(WASHINGTON) — Special counsel Jack Smith has outlined new details of former President Donald Trump and his allies’ sweeping and “increasingly desperate” efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss, in a blockbuster court filing Wednesday aimed at defending Smith’s prosecution of Trump following the Supreme Court’s July immunity ruling.
Trump intentionally lied to the public, state election officials, and his own vice president in an effort to cling to power after losing the election, while privately describing some of the claims of election fraud as “crazy,” prosecutors alleged in the 165-page filing.
“When the defendant lost the 2020 presidential election, he resorted to crimes to try to stay in office,” the filing said. “With private co-conspirators, the defendant launched a series of increasingly desperate plans to overturn the legitimate election results in seven states that he had lost.”
When Trump’s effort to overturn the election through lawsuits and fraudulent electors failed to change the outcome of the election, prosecutors allege that the former president fomented violence, with prosecutors describing Trump as directly responsible for “the tinderbox that he purposely ignited on January 6.”
“The defendant also knew that he had only one last hope to prevent Biden’s certification as President: the large and angry crowd standing in front of him. So for more than an hour, the defendant delivered a speech designed to inflame his supporters and motivate them to march to the Capitol,” Smith wrote.
The lengthy filing — which includes an 80-page summary of the evidence gathered by investigators — outlines multiple instances in which Trump allegedly heard from advisers who disproved his allegations, yet continued to spread his claims of outcome-determinative voter fraud, prosecutors said.
“It doesn’t matter if you won or lost the election. You still have to fight like hell,” Trump allegedly told members of his family following the 2020 election, the filing said.
In a statement, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said the release of the filing was an attempt to interfere with the upcoming election following Tuesday’s vice presidential debate.
“This entire case is a partisan, Unconstitutional Witch Hunt that should be dismissed entirely,” Cheung said.
In her order allowing the redacted filing to become public, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who has been overseeing the case, addressed the defense’s accusations of partisan bias.
“Defendant’s opposition brief repeatedly accuses the Government of bad-faith partisan bias,” the judge wrote. “These accusations, for which Defendant provides no support, continue a pattern of defense filings focusing on political rhetoric rather than addressing the legal issues at hand.”
“Not only is that focus unresponsive and unhelpful to the court, but it is also unbefitting of experienced defense counsel and undermining of the judicial proceedings in this case,” Judge Chutkan wrote. “Future filings should be directed to the issues before the court.”
According to prosecutors, Trump “laid the groundwork for his crimes well before” 2020’s Election Day, including by sowing doubt among his supporters and planning to declare victory immediately, despite multiple advisers telling him that the results were unlikely to be finalized on Election Day.
Prosecutors allege that Trump and his allies “sought to create chaos” at polling places — including one instance when a campaign employee encouraged a colleague to “make them riot” at an ongoing vote count in Detroit — which the former president later used to support his claims of voter fraud.
“The throughline of these efforts was deceit: the defendant’s and co-conspirators’ knowingly false claims of election fraud,” the filing said.
In addition to outlining the instances when Trump was directly corrected about his allegations of voter fraud, the filing said Trump privately called allegations of voter fraud made by his lawyer Sidney Powell as “crazy” — despite employing similar arguments to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the election, prosecutors allege.
Trump last year pleaded not guilty to federal charges of undertaking a “criminal scheme” to overturn the results of the 2020 election in order to remain in power. Wednesday’s filing comes at a pivotal moment in the case, as Judge Chutkan is set to begin considering whether any of the allegations included in the government’s case are protected by presidential immunity after the Supreme Court ruled in a blockbuster decision that Trump is entitled to immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts undertaken while in office.
In August, Smith filed a pared-down indictment that removed allegations likely to have been considered official acts — including Trump’s interactions with Justice Department officials to interfere with the election — while still charging the former president with the same four criminal counts he originally faced. Last week, Smith filed a sealed brief seeking to justify the superseding indictment, then sought to file a redacted version for public release.
Trump’s lawyers opposed Wednesday’s lengthy filing — which they described as “tantamount to a premature and improper Special Counsel report” — and argued that public release of the allegations would improperly influence the election and violate Department of Justice policies. Judge Chutkan — who has long stated that the election does not play a factor in her decision making — ordered the filing be publicly released Wednesday.
In justifying his case against Trump, Smith alleged that Trump acted as an office-seeker rather than an officeholder when he committed crimes, and that he “must stand trial for his private crimes as would any other citizen.”
“Although the defendant was the incumbent President during the charged conspiracies, his scheme was fundamentally a private one,” Wednesday’s filing said.
(PHILADELPHIA) — Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump will meet for the first time on Tuesday for the ABC News presidential debate.
It is the only debate the two have scheduled and comes at a critical point as polls show a neck-and-neck race with just eight weeks until Election Day.
The two will face off on key issues starting at 9 p.m. ET. The debate will air on ABC and stream on ABC News Live, Disney+ and Hulu.
Here’s how the news is developing:
CLAIM: Trump wants “20% tax on everyday goods” that would cost families “about $4000 more a year”
Fact Check: True, but needs context
Trump has proposed a universal “10-20%” tariff on all U.S. imports, from cars and electronics to wine, food products and many other goods. He has also proposed a 60% tariff on imports from China. Vice President Harris called the plan “Trump’s sales tax,” though the former president has not explicitly proposed such a tax. Independent economists, however, say the proposed import tariffs would unquestionably result in higher prices for American consumers across the board (Tax Foundation, American Action Forum, Tax Policy Center, Center for American Progress, Peterson Institute)>. The precise financial impact on families is hard to predict and estimates vary widely – from additional annual costs per household of $1,700 to nearly $4,000, depending on the study. Trump has not called for any tax hikes for American families. He has proposed exempting Social Security benefits and tips from taxation, as well as extending individual tax cuts enacted in 2017.
The Supreme Court is not popular
Trump just praised the Supreme Court. That’s not going to be a popular position. According to 538’s average, only 37% of Americans approve of the Supreme Court; 54% disapprove.
—538’s Nathaniel Rakich
No, 80-90% of Americans don’t think the economy was better under Trump
Trump claimed that 80, 85, or even 90% of Americans say the economy was better under his watch. But that’s not true. While people feel warmly about the economy under Trump, the share isn’t nearly that high. According to a YouGov/CBS News poll from March, 65% of Americans thought the economy was good under Trump, while 28% thought it was bad.
—538’s Nathaniel Rakich
Claim: Trump says “We have inflation like very few people have ever seen before. Probably the worst in our nation’s history.”
Fact Check: False, but it was very high
It’s true that early in Biden’s presidency, the annual inflation rate peaked at roughly 9% (June of 2022), but that’s not the highest it’s ever been. There are several examples of the inflation rate being much higher than 9% in the U.S, including in the immediate aftermath of WWII and during the oil embargo and shortages of the late 70’s and early 1980s. But, there are several examples of the inflation rate being much higher than 9% in the U.S., including in the immediate aftermath of World War II and during the oil embargo of the late 70’s and early 1980s when the inflation rate peaked at 14.5%. The inflation rate as of July 2024 is at 2.9% annual inflation, the lowest it has been in 3 years. It should also be noted that President Biden has falsely claimed that he inherited a high rate from his predecessor. In fact, inflation was at 1.4 percent when he took office.
*Data for this fact check was gathered from Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, or St. Louis Fed
Fact-checking Harris’ claim that 16 Nobel laureates say Trump’s plan would increase inflation and land us in a recession
Fact Check: Mostly True.
Harris correctly describes what the Nobel laureates said about inflation during a Trump presidency: “There is rightly a worry that Donald Trump will reignite this inflation.” But while the group describes Harris’ agenda as “vastly superior” to Trump’s, their letter doesn’t specifically predict a recession by the middle of 2025. Rather, the group wrote: “We believe that a second Trump term would have a negative impact on the U.S.’s economic standing in the world and a destabilizing effect on the U.S.’s domestic economy.”
The 16 economists are George Akerlof, Angus Deaton, Claudia Goldin, Oliver Hart, Eric S. Maskin, Daniel L. McFadden, Paul R. Milgrom, Roger B. Myerson, Edmund S. Phelps, Paul M. Romer, Alvin E. Roth, William F. Sharp, Robert J. Shiller, Christopher A. Sims, Joseph Stiglitz and Robert B. Wilson.
— PolitiFact’s Louis Jacobson
Trump says he did ‘phenomenal’ job with pandemic
Trump complained that people haven’t given him enough credit for the “great job” his administration did in response to the pandemic.
“We did a phenomenal job with the pandemic,” he said, touching on providing ventilators and other supplies.
Harris subtly tries to get under Trump’s skin
Harris is clearly trying to get under Trump’s skin, albeit subtly.
She is mentioning Project 2025, whose popularity his campaign is frustrated by, and mentioned criticism of his economic plan by the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania — Trump’s alma mater, which he frequently cites as evidence of his business bona fides.
And most significantly, Harris panned his record as a “mess.”
“Let’s talk about what Donald Trump left us. Donald Trump left us the worst unemployment since the great depression. Donald Trump left us the worst public health epidemic in a century. Donald Trump left us the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War. And what we have done is clean up Donald Trump’s mess,” she said.
Harris argues Trump will use ‘same old playbook’ tonight
After a first question on the economy elicited a back-and-forth from Harris and Trump, with Trump veering the conversation toward immigration and attacking the Biden administration’s record, Harris took a moment to try to rebut Trump’s comments.
“But I’m going to tell you all in this debate tonight, you’re going to hear from the same old tired playbook, a bunch of lies, grievances and and name-calling,” she said.
Trump again denies involvement in 2025
Harris criticized Trump for involvement in Project 2025, a 922-page playbook of controversial policy proposals intended to guide the next conservative administration.
Trump denied again that he knows about Project 2025, despite being authored by at least two dozen members of his administration and allies.
“Everyone knows I’m an open book,” he said.
1st question on economy
The first question is on an issue that’s top of mind for voters: the economy and cost of living.
Asked if she believed Americans are better off today than they were four years ago, Harris talked about her plans to help families and small businesses. She targeted Trump, saying he will provide a tax cut for “billionaires and big corporations.”
Harris and Trump take the stage
This marks the first time Harris and Trump have ever met.
Harris, Trump shake hands after intro
Harris and Trump shook hands after they were introduced on stage, ending an eight-year streak of no handshakes on the presidential debate stage.
There are no rules or stipulations requiring a handshake before or after the debate.
High-stakes showdown begins
The ABC News presidential debate is now underway.
It is a crucial moment for both candidates with exactly eight weeks until Election Day.
Rep. Madeleine Dean notes the debate will be many viewers’ introduction to Harris
Rep. Madeleine Dean, a Democrat who represents Pennsylvania’s 4th District in the Philadelphia suburbs, said today’s debate is an opportunity for Harris to introduce herself to swing voters outside the political “bubble” who may not have tuned into the campaign earlier, and share her record as a prosecutor, attorney general, senator and now vice president.
“She is an able public servant, and so she has the chance to introduce that part of herself to those who are too busy to actually know all of those granular details,” Dean told reporters in the spin room.
—538’s Tia Yang
Debate just minutes away
The presidential debate is now just 15 minutes away.
Both candidates have arrived in Philadelphia, and their campaign surrogates are already on the ground providing spin and setting expectations for tonight’s matchup.
Member of exonerated ‘Central Park Five’ in the spin room
New York City Councilman Yusef Salaam, a member of the exonerated “Central Park Five” who was wrongfully incarcerated in connection with a 1989 rape, is in the spin room.
Salaam, who spoke at the DNC, has been a staunch Trump opponent after the former president took out a full-page ad in The New York Times calling for the death penalty for the five suspects at the time.
Rep. Michael Waltz says Trump will pick back up on trade policy
Rep. Michael Waltz, a Florida Republican and veteran who serves on the Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees, is one of the Trump surrogates who has been circling the spin room here in Philadelphia. He focused in on Trump’s trade and foreign policy, telling reporters that in a second term, Trump would pick back up on “deals that and “undo executive orders” like the one pausing exports of liquified natural gas.
—538’s Tia Yang
Harris arrives at the debate
Harris has arrived at the National Constitution Center ahead of her face-off with former President Trump.
Harris’ motorcade drove past a billboard on the highway that read “VOTE TRUMP,” according to ABC News’ Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, who is traveling with the vice president.
-ABC News’ Fritz Farrow
The debate rules: muted microphones and more
Harris selected the right podium position on stage. The two candidates will remain standing for the 90-minute debate.
There will be no opening statements, though each candidate will get two minutes at the end to give their closing arguments to the American people. Trump will offer the last closing statement after winning the coin toss.
The candidates can’t bring notes on stage. Candidates will only be given a pen, a pad of paper and a bottle of water. They cannot interact with their campaign staff during commercial breaks.
Their microphones will only be live when it is their turn to speak and muted otherwise. Harris and Trump will get two minutes to respond to questions by the moderators and two minutes for rebuttals. They cannot ask each other questions.
Latest look at the debate stage
Here’s the latest look at the debate stage, as Harris and Trump face off in less than an hour.
The candidates will be standing six feet apart. There will be no live audience.
Gavin Newsom tears into Trump, calls him ‘boring’
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a top Trump antagonist, tore into the former president as unable to resist personal attacks and “boring” on the trail.
“He doesn’t know any other way. He’s incapable of not doing that,” Newsom said when asked if Trump would attack Harris’ personality. “This is a guy who’s just weakness masquerading as strength.”
Newsom said he expects Harris to “rise above” the attacks but to also “counterpunch.”
“She’s new, she’s the next generation. He’s old, he’s stale, he’s derivative, he’s, dare I say it, boring,” Newsom added.
-ABC News’ Tal Axelrod
Vivek Ramaswamy says success for Trump is a focus on policy
Vivek Ramaswamy, a former presidential candidate and vocal Trump supporter, said the former president would win a debate centered around policy.
“I think a win looks like a policy-focused debate,” he said.
“If we have a policy-focused debate, Donald Trump hits it out of the park.”
-ABC News’ Tal Axelrod
ABC News’ pre-debate special ‘Race for the White House’ begins
“Race for the White House,” ABC News’ prime-time pre-debate special, premiered at 8 p.m. ET.
The special is anchored by chief global affairs correspondent and “This Week” co-anchor Martha Raddatz, chief Washington correspondent and “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl, chief White House correspondent Mary Bruce and senior congressional correspondent Rachel Scott.
You can watch live on ABC, ABC News Live, Disney+ and Hulu.
Pennsylvania a critical battleground this election
Tonight’s debate is being held at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
Pennsylvania has emerged as a central battleground once again after sealing President Biden’s victory over Trump in 2020.
Right now, Harris and Trump are separated by less than 1 percentage point in 538’s polling average of the Keystone State.
Of the seven or so states believed to be in play this cycle, Pennsylvania holds the most electoral votes at 19.
Will the tables turn on Trump’s age and mental fitness?
In the most recent ABC News/Ipsos poll, Harris had an advantage over Trump when it came to who Americans think has better “physical health” and “mental sharpness” to serve effectively as president.
Trump has recently gotten attention for his rambling and often-incoherent speaking style, and while that’s nothing new for him, this will be his first time directly facing a new opponent, who’s nearly 20 years younger than him. Whether or not Trump’s age or mental acuity come up explicitly in tonight’s debate, how he handles himself — and how viewers respond afterward — could help him put some of those concerns to rest, or exacerbate them and give Harris an opening.
—538’s Tia Yang
Kristi Noem says Trump needs to hold Harris ‘accountable’
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, R, said Trump should hold Harris’ feet to the fire on policy, referencing policies this campaign on things like fracking and health care that differ from stances she took during her 2019 run.
“He needs to hold her accountable to what she truly believes and what she’s done when she was given more power in a bigger position,” Noem told ABC News.
Noem added that accountability should be more focused on policy than personality, but added, “His personality always shines through, it just does, and she’s going to have a tough time dealing with that.”
-ABC News’ Tal Axelrod
Which issues do Americans trust Harris, Trump on?
We’re obviously going to hear about a lot of different issues tonight — and some of those issues will be comfortable ground for Trump, while others will be Harris’ home turf. The latest ABC News/Ipsos poll asked Americans whether they trusted Trump or Harris more to handle 11 different issues. Harris was trusted more on six, Trump was trusted more on four, and one (crime and safety) was tied.
Harris also had the biggest trust advantage on any issue: 16 points, on both abortion and race relations. However, Trump was trusted more than Harris on the three issues that Americans usually say are the most important to their vote: the economy, inflation and immigration.
—538’s Nathaniel Rakich
Melania Trump not in attendance at debate
Members of the Trump family attending the debate with him tonight are his son Eric Trump and his son’s wife — and co-chair of the Republican National Committee — Lara Trump, sources familiar with the matter tell ABC News. Melania Trump is not there.
On the plane with him from Florida to Philadelphia were Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz and former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who have been helping Trump with debate prep. Also on board — one of his lawyers, Alina Habba, as well as senior staffers Chris LaCivita, Susie Wiles, Steven Cheung, Corey Lewandowski and Jason Miller.
Notably, controversial conservative media influencer Laura Loomer was also flying with Trump. Loomer has pushed multiple conspiracy theories about Harris, including racist and sexist attacks on the vice president.
-ABC News’ Lalee Ibssa and Katherine Faulders
Trump arrives in Philadelphia
Trump landed at Philadelphia International Airport a short while ago for the debate. He could be seen raising his fist as he departed his plane.
Memorable moments from debates past
It’s a hallmark of the American electoral process: the presidential debate.
The first nationally televised debate in history featured John Kennedy and Richard Nixon. The visuals did not play in Nixon’s favor, as he was seen sweating and looking pale after previously being hospitalized for an infection, while Kennedy looked young and gave a more vigorous performance.
More than 20 years later, Ronald Reagan, the oldest sitting president at the time, shut down some questions about his age during his debate with Democrat Walter Mondale.
In 1992’s trilateral debate, President George H.W. Bush was criticized for looking down at his watch. In 2000, Al Gore was mocked for his audible sighs during his debate with George W. Bush.
In the 2020 Democratic primary, one highlight was Harris’ challenge to Joe Biden on the issue of segregation and busing, which prompted her viral quote, “That little girl was me.”
Most recently, the debate between President Biden and Trump changed the course of the 2024 campaign after Biden’s poor performance exacerbated Democratic and voter concerns about his age and fitness to serve another four years. He announced he was exiting the race 24 days later.
Expectations are slightly higher for Harris tonight
Expectations matter in debates. For example, if a candidate goes in with low expectations from the public and turns in a mediocre performance, it probably wouldn’t hurt them as much as if they had gone in with high expectations from the public and turned in the same performance.
Because of this, we were interested in whether Americans had higher expectations of Harris or Trump tonight — so we included this as a question in the most recent ABC News/Ipsos poll. According to that poll, 43% of Americans are expecting Harris to win tonight, while 37% are expecting Trump to win. However, 18% said neither would win or it would be a tie.
—538’s Nathaniel Rakich
Harris, Trump both come into debate with White House track records
Tonight’s debate marks a rare historical moment in that it pits against each other two candidates with significant track records in the White House.
That “political baggage” can be a curse for the candidates, according to experts who’ve studied debates, but also a blessing, depending on how it’s portrayed and defended.
Both Harris and Trump will need to walk a fine line between affirming what they consider their successes during their administrations, experts said.
-ABC News’ Ivan Pereira
Trump is viewed more negatively than Harris
Debates are a rare opportunity for candidates to change their perception among the American people. And right now, Harris is perceived more positively than Trump. According to 538’s polling average, 46 percent of Americans view her favorably, while 47 percent view her unfavorably. While that’s not exactly popular, it’s a remarkable reversal from just a couple months ago. Before Biden dropped out of the presidential race, Harris had a net favorability rating of -16 points. But since she kicked off her campaign, her favorable rating has shot up, while her unfavorable rating has plummeted.
By contrast, according to 538’s polling average, 43% of Americans view Trump favorably, while 53% view him unfavorably. Those numbers have been pretty consistent over the years. Trump’s unfavorable rating has been about 10-15 points higher than his favorable rating since he left office in 2021, and his average job approval rating was in the same range for most of his term as president.
—538’s Nathaniel Rakich
Rick Scott says Trump will be focused
As speculation mounts over how Trump will go after Harris — on policy or personality — Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., a top Senate ally, insisted the former president will stick to issues Americans care about.
“He’s going to do great,” Scott told reporters in the spin room in Philadelphia. “He’s going to talk about the issues.”
-ABC News’ Tal Axelrod
Entering the debate, the race is basically tied
The stakes for this debate are high for both candidates for one very simple reason: The presidential race is extremely close right now. In some of the states most likely to decide the election — such as Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina — 538’s polling averages show Harris and Trump within 1 percentage point of each other.
Nationally, Harris leads Trump by an average of almost 3 points, raising the possibility that she could win the popular vote but lose the Electoral College, as Hillary Clinton did in 2016. According to 538’s average, Harris’s national lead peaked at 3.7 points on Aug. 23, the day after the Democratic National Convention, but her advantage has slipped a bit in the weeks since.
-538’s Nathaniel Rakich
Harris and Trump face major challenges, risks on debate stage
Harris and Trump will need to navigate the pitfall-filled debate of their political lives as each tries to persuade millions of voters and viewers that they’re the one best suited to be president.
Harris, whose wave of momentum has brought Democrats back to a neck-and-neck presidential race, will have to prosecute the case against Trump while also laying out how her agenda could help the country — particularly beleaguered middle- and working-class Americans.
Trump, meanwhile, has the task of casting his record on the economy and immigration as superior to Harris’ while avoiding distracting personal attacks on Harris.
Republicans and Democrats told ABC News how they should meet the crucial moment.
-ABC News’ Tal Axelrod
Tonight’s presidential debate presents rare opportunity to shape election: Experts
How much difference do presidential debates make? In the past, they’ve rarely influenced an election’s outcome, according to historians who spoke with ABC News.
But the June debate between President Joe Biden and former President Trump was a rare exception, they say, ultimately leading to an unprecedented change in the Democratic presidential ticket.
Now as Vice President Harris prepares to take on Trump in their first presidential debate, experts predict the matchup could potentially produce a similar consequential and history-making moment that could sway undecided voters — a key voting bloc that could determine who wins the November election.
Independent voters want to know more about Harris. Can she fill in the gaps?
A recent New York Times/Siena College poll found a sizable share of likely voters (28%) and registered voters (31%) feel they need to know more about Harris as a candidate. Those numbers were even higher among independent voters: 41% of registered independents and 38% of likely voters who identified as independent said they needed to learn more about her.
Her campaign is well-aware that a large slice of the critical voting bloc feels they don’t know Harris well enough, ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce reports.
Tonight, she’ll want to fill in the blanks in what is her highest-profile appearance since her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention last month. But beyond that, their real goal is to make clear the stark choice in this election between what she wants to do as president and what Trump intends to do.
Newsom, Shapiro, Duckworth among Harris spin room surrogates
The Harris campaign released its list of surrogates who will be in the spin room during the debate.
Four Democratic governors — Roy Cooper of North Carolina, Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico, Gavin Newsom of California and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania — are among the group, as well as Sens. Laphonza Butler of California, Tammy Duckworth from Illinois and Chris Murphy of Connecticut.
Four Democratic House members — Jason Crow from Colorado, Veronica Escobar of Texas, Robert Garcia from California and Ted Lieu of California — will also be joining, as well as retired Brig. Gen. Steve Anderson, a former Republican; Reproductive Freedom for All President and CEO Mini Timmaraju and Khizr Khan, a Gold Star father.
Biden says he spoke with Harris, who appears ‘calm, cool and collected’
As he left the White House for New York, where he will watch tonight’s debate, President Joe Biden said he’s spoken with Harris.
Biden wouldn’t divulge what advice he had for her, but said she appeared “calm, cool and collected.”
“I think she’s going to do great,” Biden said.
Trump en route to Philadelphia
The Trump campaign posted a short clip of the former president boarding his plane, saying he’s en route to Philadelphia. Harris arrived in the city Monday evening.
-ABC News’ Soorin Kim
Hillary Clinton said Kamala Harris should ‘bait’ Trump during tonight’s debate
Hillary Clinton gave some advice to Vice President Kamala Harris on tonight’s debate, according to The New York Times.
“She just should not be baited. She should bait him. He can be rattled,” Clinton told The Times during a recent phone interview.
Clinton confirmed to NYT that she had spoken to Harris directly and discussed “a number of things” prior to the debate.
As the 2016 Democratic nominee, Clinton has experience debating the former president.
She said she believes Harris “has a lot of good ammunition” and that she’s “handling him [Trump] very well.”
RNC Chairman Michael Whatley says Trump’s ‘rested,’ ‘relaxed’ and ‘ready to go’
In an interview Tuesday with ABC News’ Kyra Phillips, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley said it was unfair of the Harris campaign to suggest Trump would lie on stage tonight.
He also confirmed that Trump will stray away from personal attacks, and that the former president was not nervous.
“He feels very comfortable. He’s rested, he’s relaxed, and he’s definitely ready to go,” Whatley said.
Whatley also said “this is the most united the Republican Party has been in generations.”
– ABC News’ Kelsey Walsh
Sen. JD Vance headlining debate watch party fundraiser in Philadelphia tonight: Sources
The Trump campaign’s debate watch party in Philadelphia tonight will take form in a fundraiser with Sen. JD Vance headlining the event, according to sources and an invitation obtained by ABC News.
The invitation doesn’t detail the location, other guests or speakers of the night.
Tickets range from $5,000 to $50,000, with a photo opportunity costing $15,000 and a VIP ticket costing $25,000, the invitation shows.
-ABC News’ Soo Rin Kim, Hannah Demissie, Lalee Ibssa, and Kelsey Walsh
Presidential candidates haven’t shaken hands at debate since 2016
There are no rules requiring Harris and Trump to shake hands before or after the debate.
If they do, it would mark the first time since 2016 that the candidates have shaken hands. Trump and Biden did not shake hands during their two matchups in 2020.
Trump contracted COVID-19 following the first debate.
The two candidates also didn’t shake their hands during the June debate.
Trump campaign says he’s in ‘good spirits’
The Trump campaign during a pre-debate call said Trump is in “good spirits” and will be departing shortly for Philadelphia.
“President Trump is in good spirits. He is currently in Mar-a-Lago. My understanding is that he will be departing shortly to head over to Philadelphia,” said Trump campaign senior adviser Danielle Alvarez when asked about his mood going into the debate.
She suggested that the former president is “ready” to talk about inflation, housing affordability and the border among other issues on the debate stage. Alvarez also suggested that Trump might attack Harris for flip-flopping on some key issues such as fracking, police funding and electric vehicles.
“The president is certainly full of surprises. I know that we can expect him to be, you know, with his, his charming self. We know that he is incredible when it comes to weaving in and out of topics — he’s incredible on those policy issues. So that’s … certainly something that may happen,” she said.
-ABC News’ Soorin Kim, Lalee Ibssa and Kelsey Walsh
Here are the rules for tonight’s debate
Tonight’s consequential presidential debate hosted by ABC News will consist of set rules to govern the matchup, restricting candidates’ speaking time, microphone access, and engagement with campaign staff.
There will be no audience present, and questions will come strictly from the moderators.
After winning the virtual coin flip, former President Trump will offer the final closing statement.
Harris campaign to display drone show before debate
The Harris campaign will fly a drone show over the Philadelphia Art Museum from 8:05 to 8:25 p.m. ET at the famous Rocky Steps, just prior to the debate on Tuesday.
The show will add onto the campaign’s Philly-themed advertising and recent ad mocking Trump and crowd sizes, according to campaign spokesperson Kevin Munoz.
– ABC News’ Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, Fritz Farrow, and Will McDuffie
What to watch for on the economy during the debate
The verbal joust Tuesday night between Trump and Harris will touch on a range of issues, but none may be more important than the economy, which often ranks as the top priority among voters.
ABC News spoke to experts about what they will be watching for when the debate turns to the economy. They said they’ll be looking for everything from the amount of substantive discussion, to the relevance of Biden’s legacy, to the prevalence of topics like inflation and taxes.
Read more here to learn what to watch for on the economy during the match-up, according to experts.
-ABC News’ Max Zahn
Walz calls Trump a ‘showman’ ahead of debate
At a campaign fundraiser Tuesday morning, Gov. Tim Walz said he knew what to expect from Trump during the debate, calling the former president a “showman,” according to a pool reporter in the room.
“Donald Trump’s a showman. This is his seventh general election debate. No one in modern times has done more of these. The good news is that this is his seventh debate and we know exactly what to expect,” Walz said.
-ABC News’ Isabella Murray
First to ABC: Sens. Chris Murphy, Laphonza Butler in spin room for Harris
Sens. Chris Murphy and Laphonza Butler will be in the spin room as surrogates supporting Harris, according to a campaign official. This news is being shared first with ABC News.
Murphy had helped negotiate the bipartisan border deal earlier this year that Trump urged his party to oppose. Harris has been pledging to work to get that deal passed if elected, while hammering Trump for killing the deal.
Butler met Harris 15 years ago when Harris was the district attorney of San Francisco and Butler also served as senior adviser on Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign.
-ABC News’ Selina Wang
Harris, Trump campaigns spin expectations ahead of ABC News debate
Harris said in an interview that aired Monday that she expects former President Donald Trump to lie during the ABC News presidential debate on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Trump campaign and surrogates continued to insinuate on Monday that the former president’s strategy at the debate will be to tie Harris to what they say are her policy failures and “disasters” as a leader of the Biden-Harris administration.
With time ticking down until the two meet for the debate, both candidates are working to spin expectations in what is expected to be a key moment for both campaigns as they look to appeal to voters ahead of what’s expected to be a close contest in November.
-ABC News’ Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, Fritz Farrow, Will McDuffie, Mary Bruce and Oren Oppenheim
Gold Star father, retired general among those representing Harris in spin room: Official
Gold Star father Khizr Khan, whose son Humayun Khan was a Muslim Army captain who was killed during the Iraq War in 2004, will be among the surrogates supporting Harris in the spin room at the debate, a campaign official confirmed to ABC News.
Khan garnered national attention after he delivered a blistering speech attacking Trump at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.
Harris will also be supported in the spin room by retired Brig. Gen. Steven M. Anderson, according to the campaign official. NBC News first reported Khan and Anderson’s roles as Harris surrogates in the spin room.
-Fritz Farrow, Grabriella Abdul-Hakim and Will McDuffie
Trump campaign spokesperson says he’s not engaged in traditional debate prep
Trump campaign spokesperson Danielle Alvarez said Tuesday morning on ABC News Live that Trump “does not do traditional debate prep” and reiterated that he has been campaigning and engaging in policy discussions instead.
“I would say that the president does not do traditional debate prep. He’s on the campaign trail constantly. We see him in key battleground states every week, joined by tens of thousands of patriots,” she said. “We know that he does tough interviews, both nationally, locally.”
“That’s truly how he prepares for these debates, having those conversations every day. He’s ready to step back into the White House,” she continued. “We also know that he prefers to have those policy discussions, and he’s been doing that with elected members in Congress like Matt Gaetz, with former Congress member Tulsi Gabbard and others — very similar to what he did to prepare for that first debate against Joe Biden. He has prepared in a similar way again, just by getting out there and talking every day to voters and talking to media.”
-ABC News’ Soorin Kim, Lalee Ibssa and Kelsey Walsh
Harris not ‘underestimating’ Trump ahead of debate: Source
Just hours away from the debate, a campaign source is setting expectations that Harris is not “underestimating” Trump’s ability to debate, and that it would be a “mistake” to do so.
The Harris team expects Trump to be “good” at debating, stressing that Trump has done this more than anybody else, while it will be Harris’s first presidential debate.
The Harris campaign is “happy to get under [Trump’s] skin,” and they hope that bringing former Trump officials into the spin room later this evening will accomplish this.
On a campaign call last night, a source said Harris is ready for any version of Trump that shows up — whether it’s the presidential Trump, the more mellow Trump during the Biden debate or a more aggressive version.
-ABC News’ Selina Wang
8 hours until the Harris-Trump ABC debate, here is how to watch tonight
The consequential Harris-Trump face-off will air live tonight at 9 p.m. ET on ABC and stream on ABC News Live, Disney+ and Hulu.
ABC News Live is available on Samsung TV+, The Roku Channel, Amazon Fire TV devices, YouTube, Tubi, the ABC app, and ABC.com.
ABC News Digital and 538 will live blog the latest from the debate stage with coverage, analysis and fact checks.
SiriusXM users can listen to the debate on Channel 370.
The prime-time pre-debate special, “Race for the White House,” will air at 8 p.m. ET and stream on ABC’s platforms.
President Joe Biden will be watching the debate from New York, where he’s going to be for 9/11 memorial events, according to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
“The president will definitely be watching,” she said in Monday’s briefing.
Jean-Pierre wouldn’t give details on any conversations about the debate between Harris and Biden or whether he’s given her any takeaways from his own last face-off with Trump, but she said the president was “very proud” of Harris.
“What I can say is, that he’ll be watching, he supports, obviously, the vice president, is very proud of her, and I just don’t have anything else to add,” she said.
– ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett
5 things to watch in the high-stakes Harris-Trump faceoff
Harris and Trump square off Tuesday at what could be their only presidential debate, setting high stakes for an event expected to be viewed by millions of Americans and a key sliver of undecided voters. Here’s what to look out for.
Can Trump stay focused on policy? Staying on message on his four-year economic record is key, while veering into personal attacks would be counterproductive, allies told ABC News.
Harris has dual goals: make the case for herself as someone who would be a capable president and get under Trump’s skin. How will she introduce herself to undecided voters?
Read the rest of the five things to watch for in the debate here.
Walz fundraising email says ‘Trump is sure to talk about his twisted version of freedom’
Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, previewed the vice president’s upcoming debate with Trump in a fundraising email on Tuesday morning — contrasting their campaign’s message on the economy and freedom with Trump’s platforms.
“She’s going to show everyone watching what this movement is all about: supporting families like yours and mine and building a future where everyone has the opportunity not just to get by, but to get ahead,” the email reads. “Donald Trump is sure to talk about his twisted version of freedom,” Walz claimed in the email.
-ABC News’ Isabella Murray
Harris and Trump to have various surrogates in spin room
Harris and Trump will have a handful of surrogates representing them in the spin room following the debate.
Harris will have Govs. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Gavin Newsom of California, Roy Cooper of North Carolina and Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico representing her in the spin room post debate, a campaign official confirmed to ABC News.
In addition to attending a watch party hosted by the Trump campaign, GOP vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance will also participate in the spin room.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Gov. Doug Burgum, tech entreprenuer Vivek Ramaswamy, Sen. Marco Rubio, Rep. Bryon Donalds, and Sen. Rick Scott are also expected to appear on behalf of Trump.
-ABC News’ Fritz Farrow, Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, Will McDuffie, Kelsey Walsh, Lalee Ibssa, and Soo Rin Kim
Debate will show ‘strength and success’ of Trump vs. ‘devastation and weakness’ of Harris: Stefanik
House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik teed up her expectations for tonight’s presidential debate, telling reporters that Harris “cannot hide forever.”
“Tonight at the debate, the country will finally get to see the stark contrast between the strength and success of President Trump’s America-first policies and the devastation and weakness of Kamala Harris’s radical, failed, far-left agenda,” Stefanik, the fourth-ranked House Republican, claimed at a news conference in the Capitol Tuesday morning.
-ABC News’ John Parkinson
Harris campaign says it’s hosting 1,300 watch parties, Walz to deliver remarks in Arizona
Harris’ campaign said it’s hosting more than 1,300 debate watch parties across the country, and running mate Gov. Tim Walz will deliver remarks at one of them in Phoenix Tuesday night.
The watch parties will be in all 50 states, with more than 100 planned on college campuses, according to the campaign. The events will be used for volunteers to make calls to battleground-state voters and share debate content on digital platforms.
More than 300 of the planned watch parties will be group specific, including Republicans for Harris-Walz and Veterans for Harris-Walz events in Arizona, North Carolina and Georgia. There will also be Latino house parties in Arizona and labor-organized events in Pennsylvania, according to the campaign.
-ABC News’ Fritz Farrow, Gabriella Adbul-Hakim and Will McDuffie
Harris tweet: ‘America, see you tonight’
Looking ahead to Tuesday night’s debate, Vice President Kamala Harris tweeted “America, see you tonight.”
Before departing for Philadelphia on Monday, Harris told reporters that she’s feeling “good.” She also gave a thumbs up.
The vice president’s tweet also included a link to a list of debate watch parties the campaign is hosting across the country.
-ABC News’ Fritz Farrow
Harris releases new ad repurposing Obama’s dig at Trump
Vice President Kamala Harris repurposed former President Barack Obama’s suggestive dig at Trump over what Obama called his “weird obsession with crowd sizes” while speaking at the Democratic National Convention last month.
“Here’s a 78-year-old billionaire who has not stopped whining about his problems …” Obama said in the clip used in the ad, just before a clip of Trump at rally plays.
“Ooh, she had a big crowd! Ooh, that crowd,” Trump said in the snippet, mocking news reports about turnout for Harris.
“This weird obsession with crowd sizes… it just goes on, and on, and on,” Obama says as the ad returns to him, followed by shots of small Trump crowds and sounds of crickets chirping.
“America’s ready for a new chapter. We are ready for a President Kamala Harris,” Obama says.
The Harris campaign said the ad, titled “Crowd Size,” will air on Fox News the day of the debate because “Trump is known to watch” the network.
The 30-second ad is set to air nationally on cable news and in local West Palm Beach and Philadelphia markets.
– ABC News’ Fritz Farrow, Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, and Will McDuffie
Anthony Scaramucci among former Trump officials to serve as Harris surrogates in Philadelphia
Anthony Scaramucci and Olivia Troye, former Trump administration officials, will serve as Kamala Harris surrogates in Philadelphia today, the Harris campaign announced.
“Listen, don’t take it from us: Take it from the ones who know Donald Trump the best and who are telling the American people exactly how unfit Trump is to serve as president,” Harris spokesman Michael Tyler said.
Scaramucci served as Trump’s White House communications director. Troye served as the Homeland Security adviser to Vice President Mike Pence, as well as a top aide on the Trump White House coronavirus task force.
According to the campaign, they plan to discuss their support of Harris ahead of tonight’s debate.
They are among numerous former Trump staffers who continue to speak out.
– ABC News’ Will McDuffie, Fritz Farrow, and Gabriella Abdul-Hakim
Debate day arrives in Philadelphia
The stage is set for tonight’s high-stakes showdown in Philadelphia.
The lecterns are placed six feet apart at the National Constitution Center – where Donald Trump and Kamala Harris will meet in person for the first time.
The 9 p.m. ET matchup comes with just eight weeks to go until Election Day amid a tumultuous and unpredictable campaign.
The debate, moderated by David Muir and Linsey Davis, will air on ABC and stream on ABC News Live, Disney+ and Hulu. Viewers can also stream the debate on the ABC app on a smartphone or tablet, on ABC.com and connected devices. A prime-time pre-debate special will start at 8 p.m. ET.
(WASHINGTON) — Law enforcement officials at a Virginia military base are still actively investigating an August incident at Arlington National Cemetery involving what has been described as a confrontation between former President Donald Trump’s campaign and a cemetery worker, even as the Army says it considers the matter closed, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
As part of the probe led by the Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall Police Department, an investigator with the base’s police department has sought in recent days to contact Trump campaign officials about the incident, the sources said.
Investigators are seeking to interview the officials involved in the incident, according to the sources.
Stanley Woodward, a lawyer representing the Trump campaign officials, declined to comment when reached by ABC News.
Although the Army oversees Arlington National Cemetery, law enforcement is handled by Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Virginia, as a neighboring base. The base’s police department falls under the Army in an administrative capacity, but operates as a law enforcement agency and is staffed by federal law enforcement officers, not military police.
“The investigation is ongoing at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall by base authorities,” a defense official told ABC News in a statement that indicates the Army is not directing the probe.
Last month, the Trump campaign was accused of engaging in a physical and verbal altercation with a staffer at Arlington National Cemetery while the former president was there to mark the third anniversary of the deaths of 13 service members in Afghanistan. Trump’s aides filmed a campaign video in a section of the cemetery where recently fallen service members are buried.
Federal law prohibits campaigns from using the military cemetery for political campaigning or election-related activities.
Trump’s campaign insisted its aides acted appropriately and promised to release video they said would exonerate its staff. That video has not been released.
In the days following the incident, the Army defended the cemetery staffer, saying the person had been “unfairly attacked” — but also said that it considered the matter closed.
“The incident was reported to the JBM-HH police department, but the employee subsequently decided not to press charges. Therefore, the Army considers this matter closed,” an Army spokesperson said on Aug. 29, three days after the incident. “This incident was unfortunate, and it is also unfortunate that the [Arlington National Cemetery] employee and her professionalism has been unfairly attacked.”
When asked for comment on Monday, an Army spokesperson referred ABC News to its Aug. 29 statement. Base authorities at the Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Separately, however, the Army on Monday acknowledged the case is still being investigated when it explained why it is blocking the release of documents related to the incident.
In a letter responding to a request filed by ABC News under the Freedom of Information Act, the Army said documents couldn’t be released yet because “those documents are part of an open investigation.”
(WASHINGTON) — With about six weeks until Election Day, former President Donald Trump is back on the campaign trail with stops in battleground Pennsylvania on Monday.
Vice President Kamala Harris is in Washington to meet with United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Here’s how the news is developing:
Trump slightly leads in Arizona, about even in North Carolina: Polls
A set of New York Times/Siena College polls found Trump slightly leads Harris in Arizona and they are about evenly matched in North Carolina.
Among likely voters in Arizona, Trump leads Harris 50% to 45% in a head-to-head matchup. In a six-way matchup with other candidates, Trump still leads Harris 48% to 43%.
In North Carolina, Trump also leads Harris among likely voters 49% to 47%. He also leads by 2 percentage points in a six-way matchup. The lead, however, is within the poll’s margin of error.
Arizona and North Carolina are considered crucial battlegrounds this election, along with Georgia. According to 538’s polling average, Trump is ahead slightly in each of the three Sun Belt states.