.”

“As commander-in-chief, I will ensure America always has the strongest, most lethal fighting force in the world. And I will fulfill our sacred obligation to care for our troops and their families, and I will always honor and never disparage their service and their sacrifice,” she said, as the crowd broke out into a chant of “U.S.A.!”

Harris vows to sign border bill that Trump derailed

Harris turned to the issue of immigration talking about the need to come up with legislation to properly secure the border.

On Thursday, Trump was at the border and slammed her for what he called failed policies.

Harris reminded that Congress was close to bringing a bipartisan bill that was backed by border patrol agents and others. She vowed to revive that bill.

“I refuse to play politics with our security, and here is my pledge to you as president, I will bring back the bipartisan border security bill that he killed, and I will sign it into law,” she said.

Harris talking about one of her strongest issues: reproductive rights

Harris struggled to find her role in the first few years of the Biden administration, but began to shine when talking about the fight for reproductive rights after the fall of Roe v. Wade.

“Let’s be clear about how we got here, Donald Trump hand picked members of the United States Supreme Court to take away reproductive freedom, and now he brags about it,” she said.

She then turned her ire to Republicans in Congress.

“Why exactly is it that they don’t trust women?” she said. “Well, we trust women.”

Harris’ family, running mate watch her speak

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff, seated with his children and Harris’ sister Maya, was seen wiping his eyes after Harris walked out to the lectern. He was the first person to receive a shout-out from the vice president, who remarked on their 10th wedding anniversary.

Her running mate, Tim Walz, was also looking on with emotion as she took the stage.

Harris warns of dangers under ‘Project 2025’

Harris discussed the controversial “Project 2025” conservative policy proposals contending that would mean “Donald Trump with no guardrails.”

“He would use the immense powers of the presidency of the United States not to improve your life, not to strengthen our national security, but to serve the only client he has ever had: himself,” she said.

“Its sum total is to pull our country back to the past,” Harris said of “Project 2025. “But America, we are not going back.”

Harris sparks deafening ‘we’re not going back’ chant
After proclaiming, “America, we are not going back,” the crowd erupted into chants of “we’re not going back.”

The chants got so loud that at first, you couldn’t hear Harris over the speakers.

Harris pivots to attack on Trump: ‘Unserious man’ with ‘serious’ consequences

Harris called the election “one of the most important in the life of our nation” as she pivoted to talking about Trump.

She called him an “unserious man” who if put back in the White House would have “extremely serious” consequences.

“Consider not only the chaos and calamity when he was in office, but also the gravity of what has happened since he lost the last election,” she said, going on to discuss the insurrection and his fraud conviction.

Harris makes unity pitch

“I know there are people of various political views watching tonight, and I want you to know, I promise to be a president for all Americans,” she said. “You can always trust me to put country above party and self, to hold sacred America’s fundamental principles, from the rule of law to free and fair elections, to the peaceful transfer of power. “

“I will be a president who unites us around our highest aspirations, a president who lead us and listens, who is realistic, practical and has common sense and always fights for the American people from the courthouse to the White House,” she continued. “That has been my life’s work.”

Reframing economics as an issue for Democrats

I wrote about this earlier today in our 538 politics chat, but the Harris campaign has been working to reframe their party’s position on the economy, an issue that’s always at the top of voters’ minds. It’s an issue that Democrats have been lagging behind Trump on throughout this election cycle, though Harris has been gaining a bit of ground since she entered the race.

Other DNC speakers have touted Harris’s history of working at McDonald’s and her middle-class roots, while her speech emphasized that again tonight with her stories of growing up in Oakland. I expect more of this on the campaign, as Walz, a former teacher, and Harris try to connect with working-class voters.

—538’s Monica Potts

Harris accepts presidential nomination

Harris accepted the party’s nomination behalf of the American people.

Harris brings back Michelle Obama’s ‘do something’ mantra

“My mother was a brilliant, five foot tall, brown woman with an accent,” Harris said. “And as the eldest child, I saw how the world would sometimes treat her. But my mother never lost her cool. She was tough, courageous, a trailblazer in the fight for women’s health, and she taught Maya and me a lesson that Michelle mentioned the other night: She taught us to never complain about injustice, but do something about it.”

“That was my mother — and she also taught us, and ‘never do anything half-a–ed.’ And that is a direct quote.”

Harris received a three-minute standing ovation

from the time she stepped foot on stage to being able to begin her speech in earnest, three minutes passed as the crowd cheered her on.

“Let’s get to business,” she said at one point, laughing and thanking the audience.

Harris wishes husband a happy anniversary

Harris thanked her husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, for being an “incredible” partner and father and wished him a happy 10th anniversary as he watched her from the crowd.

“I love you so very much,” she said.

Harris thanks Biden

The vice president thanked Biden for his service nothing that “history will show and your character is inspiring.”

Harris walks out to her campaign’s anthem “Freedom”

The vice president walked on stage to the Beyoncé song. She is receiving a long ovation from the crowd.

Harris takes the stage to a standing ovation

Harris walked onto the stage to a roaring crowd who gave her a standing ovation.

Kinzinger’s comments on democracy hinted at a strength for Democrats.

When Kinzinger spoke about Harris protecting democracy, he was speaking to an issue voters trust Harris on. She leads Trump by 6 points on the issue of “protecting American democracy” in an ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll from earlier this month. 77% of voters also said this issue was important in determining their vote.

—538’s Monica Potts

Excitement builds for … someone

Attendees are excited for the next speaker, whoever it is.

As Cooper called on swing state delegations to stand up for Harris, one attendee said, “and stand up for Beyoncé.”

NC’s Roy Cooper was in the veepstakes but removed himself from contention

Cooper, who represents a potential battleground state Democrats are looking to flip from red to blue, described Harris as a “fighter” for American families ahead of her acceptance speech.

The governor was on the VP contender shortlist but removed himself from consideration, saying he strongly supported Harris but it wasn’t the right time for North Carolina or for him to be on the national ticket.

Fact-checking Kinzinger’s jab on Vance and Ukraine

Former Republican U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger criticized the foreign policy positions of Trump and Vance, saying at one point that Vance said, “I don’t care what happens in Ukraine.”

“And he wants to be vice president?” Kinzinger asked.

Vance did say something close to that, days before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In an interview with former Trump administration official Steve Bannon in February 2022, Vance said, “I gotta be honest with you, I don’t really care what happens to Ukraine one way or the other.”

—PolitiFact’s Aaron Sharockman

Harris up soon

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper introduced himself by teasing that he’s “the last guy standing between you and the moment we’re all waiting for.”

United Center filled to capacity ahead of Harris’ speech

United Center is at capacity and officials are not allowing anyone in due to fire hazard.

Long lines remain at all entry points to try to get a peek inside.

-ABC News’ Mark Guarino

‘Democracy knows no party’: Kinzinger

Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger said he never thought he’d be at the DNC — but the Republican went on to explain what drew him to support Harris.

“Donald Trump has suffocated the soul of the Republican Party,” he said. “His fundamental weakness has coursed through my party like an illness. Sapping our strength. Softening our spine. Whipping us into a fever that has untethered us from our values.”

He said the Democrats are “as patriotic as” Republicans, continuing a theme of the night, as the crowd chanted “U.S.A.!”

After recounting the “profound sorrow” of Jan. 6, he said he suspected other conservatives would belong at the DNC as well.

“Democracy knows no party. It is a living, breathing ideal that defines us as a nation. It is the bedrock that separates us from tyranny — and when that foundation is fractured, we must stand united to strengthen it,” he said, while urging people to “vote for our bedrock values” by voting for Harris.

Eva Longoria leads crowd in ‘She se puede’

Actress Eva Longoria hyped up the crowd by taking the Latino motto “Si, se puede,” “Yes, we can,” which was used throughout Barack Obama’s campaign, and adding a twist.

“Tonight, I’m here to tell you, yes, she can. So, we’re going to say, ‘she se puede,'” she said leading to a chant from the crowd.

Harris is working to rebuild the Biden coalition

Our colleague at 538, Mary Radcliffe, did a deep dive earlier this week into polling crosstabs to see how Harris is doing with the coalition of voters that successfully elected Biden in 2020. We’re hearing from Black, Latino and Midwest politicians and celebrities tonight because that’s part of who Harris has to get to the polls to recreate that winning formula this November. You can read more detail in our story.

— 538’s Monica Potts

Adam Kinzinger rounds out slate of GOP speakers

Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger is delivering a prime-time speech in support of Harris — rounding out a slate of Republicans who have spoken at the DNC this week, including former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, Mayor John Giles of Mesa, Arizona, former Trump White House national security official Olivia Troye and former Trump White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham.

Kinzinger, who retired from the House in 2023, has been a vocal Trump critic over the years, and although he describes himself as a “proud conservative,” he endorsed then-candidate Joe Biden for reelection in June.

The former Illinois congressman sat on the House’s Jan. 6 select committee that investigated the attack. He was also one of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump on a charge of inciting the Jan. 6 attack.

Since Harris replaced Biden as the Democratic nominee, Kinzinger has supported the vice president, saying she stands for democracy.

-ABC News’ Sarah Beth Hensley

Fact-checking Ruben Gallego’s claim about veteran unemployment

Arizona Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Ruben Gallego talked about veterans issues in his remarks, claiming “Kamala Harris has delivered more benefits to more veterans than ever before, and has achieved the lowest veterans unemployment rate in history.”

Leaving aside what Harris did specifically to lower unemployment for veterans, the numbers show that the unemployment rate for veterans in 2023 dropped to 3%, the lowest average the Bureau of Labor Statistics recorded since it began tracking the veterans data in 2000.

—PolitiFact’s Aaron Sharockman

‘Big Gretch’ Whitmer talks about how Harris will ‘G.S.D.’

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, or as she introduced herself “Big Gretch” got a huge ovation as she took the stage and immediately took a jab at Trump.

“Donald Trump called me ‘that woman from Michigan’ as an insult. But being a woman from Michigan is a badge of honor. Like women across America, we just G.S.D. — Get Stuff Done,” using the sanitized version of the slogan.

Whitmer talked about the struggles of raising her child and helping her elderly mother. The governor noted that Harris has lived a similar life, unlike Trump

“You think he understands that when your car breaks down you can’t get to work? No! His first word was probably ‘chauffeur,'” she said.

Whitmer acknowledged the last couple of years have been hard but in the end they need to make sure the commander in chief is ready for any crisis like Harris.

“Why wouldn’t we choose the leader who’s tough, tested and a total bada–?” she said to cheers.

‘Listen to President Reagan’: Leon Panetta

While making the case for Harris as commander-in-chief, Leon Panetta, the Secretary of Defense under former President Barack Obama, said Trump will “abandon our allies and isolate America.”

“Listen to President Reagan,” Panetta said. “Isolationism never was and never will be an acceptable response to tyrannical governments.”

In drawing a comparison between the two candidates, he said, “Trump tells tyrants like Putin they can do whatever the hell they want. Kamala Harris tells tyrants the hell you can. Not on my watch.”

He drew the largest applause when he said that the role of the U.S. military is to defend us from foreign enemies and “sure as hell isn’t to put immigrants in camps.”

Ruben Gallego brings out veterans, torches Trump

Rep. Ruben Gallego, an Iraq war veteran, brought on stage Democratic veterans serving their county and in elected offices at every level.

“These veterans represent the best of our country,” he said. “We stand united as veterans, Democrats and patriots to fight for everyone who serves.”

“But politicians like Donald Trump. They don’t stand with us,” he said. “They call patriots like Sen. McCain ‘losers.’ John McCain was an American hero. Show some respect.”

Gallego is running for Senate in Arizona against Trump-ally Kari Lake.

Harris’ motorcade arrives at United Canter

The vice president’s motorcade arrived at the United Center at 9:48 p.m. ET, according to the press pool.

Prime-time spot for Panetta

Another sign of how Democrats are trying to turn patriotism and national security arguments on their head, is the prime-time speaking spot for Leon Panetta — telling the story about giving the order that led to the death of Osama bin Laden.

-ABC News’ Rick Klein

Fact-checking Mark Kelly: ‘Trump skipped his intelligence briefings’

Trump was not known to look through the Presidential Daily Brief regularly or read it to completion. He relied instead on oral briefings that he received from intelligence officials every few days.

Former National Security Adviser John Bolton wrote in his memoir that “Trump generally had only two intelligence briefings per week, and in most of those, he spoke at greater length than the briefers, often on matters completely unrelated to the subjects at hand.”

—PolitiFact’s Aaron Sharockman

Mark Kelly touts Harris’ strength on foreign security

Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly joked that it was tough to follow-up his wife Gabrielle Giffords and P!nk, but zeroed in on the topic of foreign security.

Kelly, who was in consideration for the vice president spot on the Democratic ticket, warned of Trump’s support of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his lack of support for America’s allies.

“Vice President Harris has always championed America’s support for NATO, for Ukraine and for the Ukrainian people,” he contended.

Kelly, a retired astronaut and Navy pilot, also chastised Trump for his treatment of service members.

“Trump thinks that Americans who have made the ultimate sacrifice are suckers and losers. If we fall for that again and make him the commander in chief, the only suckers would be us,” he said.

Security is next theme of the night

In line with various speakers’s emphasis on Harris as a would-be strong commander-in-chief, now the conversation is shifting toward security.

A video just aired of a previous Harris speech on the need for a “strong America” to ensure global stability and democracy.

Speaking now is retired Air Force general and NASA astronaut Mark Kelly. Up soon is former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.

Republicans should ‘forfeit’ conventions: Meghan McCain

Conservative political commentator Meghan McCain has some advice for Republicans while watching the DNC tonight.

“Maybe republicans just shouldn’t have conventions… just forfeit because I DO NOT KNOW HOW YOU CAN COMPETE WITH THIS!” she tweeted.

P!nk rocks the house

Artist P!nk took the stage with her daughter Willow Sage Hart to sing “What about us?”

The 2017 song was written in response to the unrest going on in the country, the singer has said in previous interviews.

Mark Kelly operates iPad with speech for wife Gabby Giffords

Gabby Giffords, who survived a near-fatal gun shot to the head, spoke Thursday night on how she survived the assassination attempt and the need for gun reform.

“I survived!” she exclaimed.

Her husband, Sen. Mark Kelly, was advancing her speech on an iPad as her own version of a teleprompter.

‘I reach out for the daughter I will never hold again’: Impactful stories on gun violence
Four people impacted by gun violence shared their stories with the crowd in moving statements.

Abbey Clements of Newtown, Connecticut, a teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary, said she carries that “horrific day” with her, when 20 children and six of her colleagues were shot.

“They should still be here,” she said.

Kim Rubio of Uvalde, Texas, whose daughter was one of 19 children killed in the Robb Elementary School shooting, recounted that day through tears.

“I reach out for the daughter I will never hold again,” she said, as the crowd yelled out her daughter’s name.

Melody McFadden of Charleston, South Carolina, said her niece’s murder on a beach remains unsolved.

“I’ll keep fighting,” she said.

Edgar Vilchez of Chicago, Illinois, recounted when his high school classmate was shot in school.

“Instead of worried about taking a test, I started worrying about living to take another test,” he said.

He said he learned a lot that day: “How to run, how to hide and drop.”

Georgia Rep. Lucy McBath said the stories “strengthen their resolve” to fight for the “safer futures that we all deserve.”

Gun violence takes focus

Americans impacted by mass shootings just shared their heartrending stories.

Speaking next is Gabby Giffords, who was shot during an assassination attempt in when she was in Congress.

Gun violence is among the top issues in the Democratic Party’s platform, which calls for an assault weapons ban and ending the gun industry’s immunity from liability. In contrast, the GOP convention platform made no mention of firearm violence or gun control.

Harris’ record as a prosecutor was seen differently when she ran in 2020

In speeches and videos, the convention is talking about Harris’ record as a prosecutor. It’s a reminder that the national mood has shifted since her last run for president, when she ran in the 2020 Democratic primary. At the time, efforts to reform policing were reaching a fever pitch, and her record as a prosecutor actually hurt her with progressives in the party. Those issues would only grow by the time she joined Biden’s ticket as vice president, after the murder of George Floyd in Minnesota.

But that was four years go. Support for the Black Lives Matter movement has dropped since then, and Harris is working to reframe her history as a prosecutor to portray herself as a champion of victims. She’s also framing it in opposition to Trump, who has since been convicted in a felony case in Manhattan and is facing several other charges.

—538’s Monica Potts

Biden posts picture of phone call to Harris before speech

In an X post Thursday night, President Joe Biden said he and the first lady just talked to Harris ahead her speech at the convention coming up.

He added that they “can’t wait to watch her accept this historic nomination.”

In the photo, the Bidens, who are in Santa Ynez, California, are standing in front of a TV with the DNC on screen and Biden is holding a phone.

“Kamala and Tim will inspire a generation and lead us into the future,” Biden said in the post.

March outside DNC continues on final night

Marchers took to the street before sundown on the final day of the DNC. They stretched for more than a mile and took nearly three hours to reach its final destination in Union Park, four blocks west of the stadium.

Hatem Abudayyeh, spokesperson for the coalition, said nearly 8,000 people were in the streets marching. Their goal all week was to raise awareness of the plight of Palestinians, which he said was a success, especially when President Joe Biden mentioned the protestors in his speech Tuesday.

“It means people know we are here, and they are talking about us,” he said.

As marchers slowly moved through a residential street, just two blocks from the stadium, they banged drums, chanted (“just like 1968/nothing here to celebrate”) and taunted Chicago police officers who lined both sides of the street with bicycles.

A skirmish briefly forced the march to pause when several people surrounded Chris Eston, 21, of Peoria, who carried an American flag. After a block of pushing and shoving with the coalition protestors, Eston eventually was ejected from the street by police officers.

“They called my fascist,” he said of the marchers. “I told them in a true fascist country, protests don’t exist. If they’d do this in Iran, they’d get shot.”

-ABC News’ Mark Guarino

What to know about Harris’ family

Several members of Harris’ family, including stepdaughter Ella Emhoff and niece Meena Harris, were up on stage addressing the DNC. Her sister, Maya Harris, is also slated to speak later tonight.

Here’s what to know about her family.

‘Scandal’ stars reunite to fire up crowd: ‘You’re the Olivia Popes’

Kerry Washington took the stage to kick off prime-time coverage.

She began by criticizing any naysayers about a celebrity being at the convention and noted that this was not her moment, but every American’s.

“You are the messengers. You are the fixers. Dare I say it? You are the Olivia Popes,” she said referring to her character on the hit ABC show “Scandal.” “You are the superheroes saving this democracy.”

Washington ended her speech with a reunion with her “Scandal” co-star Tony Goldwyn, who came out to take a selfie with the roaring crowd.

‘Comma-la’

Harris’ two great-nieces were brought out for a tutorial with the crowd on how to pronounce her first name.

Since Harris entered the presidential race, Trump has reverted to an old ploy in his line of attack against her: mispronouncing and mocking her name.

“Confusion is understandable. Disrespect is not,” host Kerry Washington said.

Her name is a nod to her Indian heritage on her mother’s side. In her 2019 memoir, Harris wrote that she pronounced it “Comma-la” and that it means “lotus flower.”

The Chicks sing the national anthem

The Chicks are singing the national anthem, as the prime-time programming kicks off.

It’s been more than 20 years after the group went from country music darlings to pariahs after speaking out against then-President George W. Bush at a concert in the run-up to the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

“Just so you know, we’re ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas,” singer Natalie Maines told fans in London in March 2003.

Maines later apologized, saying her remark was “disrespectful.” But country radio stations across the country yanked the trio from playlists, while some protesters resorted to publicly trashing their CDs to demonstrate against the singers’ perceived lack of patriotism.

The group changed their named from The Dixie Chicks in June 2020, during the height of the Black Lives Matter protests. They also released their first album in 14 years — “Gaslighter” — that year.

Sea of American flags

Scores of attendees are waving American flags as DJ Metro spins songs including Beyonce’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” and John Mellencamp’s “Small Town.”

A big theme of the week is patriotism.

Families share personal stories on hot-button political issues

Anya Cook, a Florida woman, spoke about being denied reproductive care as she experienced a miscarriage.

Craig Sicknick, with his mother at his side, spoke about his brother: fallen Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who died after the attack on Jan. 6, 2021.

“My family knows how dangerous Trump is,” Sicknick said. “He incited the crowd, while my brother and his fellow officers were putting their lives at risk.”

Gail DeVore spoke about her diabetes diagnosis and the stress of being able to afford insulin. She praised the Biden-Harris administration for working to lower prescription drug prices.

Juanny Romero, the owner of a coffee shop, thanked the Biden-Harris administration for its support for small businesses during the COVID pandemic. Their policies, she said, helped her company double in size.

Steph Curry makes video appearance

Recent Olympic gold medalist and Golden State Warriors point guard Steph Curry made a video address at the convention.

The video included clips of Harris meeting with the Olympic men’s basketball team during a practice.

“That unity on and off the court reminded us all that together, we can do all things and continue to inspire the world. That’s what I believe. That Kamala, as president, can bring that unity back and continue to move our country forward,” he said.

Gen Z congressman addresses climate crisis

Florida Rep. Maxwell Frost, the first Gen Zer elected to Congress, spoke about how Harris and Walz plan to address the climate crisis, including through creating jobs that invest in clean energy.

“Fighting the climate crisis is patriotic, and unlike Donald Trump, our patriotism is more than some damn slogan on a hat,” he said.

Human-trafficking survivor reflects on Harris’ fight for victims

Courtney Baldwin, a survivor of sex trafficking and now a youth organizer, spoke about how then-California Attorney General Kamala Harris shut down the illicit website that listed her and other victims for sale.

Baldwin said she yearned for hope during those dark moments when she was able to hold on to pursue her dreams.

“Vice President Harris is fearless, compassionate, and she still gives me hope. She’s protected people like me her whole life, and I know she’ll fight for us all as president,” she said.

Healey says she ‘can’t wait’ for September debate

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said she can’t wait to see Harris “prosecute the case against Donald Trump” during their ABC News debate on Sept. 10.

Democrats continue to lean into prosecutor v. felon theme

Tonight’s speakers include several prosecutors with ties to Harris or even Trump — including Tristan Snell, who spoke on stage about taking on Trump University fraud.

“Kamala Harris fought scammers like him. And as president, she will continue to fight for you, for us, for the people,” Snell said.

Democrats see the contrast between Harris the prosecutor and Trump the felon as a winning message.

“It’s a beautiful split screen,” Maria Cardona, a Democratic strategist and former senior adviser to Hillary Clinton and former communications director for the Democratic National Committee, previously told ABC News.

“She went after bad people who hurt the people that she was representing and that’s exactly what she’s doing now,” Cardona said.

Trump a ‘hateful man’: ‘Exonerated 5’

New York City Council member Yusef Salaam, one of the five men exonerated in the “Central Park Five” case, called Trump a “hateful man” during his DNC appearance.

“He wanted us dead,” Salaam said. “Today, we are exonerated because the actual perpetrator confessed. And DNA proved it.”

Korey Wise, another one of the men who was exonerated in the case, said they were “threatened” by people after Trump ran ads calling for the death penalty for violent crimes in New York in the wake of the attack.

He said Harris, by comparison, has “worked to make things fairer.”

“I know she will do the same as president and I approve that message,” Wise said.

Harris to promise to be ‘a president for all Americans’

In her acceptance speech tonight, Harris will deliver a message of unity as Democrats look to appeal to independent voters.

“With this election, our nation has a precious, fleeting opportunity to move past the bitterness, cynicism and divisive battles of the past,” she will say. “A chance to chart a New Way Forward. Not as members of any one party or faction, but as Americans.”

“I know there are people of various political views watching tonight. And I want you to know: I promise to be a president for all Americans,” Harris will say, according to released excerpts of her speech.

“I will be a president who unites us around our highest aspirations. A president who leads — and listens. Who is realistic. Practical. And has common sense. And always fights for the American people. From the courthouse to the White House, that has been my life’s work.”

Trump’s tie to the ‘Central Park 5’ case

Four of the five men in the “Central Park Five” who were wrongfully convicted in the 1989 rape of a Central Park jogger appeared at the DNC.

The five Black and Latino men, who were teenagers at the time of their arrest, were taken into custody, hounded in police interrogations and ultimately gave false confessions in the brutal assault on jogger Trisha Meili.

While the five teenagers awaited their trial, former President Donald Trump bought newspaper ads calling for New York to adopt the death penalty for violent crimes.

“Bring back the death penalty. Bring back our police!” the ad stated in all caps.

The five men were exonerated in 2002 after convicted rapist Matias Reyes confessed to being Meili’s sole attacker, and Reyes’ DNA was matched to the crime scene. New York City settled with the Central Park Five in 2014 for $41 million in a civil rights lawsuit.

When asked in 2019, following the release of a Netflix series about the case, whether he would apologize for the ads to the men who were exonerated in the Central Park jogger case, Trump refused.

“Why do you bring that question up now? It’s an interesting time to bring it up. You have people on both sides of that,” he said. “They admitted their guilt. If you look at Linda Fairstein and you look at some of the prosecutors, they think that the city should never have settled that case, so we’ll leave it at that.”

Following Trump’s indictment in 2023 on 34 felony counts of falsified business records in the hush money case, some of the exonerated men called it “karma.”

Speakers make case for Harris as commander in chief

The DNC is highlighting national security, with recent speakers Colorado Rep. Jason Crow, a former Army Ranger; Michigan Rep. Elissa Slotkin and New York Rep. Pat Ryan, an Army veteran, making the case for Harris as the commander in chief.

“I’ll tell you what I think of Donald Trump. They told me I can’t say that word on TV,” Ryan said.

Slotkin leans in on patriotism

Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., made it clear: Democrats are patriotic, too.

Her speech was the most vocal example of how Democrats are taking back words like “freedom” and symbols like the flag, leaning on her time in the CIA and accusing Republicans of betraying the values they represent.

“We’re the damn United States of America. We lead,” she thundered in conclusion.

Warren makes couch joke when talking about Trump, Vance

Warren, a policy wonk, said she trusted Harris to handle the economy, abortion, climate change and more.

“Trust Donald Trump and JD Vance?” she said. “To look out for your family? Shoot, I wouldn’t let those guys — I wouldn’t trust them to move my couch.”

Elizabeth Warren gets teary-eyed during long ovation

The Massachusetts senator was seen wiping her eyes as she got emotional during a rapturous welcome from attendees at the United Center.

Vulnerable senators finally make an appearance

Last night, I commented on how few Democratic Senate candidates had addressed the DNC thus far — including zero in competitive races. Well, that ends tonight. Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin spoke earlier, and Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania was just on stage. Both are in competitive races in swing states this fall.

-538’s Nathaniel Rakich

Early speakers breeze through speeches

The beginning of the fourth night has been moving briskly, with shorter speeches.

Although there have been a few musical interludes from DJ Metro, they also did not last long. The previous three nights of the DNC have ended after 11 p.m. ET.

Harris’ plan for middle-class families

Massachusetts Rep. Katherine Clark focused on the burden of child care costs, saying Harris and Walz “know that when everyone can find and afford child care, our kids and our communities will thrive.”

The Harris campaign said it aims to keep some money in middle-class consumers’ pockets by reducing their tax burden.

The plans include a restoration of the expanded child tax credit of $3,600 per child that expired in 2022. Harris also proposed an additional, new $6,000 child tax credit for families with a child in the first year of life.

What Harris has proposed to help homeowners

Former HUD secretary Marcia Fudge and Congressman Ted Lieu just touted Harris’ housing proposals, which she unveiled last week.

Harris has vowed to provide up to $25,000 in down-payment support for first-time homeowners and called for the construction of 3 million new housing units to ease the housing supply shortage.

Read more about what economists had to say about Harris’ plan.

Sen. Padilla: ‘I knew that I had some big Chuck Taylors to fill’

Sen. Alex Padilla, the first Latino to represent California and Vice President Kamala Harris’ Senate successor, told the crowd “I knew that I had some big Chuck Taylors to fill.”

Harris for years has often sported the popular shoe.

White outfits fill convention arena

White outfits peppered the convention hall here in an ode to suffragists and Harris’ historic candidacy.

The outfit motif has been a hallmark of House Democrats, who have used the color to send a signal at major events, such as past state of the union addresses, including this year’s, when Democrats sought to make a point about abortion.

-ABC News’ Tal Axelrod

DJ gets crowd moving to ‘Lil Boo Thang’

Chicago’s DJ Metro got the crowd to its feet, dancing to “Lil Boo Thang” by Paul Russell, at the start of the night.

100,000 balloons ready to end the night: Source

Convention organizers have 100,000 balloons ready to drop at the end of the evening, according to a source with knowledge.

-ABC News’ Brittany Shepherd

4th night of the DNC underway

The fourth and final night of the DNC is officially underway.

The theme of the night is “For our future” and will feature a keynote address from Vice President Kamala Harris as she accepts the party’s nominee for president.

Emhoff says Harris remains focused on issues ahead of ‘her big moment’

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff said Vice President Kamala Harris remains focused on the issues even “while she is preparing for her big moment tonight.”

“She has been in the Oval Office with the president on all of these major issues. She’s been in the Situation Room on all these major issues, just with what’s happening now,” he said Thursday at an event about combating antisemitism hosted by the Jewish Democratic Council of America.

“She’s still working on these issues while she is preparing for her big moment tonight. That’s what leaders do,” he continued.

-ABC News’ Oren Oppenheim

Harris still tweaking speech, source says

Harris has spent the day continuing to review her speech and tweaking it by hand as she prepares to deliver what will be the most important remarks of her political life, a personal familiar with the preparation told ABC News.

-ABC News’ Mary Bruce

Harris, Emhoff wish each other happy 10th anniversary

Vice President Kamala Harris wished her husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff a happy anniversary on Thursday ahead of her acceptance speech at the DNC. The couple are celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary.

“To the best partner I could ask for: Happy anniversary, Dougie,” Harris posted on social media, with a picture of the two visiting campaign headquarters in Wilmington the day after she announced her candidacy.

Earlier Thursday, Emhoff did the same, posting a slideshow of photos of himself and Harris.

“Ten years of marriage, forever to go,” Emhoff wrote. “Happy anniversary, @WRQ11HGNB. I love you.”

-ABC News’ Fritz Farrow

Meet the oldest DNC delegate, Angie Gialloreto

Angie Gialloreto, 95, has attended every Democratic National Convention since 1976, when Jimmy Carter was on the ticket.

Since the 99-year-old former president could not attend this year’s DNC due to his health issues, Gialloreto is the oldest delegate to travel to Chicago, where she will watch Harris accept her party’s nomination.

The Pennsylvania native told ABC News the possibility that Harris could become the first woman to serve as president was a long time coming because women “have taken a back seat many years and now we’ll have a leader.”

When asked how she would celebrate if Harris ends up victorious during the November general election against Donald Trump, Gialloreto said she will focus on “getting ready for the next election of local candidates.”

-ABC News’ Morgan Gstalter

Walz meets with former students in Chicago

The morning after accepting his party’s nomination for vice president, Walz gathered in Chicago with former staff, family, friends and former students — including some of the football players who appeared on-stage Wednesday night at the United Center.

ABC News spotted Walz at a Chicago hotel on Thursday morning.

During that meeting, he mingled with several of his former Mankato West High School students over an informal breakfast, according to a source familiar with Walz’s movements. Some of those who met with Walz at the hotel were observed by ABC News donning “Harris-Walz Alumni” T-shirts.

Earlier in the day, Walz posted a video on X showing him hug and greet the students backstage at the convention.

-ABC News’ Lucien Bruggeman, Allison Pecorin and MaryAlice Parks

How Harris prepares for big speeches

Former campaign managers and senior staffers who worked Harris through the years shed light on how she prepares for big speeches.

They said she’s a trial lawyer at her core, and so preparation was key as well as being ready for audience reactions.

In crafting a speech, she would start with themes, outline and then focus in on what she wanted to say well in advance. She would be intimately involved in every speech, making edits and collaborating with those around her.

They said like most people she gets nervous, but would relax, review the remarks, save her voice, conserve energy and rest up.

-ABC News’ Zohreen Shah

What some of Chicago’s young voters think about the 2024 election

Three young voters — one liberal, one moderate and one conservative — discussed their thoughts on the 2024 election while in Chicago for the DNC.

-538’s Nathaniel Rakich

Trump to do live play-by-play of Harris’ speech on Truth Social

Former President Donald Trump said he will do a “LIVE PLAY BY PLAY on TRUTH Social” of Vice President Kamala Harris’s speech at the DNC Thursday night.

“We will start at 10 P.M., Eastern, and be covering and commenting on some of the earlier Speeches made, prior to hers,” Trump posted on his social media platform before going on to slam the dropout of President Joe Biden and saying he was going to “expose” Harris’ policies.

-ABC News Lalee Ibssa

Harris campaign dodges question on why there isn’t a Palestinian speaker at DNC

The Harris campaign at a briefing Thursday morning dodged a question from ABC News on why there isn’t a Palestinian speaker at the convention and why simply saying former President Donald Trump would be worse for Arab-Americans is not the campaign taking their votes for granted.

“No, we’re absolutely not taking their votes for granted,” campaign spokesman Michael Tyler said. “I think, as it relates to uncommitted delegates at this convention, we’re proud, glad that they are here. We’ve worked to engage them throughout the convention.”

Tyler noted a panel conversation that was held with members of the uncommitted movement and said Harris recently engaged with the movement’s leadership in Michigan. He also emphasized that the vice president is working toward a resolution to the Israel-Hamas conflict “with a permanent cease-fire that allows Israel to fully secure itself, that fully continues and make sure that we have full humanitarian aid, but also make sure that Gazans are able to peacefully live and prosper in Gaza.”

Read more here

-ABC News’ Fritz Farrow, Gabriella Abdul-Hakim and Will McDuffie

12:58 PM EDT
Gun control to be featured ahead of Harris’ remarks

Before Vice President Kamala Harris takes center stage Thursday night, gun violence survivors and gun safety advocates will address the DNC, according to Harris-Walz campaign spokesman Michael Tyler.

Former Rep. Gabby Giffords, Rep. Maxwell Frost and the “Tennessee Three” — state Reps. Gloria Johnson, Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, are also expected to speak.

Tyler told reporters Govs. Gretchen Whitmer and Roy Cooper, Sens. Mark Kelly and Elizabeth Warren, and former Rep. Adam Kinzinger — a member of Jan 6. select committee — will give remarks too.

-ABC News’ Will McDuffie

10:11 AM EDT
Kamala Harris to tell her personal story in acceptance speech

The fourth and final day of the Democratic National Convention is leading up to a dramatic finale: Kamala Harris giving her acceptance speech and getting to tell her personal story — in her own words — to an audience of millions.

She’s expected talk about a middle-class upbringing with a working mother. She will continue to stress the themes we’ve heard from speakers throughout the convention: optimism and patriotism — the “politics of joy” — drawing a contrast, her campaign says, with the “dark” vision of Donald Trump.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — There were many mistakes made on the day of the July assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump by the Secret Service, but an independent review by the Department of Homeland Security revealed systemic issues within the organization and found that without reforms to the agency, “another Butler can and will happen again.”

In the aftermath of the Butler, Pennsylvania, assassination attempt, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas assigned a panel of four former law enforcement and national security officials to examine what went wrong, and how they recommend the Secret Service moves forward after the attempt on former president’s life.

“The Secret Service does not perform at the elite levels needed to discharge its critical mission,” the letter addressed to Secretary Mayorkas said, which was included in the report. “The Secret Service has become bureaucratic, complacent, and static even though risks have multiplied and technology has evolved.”

On the independent panel are former DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano, former Deputy Attorney General Mark Filip, former Maryland State Police Superintendent David Mitchell and former Deputy National Security Adviser Fran Townsend.

The scathing 35-page report from the independent panel said the findings illustrated “deeper concerns” within the U.S. Secret Service.

“The Panel has observed that many of the Secret Service personnel involved in the events of July 13 appear to have done little in the way of self-reflection in terms of identifying areas of missteps, omissions, or opportunities for improvement,” the report said. “July 13 represents a historic security failure by the Secret Service which almost led to the death of a former president and current nominee and did lead to the death of a rally attendee.”

The panel said that even a “superficial” level of reflection would have been meaningful.

Plaguing the Secret Service are “corrosive cultural attitudes” regarding resourcing events – a “do more with less” attitude, according to the report.

The report also found there was a troubling “lack of critical thinking” by Secret Service personnel “before, during and after” the assassination attempt.

“A prominent instance of this is the fact that personnel had been read into significant intelligence regarding a long range threat by a foreign state actor against former President Trump, but failed to ensure that the AGR building was secured despite its proximity to the rally stage and the obvious high angle line of sight issues it presented,” the report found.

Other instances “revealed a surprising lack of rigor in considering the specific risks posed to particular individual protectees.”

The report said, for example, Trump, though not formally the Republican nominee at the time, had essentially clinched it months before and thus the Secret Service’s approach was formulaic “rather than an individualized assessment of risk.”

The failure to take ownership of planning the Butler rally and the lack of cohesion with state and local law enforcement during the planning of events, a lack of experienced agents to perform “certain critical security tasks,” a lack of auditing mechanisms to learn from mistakes in the field, a lack of training facilities, and a lack of agents feeling comfortable to speak up.

In particular, the operational tempo for younger agents who came up during the COVID-19 pandemic was slower than most election years, and thus those agents did not get as much experience in the field as agents would normally get.

The panel is calling for new leadership at the Secret Service – saying the agency needs a change with people from outside the agency.

“Many of the issues that the Panel has identified throughout this report, particularly regarding the Panel’s “deeper concerns,” are ultimately attributable, directly or indirectly, to the Service’s culture,” the report said. “A refreshment of leadership, with new perspectives, will contribute to the Service’s resolution of those issues.”

Among the other recommendations the panel made are a restructuring of the agency’s protective office, new training initiatives, new communication technologies that are more reliable and an evaluation “of the Secret Service’s method for how it resources protectees to ensure that it is risk-based, and not overly formulaic or reliant on a protectee’s title for making resource determinations.”

“The Panel also recognizes the bravery and selflessness exhibited by Secret Service agents and officers who put themselves in harm’s way to protect their protectees, including in Butler after Crooks fired at former President Trump and others. However, bravery and selflessness alone, no matter how honorable, are insufficient to discharge the Secret Service’s no-fail protective mission.”

Specific to July 13, the panel’s findings are in line with the Secret Service’s mission assurance review that came out last month.

Some of the findings are an absence of law enforcement to secure the AGR building where Thomas Matthew Crooks eventually fired from, the failure to mitigate the line of site from that building, having two communications rooms, the failure of anyone to encounter Crooks despite spotting him 90 minutes before Trump took the stage, the failure to inform the former president’s detail and the drone detection system not working.

The panel recommends the Service has integrated communications, a mandatory situation report when a protectee arrives, better counter-drone technologies and an advanced line of site mitigations.

A footnote in the report says the second assassination attempt against Trump didn’t impact the panel’s work but might’ve reinforced the report.

The panel recommends the Service implement the Butler reforms no later than March 31, 2025, and the broader reforms by the end of 2025.

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