Election 2024 updates: Rep. Ilhan Omar projected to win primary
(WASHINGTON) — Vice President Kamala Harris is back in Washington and is preparing to roll out her economic plan on the road in North Carolina on Friday, which will mark her first major policy rollout since becoming the Democratic nominee. As Donald Trump looks for a campaign reset, he spoke with Elon Musk live on Tuesday and will deliver remarks on the economy in North Carolina on Wednesday.
Here’s how the news is developing:
Trump to deliver remarks on economy in North Carolina
Former President Donald Trump is set to deliver remarks on the economy in North Carolina on Wednesday as the campaign works to recenter its campaign against Vice President Kamala Harris.
“The election’s coming up, and the people want to hear about the economy,” Trump said during an interview with Elon Musk on X Monday, directly blaming the Biden-Harris administration for the current state of the economy.
The economy has been one of the Trump campaign’s central election issues this cycle — the former president often spending a considerable amount of time discussing inflation, gas prices and the job market.
“I just ask this: Are you better off now, or were you better off when I was president?” Trump said Monday night as he was wrapping up his conversation with Musk.
Omar decries ‘shameful’ opponents in primary race
Following her Tuesday night primary victory, Rep. Ilhan Omar told supporters: “We run the politics of joy, because we know it is joyful to fight for your neighbors.”
“We know it is joyful to want to live in a peaceful and equitable world,” she added, per ABC News’ St. Paul affiliate KSTP-TV.
Omar also had harsh words for her main primary opponent Don Samuels, though did not mention him by name.
“I hope that they reflect in the shameful way they decided to divide our district and the incredible people we are grateful to represent,” she said of her challengers.
Squad member Rep. Ilhan Omar wins primary
Rep. Ilhan Omar has won her Congressional primary in Minnesota, multiple media outlets projected Tuesday night.
Omar’s win follows defeats by two of her fellow squad members in their primaries — Cori Bush from Missouri, and Jamaal Bowman of New York.
Omar had been expected to win in her district despite a challenge from former Minneapolis city council member Don Samuels.
Bush lost her primary earlier this month to St. Louis County prosecutor Wesley Bell. He was backed by more than $8 million from the pro-Israel United Democracy Project.
Bowman lost to Westchester County Executive George Latimer in June. Per AdImpact, the race was the most expensive House primary on record, with most of the funding coming from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s (AIPAC) United Democracy Project PAC in support of Latimer. Latimer was recruited to run by AIPAC.
Walz says he’s ‘damn proud’ of military record, thanks Vance for his service
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, in his first solo campaign appearance, defended his military record and thanked his vice presidential opponent, Sen. JD Vance, for his service.
“I am damn proud of my service to this country,” Walz said to applause at the AFSCME convention in California. “And I firmly believe you should never denigrate another person’s service record. Anyone brave enough to put on that uniform for our great country, including my opponent, I just have a few simple words: thank you for your service and sacrifice.”
Vance has repeatedly criticized how Walz has talked about his military record, which included 24 years in the Army National Guard before he retired to run for Congress in 2005. Vance served as a combat correspondent for four years in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Read more about Vance’s comments and Walz’s background here.
Biden says he would attend Trump’s inauguration if he were elected
President Joe Biden on Tuesday, as he was departing the White House, said he would go to Trump’s inauguration in January if he were to win this year’s election.
“I have good manners, not like him,” Biden told reporters after being asked if he’d attend. Trump did not attend Biden’s inauguration in 2021.
Biden also defended his calling Trump “a genuine danger to American security,” a comment he made during his CBS News interview over the weekend. Asked whether that contradicted his calls to cool heated political rhetoric, Biden shot back: “That’s just a statement. That’s a factual statement.”
-Fritz Farrow
Judge’s ruling means independent Cornel West can appear on North Carolina ballot
Independent presidential candidate Cornel West will be allowed on the general election ballot in North Carolina following a judge’s ruling that reversed a decision that would have kept him off the ballot in the battleground state.
In a ruling on Monday, U.S. District Judge Terrence Boyle ordered the North Carolina State Board of Elections to certify Justice for All North Carolina as a political party in the state. That party, started by West’s campaign, is nominating him as its candidate in North Carolina and some other states. The board had previously voted to deny certifying the party over concerns about how signatures were gathered for its petition to become a certified party.
Justice for All North Carolina called the decision a “monumental day for our party” but West’s campaign still faces headwinds. The Democratic National Committee filed a complaint with the FEC alleging that West’s campaign received “illegal In-Kind Contributions” from firms it used to collect signatures for ballot access petitions in Arizona and North Carolina — allegations West has pushed back on.
“We’ve always said we’re going to ensure the third party candidates are playing by the rules, and it’s clear his campaign isn’t playing by the rules,” DNC spokesperson Matt Corridoni told ABC News after the complaint was filed.
-Oren Oppenheim
Walz to make his 1st solo campaign appearance
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday will embark on his first solo Harris-Walz campaign event as Harris’ running mate with a stop in Los Angeles for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) international convention.
Walz is set to speak at 3:35 p.m. ET.
Walz emerged as a popular candidate among labor unions during Harris’ search for a vice president pick, sources said. AFSCME represents 1.4 million public service members, and the union’s president, Lee Saunders, previously released a statement endorsing Harris for president.
Harris to roll out economic plan on Friday
Harris will outline her economic policy in a speech in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Friday, her campaign announced, making it her first major policy rollout since jumping into the race.
Harris’ speech will detail her plan to “lower costs for middle-class families and take on corporate price-gouging,” a campaign official said.
The vice president has heavily focused her stump speech on the economy while on the campaign trail in recent weeks, saying over the weekend she would look to eliminate taxes on tips earned by service workers — a proposal Trump announced earlier this summer.
Harris’ college sorority creates PAC
The historically Black Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., of which Vice President Kamala Harris counts herself a member, started its own political PAC last week, according to a filing with the Federal Election Commission posted Monday.
The committee is named Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority PAC, Inc., or AKA 1908 PAC, the filing shows.
Harris has been an AKA since her days as a student at the historically Black Howard University in Washington, D.C. Harris on Monday visited the campus, her office confirmed to ABC News, but it’s not clear why she was there.
In July, before President Joe Biden dropped out of the race, Harris spoke at the AKA’s annual Boulé in Dallas, Texas. Since then, as a candidate, she’s also addressed similar national gatherings of two other historically Black sororities, Zeta Phi Beta and Sigma Gamma Rho.
Trump says he will return to Butler, Pennsylvania after assassination attempt
After discussing the assassination attempt made against him in Pennsylvania in July, former President Donald Trump said he’s planning a trip back to Butler in October.
“We’re going back to Butler; we’re gonna go back in October,” Trump said, adding, “Butler is a big, great area.”
Addressing what he’ll say when he returns, Trump told Musk, “I think I’ll probably start by saying I was so horribly interrupted.”
Trump discusses assassination attempt with Musk, says he turned head at ‘perfect angle’
During his conversation with Musk, former President Donald Trump addressed the assassination attempt made against him during a campaign rally in July.
“It was amazing that I happened to be turned just at that perfect angle,” Trump said of the bullet, which grazed his right ear while his head was turned.
During the discussion, Trump mentioned the man who was killed in the shooting, saying, it was a “very sad situation.”
“We lost somebody that was firefighter, a great Trumper,” Trump said of Corey Comperatore, adding, “He was a just a fantastic family [man] and a fantastic man.”
Trump and Musk’s conversation on X appears to be delayed
The conversation between former President Donald Trump and Elon Musk appears to be delayed, with many X users reporting they cannot access the Spaces conversation.
“This Space is not available,” appeared for some users on X.
The conversation was scheduled to begin at 8:00 p.m. ET.
Judge orders RFK Jr. off New York ballot
A New York judge ruled Monday that the thousands of signatures gathered by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign in the state were “invalidated” after a Democrat-aligned group argued he misled voters by listing as his home an address he rarely visits.
The judge, Christina Ryba, ordered the New York Board of Elections to not include Kennedy’s name on the ballot this fall.
A lawyer representing Kennedy told reporters last week they would appeal any ruling that went against them.
The ruling could prompt Democrats to bring similar lawsuits against Kennedy in other states where he gathered signatures from registered voters to appear on the ballot.
The FBI is investigating alleged attempts by Iran to target the then-Biden-Harris campaign, sources familiar with the matter confirmed to ABC News.
The alleged targeting via spear-fishing emails occurred before Biden announced he would exit the 2024 presidential race, the sources said.
While the campaign was targeted, the alleged hack was not successful, sources added.
The FBI is investigating a purported hack of the Trump campaign, according to a brief statement from the agency earlier Monday.
The FBI did not attribute the hack to anyone in its statement.
A source familiar with the matter told ABC News that Trump adviser Roger Stone has also been informed that his email accounts have been compromised, and that he’s cooperating with any investigation into the matter.
The Washington Post first reported the news.
-ABC News’ Luke Barr, Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, Will Steakin and Katherine Faulders
Biden, Obama, Clintons tentatively slated to speak at DNC: Sources
President Joe Biden, former President Barack Obama, and Bill and Hillary Clinton are all tentatively slated to speak at the Democratic National Convention next week, sources familiar said.
The working speaking schedule, which can always change, is as follows, according to the sources:
Monday: President Joe Biden, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Tuesday: Former President Barack Obama Wednesday: Vice presidential nominee Tim Walz, former President Bill Clinton Thursday: Vice President Kamala Harris
-ABC News’ MaryAlice Parks and Fritz Farrow
Trump posts on X ahead of Musk interview
Trump posted on X for the first time in nearly a year ahead of his conversation with Elon Musk scheduled for Monday night.
The video posted is a previously released campaign ad referencing his multiple indictments and telling supporters, “They are not coming after me, they are coming after you.”
The last time Trump posted on X was Aug. 24, 2023. It was a picture of his mugshot from Fulton County, when he turned himself in to authorities following his election interference indictment in Georgia.
-ABC News’ Lalee Ibssa, Kelsey Walsh, Soorin Kim
Trump to be interviewed by Elon Musk tonight
Trump, in a post to his conservative social media site Truth Social, announced he will be interviewed live by Musk on X at 8 p.m. ET.
It will mark a major return for Trump to X, formerly known as Twitter, since he was banned from the site following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Trump was reinstated in late 2022 but declined to become active on the site again, despite boasting 88 million followers.
Musk endorsed Trump following the July 13 assassination attempt against the former president. Recently, Musk has amplified misinformation about voting and elections on his X feed.
Walz discusses ‘whirlwind’ 1st week on the campaign trail
In a video posted on his X account, the Minnesota governor discussed what he called “not a normal week” since being named as Harris’ running mate.
Walz confirmed some details reported previously by ABC News and others, including that he informed Harris’ vetting team that he had not used a teleprompter before.
“Not a normal week, which is a good thing. Started by missing a call from the Vice President, pretty important one. And then got that call and honored to join the ticket with Kamala Harris to take us in a great direction,” Walz said.
“After that, it has been a whirlwind. We got on a plane and we flew to Philly, and they told me that in an hour I’d be giving a speech and there would be a teleprompter, something I had never used in my life, so certainly terrified, but was lifted up by the folks in Philly.”
-ABC News’ Will McDuffie
Harris wraps battleground state blitz, Vance makes rounds on Sunday shows
Over the weekend, Harris closed out a cross-country tour that included stops in battleground states Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgia and Arizona, as well as North Carolina and Nevada.
New polling released Saturday showed Harris taking the lead over Trump in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin among likely voters. The New York Times/Siena College polls showed Harris at 50% among likely voters in each state, while Trump polled at 46%.
Vance, too, campaigned in key 2024 states and made the rounds on the Sunday shows. During his cable news appearances, Vance reiterated campaign talking points on immigration and repeatedly hit Harris for not sitting down for extensive media interviews and laying out her agenda. Harris has done brief gaggles with reporters and said she’d unveil an economic policy platform this week.
Vance responds to mass deportation plan: ‘Let’s start with one million’
Sen. JD Vance told ABC News he blamed Vice President Kamala Harris and the Biden administration’s policies, such as ending “Remain in Mexico,” for the ongoing migrant crisis.
When asked how he and Trump would accomplish their stated goal of mass deporting as many as 20 million immigrants — a proposal experts previously told ABC News would be a “nightmare” — Vance said they would take a “sequential approach.”
“I mean do you go knock on doors and ask people for their papers? What do you do,” Karl asked.
“You start with what’s achievable,” Vance said. “I think that if you deport a lot of violent criminals and frankly if you make it harder to hire illegal labor, which undercuts the wages of American workers, I think you go a lot of the way to solving the illegal immigration problem.”
“I think it’s interesting that people focus on, well, how do you deport 18 million people? Let’s start with one million. That’s where Kamala Harris has failed. And then we can go from there,” Vance said.
Harris cautions donors to ‘not take anything for granted’
Vice President Kamala Harris attended a fundraiser in San Francisco Sunday where she maintained her campaign “will win this election,” but cautioned donors to “not take anything for granted.”
“I know there’s a lot of enthusiasm out there,” Harris said, adding, “And you know, I’ve never been one to really believe in the polls — whether they’re up or they’re down.”
“What we know is the stakes are so high and we can take nothing for granted in this critical moment,” she continued. “So we will fuel our campaign as we have, with enthusiasm and optimism, but also with a deep commitment to the hard work it’s going to take, and to campaign.”
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi introduced Harris at the event, touting the accomplishments of the Biden-Harris administration and the background of vice presidential nominee Tim Walz, several times calling the Harris-Walz ticket “the freedom ticket.”
“[Harris] makes us all so proud. She brings us so much joy. She gives us so much hope,” Pelosi said, calling the vice president “politically very astute.”
(NEW YORK) — Vice President Kamala Harris said Saturday she has accepted an offer from CNN for a second presidential debate against former President Donald Trump on Oct. 23.
Harris said in a statement on X that she accepted the offer for the debate and called on her opponent to accept as well.
“I hope @realDonaldTrump will join me,” she said in her post.
The Harris campaign challenged Trump to another debate less than an hour after the Sept. 10 ABC News presidential debate ended. However, Trump said in a statement that he would not participate in another debate against Harris. He has not publicly responded to the CNN offer.
The October CNN debate would have the same rules as the debate in June that the network held between Trump and President Joe Biden, according to Harris campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon. That includes no audience and the microphones would be muted when one candidate isn’t speaking, sources with knowledge of the rules told ABC News.
The debate would take place long after early voting begins in several states across the country. A debate between vice presidential candidates Gov. Tim Walz and Sen. JD Vance is scheduled for Oct. 1 on CBS.
“It would be unprecedented in modern history for there to just be one general election debate,” O’Malley Dillon said in a statement. adding that “debates offer a unique chance for voters to see the candidates side by side and take stock of their competing visions for America.”
ABC News’ Rick Klein and Ivan Pereira contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — Vice President Kamala Harris secured enough Democratic Party delegate votes to become the party’s nominee, according to the Democratic National Committee. She announced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate on Tuesday, with the two scheduled to embark on a seven-state trip to some of the biggest battleground states in the election, according to her campaign.
President Donald Trump and his vice presidential pick, Sen. JD Vance, are set to speak to voters through scheduled rallies and events throughout the week, too. Vance will also be visiting the same battleground states as Harris and her newly minted vice presidential pick.
Here’s how the news is developing:
Harris and Walz to hold rallies in Wisconsin, Michigan Wednesday
Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz are scheduled Wednesday to hold rallies in Wisconsin and Michigan, bringing their “vision for the future” to two battleground states on their first full day of campaigning together.
“Together, they will highlight the choice facing Blue Wall voters between the Trump-Vance agenda to weaken unions and give tax cuts to the wealthy on the backs of the middle class, and the Harris-Walz vision for the future, where everyone has the opportunity not just to get by, but to get ahead,” the Harris campaign said.
At their midday stop in Wisconsin, the pair will be joined by Gov. Tony Evers and Sen. Tammy Baldwin.
The pair will then travel to Wayne County Airport in Michigan for an evening rally, the campaign said. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan will join them, the campaign said.
“Their visits come on the heels of over a dozen labor endorsements, including last week’s endorsement from UAW — which represents more than 130,000 members in Michigan alone,” the campaign said.
JD Vance cancels North Carolina rallies due to Tropical Storm Debby
Sen. JD Vance will not be making appearances in North Carolina Thursday, due to the forecast of Tropical Storm Debby in the state, the Trump-Vance campaign said in a statement Tuesday.
Vance had two scheduled rallies in Raleigh and Oakboro.
“The Trump-Vance campaign will be rescheduling these events in North Carolina as soon as possible,” the campaign said.
Harris-Walz campaign says it raised over $20 million since running mate announcement
Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s campaign announcement has proven to be a fundraising success, according to a statement from the campaign Tuesday.
The Harris-Walz campaign says it has raised more than $20 million since this morning’s announcement of Walz joining Harris on the Democratic ticket in November.
Walz says he ‘can’t wait’ to debate JD Vance: ‘These guys are creepy’
Gov. Walz came out hard against former President Donald Trump and his running mate Sen. JD Vance during his first campaign rally speech as Harris’ vice presidential pick.
“Donald Trump’s not fighting for you or your family,” Walz said. He never sat at that kitchen table, like the one I grew up at, wondering how we were going to pay the bills. He sat at his country club in Mar a Lago wondering how he can cut taxes for his rich friends,” Walz added.
Turning his attention to Vance, Walz said, “His running mate shares his dangerous and backward agenda for this country.”
“I got to tell you, I can’t wait to debate the guy,” Walz continued, quipping, “That is, if he’s willing to get off the couch and show up.”
Calling out the Republican ticket, Walz added, “These guys are creepy. And yeah, it’s just weird as hell.”
Harris and Walz are officially the Democratic nominees: DNC
As Harris and Walz took the stage in Philadelphia, the Democratic National Committee announced they are officially the Democratic nominees for president and vice president.
“Vice President Harris and Governor Tim Walz officially accepted the nominations today, following the close of delegate voting on Monday, August 5th and the official certification of the roll call by Convention Secretary Jason Rae. Convention Chair Minyon Moore then certified Governor Walz as her running mate,” according to the statement from DNC Chair Jaime Harrison and DNCC Chair Minyon Moore.
Harris addressed the nomination at the campaign rally, saying, “I stand before you today to proudly announce I am now, officially, the Democratic nominee for president of the United States.”
Harris praises Walz’s background in politics and teaching: ‘Our values are the same’
During their first joint campaign rally, Vice President Kamala Harris introduced her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and touted his progressive record as state governor, his background as a high school teacher and football coach and a U.S. military sergeant.
“Since the day that I announced my candidacy, I set out to find a partner who can help build this brighter future. A leader who will help unite our nation and move us forward. A fighter for the middle class. A patriot who believes as I do in the extraordinary promise of America,” Harris of her search for a VP pick.
“Tim is more than a governor. To his wife, Gwen, he is a husband. To his kids, Hope and Gus, he is a dad. To his fellow veterans, he is Sgt. Major Walz, to the people of Southern Minnesota for 12 years, he was congressman. To his former high school students, he was Mr. Walz. And to his former high school football players, he was coach,” Harris said.
“Coach Walz and I may hail from different corners of this great country,” Harris continued, “But our values are the same.”
Harris and Walz take the stage in Philadelphia in first joint campaign rally
Vice President Kamala Harris and her newly announced running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, were met with loud applause and cheers in Philadelphia as they made their first joint appearance.
That massive crowd gave Harris and Walz a long standing ovation as they took the stage to the song “Freedom” by Beyoncé.
Gov. Josh Shapiro speaks ahead of 1st joint Harris-Walz rally
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has taken to the stage and is speaking in Philadelphia ahead of the first joint Harris-Walz rally.
Walz to tout his record, Harris’ strengths as prosecutor during campaign rally: Excerpts
Gov. Tim Walz will tout Vice President Kamala Harris’ history as a prosecutor, senator and vice president at their joint rally tonight in Philadelphia, according to excerpts from his speech that were released ahead of the event.
“She took on predators and fraudsters, took down transnational gangs, stood up against powerful corporate interests, she’s never hesitated to reach across the aisle if it meant improving people’s lives. And — she brings joy to everything she does,” the excepts read.
The governor is also expected to speak about his experiences from his days as a teacher to legislating as an elected official.
“These same values I learned on the family farm and tried to instill in my students, I took to Congress and the state capital, and now, Vice President Harris and I are running to take them to the White House,” the excerpts read.
“Donald Trump — he sees the world differently. He doesn’t know the first thing about service — because he’s too busy serving himself,” the excerpts read.
-ABC News’ Gabriella Abdul-Hakim
Walz, during vetting process, said he never used a teleprompter before: Source
Tim Walz said during the VP vetting process that he had never used a teleprompter before, according to source familiar.
The governor practiced using one before his remarks tonight to be comfortable using it during the joint rally with Kamala Harris in Philadelphia, according to the source.
CNN first reported the teleprompter detail.
-ABC News’ Selina Wang
Walz arrives in Philadelphia: ‘Hello Philly!’
Minnesota Gov. Tim Waz has arrived in Philadelphia ahead of his rally tonight with Vice President Kamala Harris.
He posted a video to X and wrote, “Hello Philly!”
-ABC News’ Will McDuffie, Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, Fritz Farrow and Isabella Murray
Harris campaign says it raised more than $10M since Walz announcement
The Harris-Walz ticket has raised more than $10 million since this morning’s reveal of Tim Walz as the vice president’s running mate, the campaign said in a release, making it “one of the campaign’s best fundraising days this cycle.”
Lauren Hitt, a spokeswoman, added that Pennsylvania’s top elected officials will join the pair at their Philadelphia rally tonight.
Sens. John Fetterman and Bob Casey are expected to speak, as is Gov. Josh Shapiro, who had been one of the contenders to be Harris’ running mate.
-ABC News’ Will McDuffie, Gabriella Abdul-Hakim and Fritz Farrow
DNC calls Walz the ‘presumptive nominee for vice president’
The Democratic National Committee, in a post on X, called Tim Walz the “presumptive nominee for Vice President.”
“Kamala Harris has selected Governor Tim Walz to be the presumptive Democratic nominee for vice president of the United States,” the party wrote, with a graphic of it’s “official Democratic ticket.”
-ABC News’ Oren Oppenheim, Isabella Murray and Brittany Shepherd
Harris releases video of phone call with Walz
Vice President Kamala Harris released a video showing her speaking with Gov. Tim Walz about being her running mate.
Harris is seen speaking on a cellphone with Walz, who is dressed in a T-shirt, khakis and a camouflage-colored baseball cap, alerting him that he would be her pick.
“The joy that you’re bringing back to the country, the enthusiasm that’s out there it will be a privilege to take this with you across the country,” Walz says in the video.
Bill Clinton: ‘Tim Walz has walked the walk’
Former President Bill Clinton praised Gov. Tim Walz’s record on Tuesday afternoon.
“Kamala Harris made a terrific choice with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. His resume speaks for itself,” he said in a statement posted on X.
“Tim Walz has walked the walk, and he’ll be a great vice president,” Clinton added.
Harris’ VP decision ‘stark contrast to Donald Trump’s choice’, Jeffries says
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries released a statement Tuesday praising Gov. Tim Walz after he was picked by Vice President Kamala Harris as her running mate, commending his years of work as a National Guardsman, teacher, House member and governor.
“Throughout his years of public service, including as the top Democrat on the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Tim has been a consistent champion on the issues that matter most for everyday Americans,” Jeffries, D-N.Y., said.
“Vice President Harris’ decision is a stark contrast to Donald Trump’s choice,” Jeffries added.
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller
Vance says he wants to debate Walz after he is officially VP nominee
When asked if he’s willing to debate Gov. Tim Walz, Sen. JD Vance said he wants to but is going to wait until Walz is the official vice presidential nominee.
“I absolutely want to debate Tim Walz, but I want to debate him, actually, after he’s actually officially the nominee, and I did call him and congratulate him and offered him my best wishes. I think that’s the polite thing to do,” he said.
-ABC News’ Soo Rin Kim, Hannah Demissie, Lalee Ibssa and Kelsey Walsh
Clyburn says Walz will be a ‘strong partner’ for Harris
Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., said in a statement that Gov. Tim Walz has “unparalleled experience” and will be a “strong partner for Kamala Harris.”
“My former House colleague [Tim Walz] will be a strong partner for [Kamala Harris],” he wrote on X.
“As a Governor, veteran, and former public school teacher, his unparalleled experience informs a deep understanding of the issues that matter most to the American people.”
“I look forward to working with this outstanding team toward victory in November,” he added.
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller
Manchin says Walz ‘will bring normality back to the most chaotic political environment’
West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin wrote in a statement on X that “I can think of no one better than Governor Walz to help bring our country closer together and bring balance back to the Democratic Party.”
“My friend Governor Tim Walz will bring normality back to the most chaotic political environment that most of us have ever seen,” he said, in part, also calling him “the real deal.”
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller
RFK Jr. criticizes Walz as VP pick
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wrote on X that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz being picked as Harris’ running mate means that “America’s political divide sharpens.”
“He called Trump supporters ‘fascist’ and ‘weird,’ and they in turn are calling him worse than that,” he said.
-ABC News’ Oren Oppenheim
Walz ‘going to bring something else to this ticket in a big way,’ Klobuchar says
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar spoke to ABC News Live about her reaction Gov. Tim Walz being selected as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate.
The senator called Walz a “close friend,” and said Harris chose the governor for several major reasons.
“She had someone in Tim Walz that one, she trusted, [and] two, she saw as someone that is going to bring something else to this ticket in a big way,” Klobuchar said.
The Minnesota senator, who describes Tim Walz as a “close friend,” gave her thoughts on Vice President Kamala Harris picking the Minnesota governor as her running mate.
The senator said Walz’s experiences as a veteran, teacher, Congress member and governor help the ticket.
“I just like Tim Walz. He is a good leader, he has shown he can get things done across the aisle,” she said.
When asked about the criticism Walz received over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, Klobuchar said, “We came out of it strong.”
Klobuchar also addressed the criticism Walz received over the 2020 George Floyd protests, reiterating that the governor embraced peaceful protests but called in the National Guard when they got violent.
“I would like to add, he was someone when the ‘defund the police’ ballot measure was on the ballot in the city of Minneapolis, both of us strongly opposed the measure. He added funding for the police,” she said. “You will see someone who has actually stood with law enforcement and made some tough decisions.”
Vance says he left Walz a voicemail, claims Harris’ pick highlights how ‘radical’ she is
Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance responded to the news of Gov. Tim Walz being tapped as Kamala Harris’ running mate, claiming the decision highlights how “radical” Harris is.
“Obviously, the big news of the day is that Tim Walz has been nominated as the VP or is now the presumptive nominee, I should say, for Kamala Harris … My view on it is it just highlights how radical Kamala Harris is,” Vance said.
Vice presidential candidate JD Vance spoke to reporters in Philadelphia about Kamala Harris’ choice for running mate.
When asked by ABC News’ Hannah Demissie if he had been in contact with Walz, Vance said he called Walz but the governor didn’t answer, so he left a voicemail.
“I didn’t get him, but I just said, ‘Look, congratulations. Look forward to a robust conversation and enjoy the ride,’ And maybe he’ll call me back, maybe he won’t,” Vance said.
-ABC News Lalee Ibssa
Biden spoke with Harris, Walz separately today, White House says
President Joe Biden spoke with Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday morning before she announced that Gov. Tim Walz would be her running mate, the White House said in a statement.
“The President also spoke with Governor Walz to congratulate him on his selection,” White House Senior Deputy Press Secretary Emilie Simons said in a statement.
-ABC News’ Justin Gomez
Harris told Walz they are ‘underdogs’ but is confident they have winning message: Source
Vice President Kamala Harris told Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz in a phone call this morning that they are the “underdogs” in this race, but she’s confident that together they have a winning message on reducing costs for the middle class and protecting freedom, a source close to the process told ABC News.
The source added that chemistry was a big piece of Harris’ decision to select Walz.
Harris notified her team this morning that she wanted to inform Walz and the other candidates, the source said, adding that the final decision and execution was done Tuesday morning.
-ABC News’ Selina Wang
Obama praises Tim Walz as VP pick
Former President Barack Obama released a lengthy statement on X congratulating Gov. Tim Walz for being selected as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate.
“[Tim Walz] believes that government works to serve us. Not just some of us, but all of us. That’s what makes him an outstanding governor, and that’s what will make him an even better vice president,” he wrote.
“By selecting Tim Walz to be her vice president from a pool of outstanding Democrats, Kamala Harris has chosen an ideal partner — and made it clear exactly what she stands for,” Obama said.
Pete Buttigieg praises Tim Walz as VP pick
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who was considered as a potential Harris running mate, praised Tim Walz in a statement posted on X, calling him an “effective governor — and also great to work with.”
“I’m excited for what his Midwestern voice, military experience, and common-sense values will bring to our winning ticket, and for everything the Harris-Walz administration will deliver for Americans,” he said.
-ABC News’ Tommy Barone
Gov. Andy Beshear throws full support behind Harris-Walz ticket
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who was also a vice presidential contender, said it was an honor to be considered for the 2024 ticket but threw his full support behind his “great friend” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
“I fully support this new ticket and will work to elect [Kamala Harris] as our next President of the United States,” Beshear said in a statement on X.
-ABC News’ Minnie Noah
Minnesota senators react to Walz as VP pick
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar wrote on X that Walz has been an “incredible leader.”
“Minnesota is known as the land of Vice Presidents, and we’ve got another great one on the way! As a veteran, a high school teacher and football coach, and our Minnesota Governor, Tim Walz has been an incredible leader (and on top of that, a good friend). Let’s go win this!” Klobuchar wrote.
Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith posted a photo of her and Walz eating donuts together, writing: “DONUT count Minnesota out. Congratulations, Governor Walz!”
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller
Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly reacts to Harris-Walz ticket
Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, who made the veepstakes short list, wrote on X that Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz “are going to move us forward.”
“They’re already building a campaign to unite our country — and [Gabby Giffords] and I are ready to do everything we can to help them win.”
-ABC News’ Tommy Barone
Walz says it’s ‘the honor of a lifetime’: ‘I’m all in’
Gov. Tim Walz posted on X on Tuesday, saying he’s “all in” on his new role as Harris’ VP pick.
“It is the honor of a lifetime to join [Kamala Harris] in this campaign. I’m all in. Vice President Harris is showing us the politics of what’s possible. It reminds me a bit of the first day of school. So, let’s get this done, folks! Join us,” he wrote, also linking to a donation page.
-ABC News’ Brittany L. Shepherd and Fritz Farrow
Shapiro expresses support for Harris-Walz ticket
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro posted on X about Vice President Harris’ choice of Tim Walz as a running mate, saying it was “a deeply personal decision for the Vice President — and a deeply personal decision for me.”
“Pennsylvanians elected me to a four-year term as their Governor, and my work here is far from finished — there is a lot more stuff I want to get done for the good people of this Commonwealth,” he wrote, in part, in a statement.
“Over the next 90 days, I look forward to traveling all across the Commonwealth to unite Pennsylvanians behind my friends Kamala Harris and Tim Walz and defeat Donald Trump,” he said. “See you tonig
Harris announces Walz as VP pick on Instagram
Vice President Kamala Harris took to Instagram to announce Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her vice presidential running mate. Her X page was also updated with a new social wrap that highlights her vice presidential pick, along with a new poster that features the two.
“I am proud to announce that I’ve asked [Gov. Tim Walz] to be my running mate,” Harris wrote on Instagram.
“One of the things that stood out to me about Tim is how his convictions on fighting for middle class families run deep. It’s personal,” she continued.
“He grew up in a small town in Nebraska, spending summers working on his family’s farm. His father died of cancer when he was 19, and his family relied on Social Security survivor benefit checks to make ends meet. At 17, he enlisted in the National Guard, serving for 24 years. He used his GI Bill benefits to go to college, and become a teacher. He served as both the football coach and the advisor of the Gay-Straight Alliance,” Harris wrote.
“I share this background both because it’s impressive in its own right, and because you see in no uncertain terms how it informs his record. He worked with Republicans to pass infrastructure investments. He cut taxes for working families. He passed a law to provide paid family and medical leave to Minnesotan families,” she continued. “He made Minnesota the first state in the country to pass a law providing constitutional abortion protections after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and as an avid hunter, he passed a bill requiring universal background checks for gun purchases.”
“But what impressed me most about Tim is his deep commitment to his family: Gwen, Gus, and Hope. Doug and I look forward to working with him and Gwen to build an administration that reflects our shared values,” she said.
-ABC News’ Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, Fritz Farrow and Will McDuffie
Trump campaign fundraising email from JD Vance says ‘I will wipe the floor with Tim Walz’
The Trump campaign sent a fundraising email from Sen. JD Vance on Tuesday with the subject line, “I will wipe the floor with Tim Walz.”
“I have three words for Tim Walz: Bring. It. On,” the fundraising email says.
-ABC News’ Lalee Ibssa
Josh Shapiro to attend Harris rally in Philadelphia tonight
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro will attend tonight’s rally in Philadelphia and “will do everything he can” to support the Harris-Walz ticket, someone familiar with the campaign’s thinking told ABC News.
-ABC News’ Will McDuffie
Rep. Dean Phillips, Biden primary opponent, said he’s ‘thrilled’ by Walz news
Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips, who was one of President Joe Biden’s few primary challengers this cycle, said in a post on X on Tuesday morning that he was “thrilled” by the reports that his “friend” Tim Walz would be Kamala Harris’ VP pick.
“I’m thrilled by reports that my friend and governor will be America’s next Vice President,” Phillips posted, along with a photo of them together.
“Tim is a common-sense, competent and experienced leader whose refreshing normal-ness will be a great contrast to the tiresome weirdness. Let’s go!” he wrote.
Walz and Phillips never served in the House of Representatives together. Walz left his 1st Congressional District seat in 2019, when Phillips was coming in to serve the 3rd District.
Phillips has endorsed Harris’ White House bid.
-ABC News’ Isabella Murray
Rep. Ilhan Omar congratulates Walz
Progressive Minnesota Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar congratulated her state’s governor on Tuesday.
“Our North Star state Governor has signed universal school meals, paid family and sick leave, marijuana legalization, and protections for reproductive rights into law,” she wrote on X, also sharing a photo of the two.
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller
Pelosi applauds Walz, but says ‘to characterize him as left is so unreal’
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reacted on “Morning Joe” to the news that Vice President Kamala Harris is poised to pick Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, saying: “Tim Walz is wonderful, and she had many good choices.”
“Tim Walz, I know very well. He served in the House. To characterize him as left is so unreal. It’s just not — he’s right down the middle. He is a heartland of America Democrat. He was the chair of our Veterans’ Affairs Committee, and I don’t want anybody to forget that — he made tremendous, tremendous gains for our veterans,” Pelosi said.
“We made more progress that has ever been made in the history of our country since the GI Bill under his leadership,” she continued.
Pelosi complimented his background and credentials, including serving in the National Guard.
“So, he brings the security credential. He brings the rural credential. And he will do in rural America,” Pelosi said.
“So it’s really mystifying to me to see someone that I worked with, shall we say, right down the middle characterized on the left in his regard. He has [Harris’] confidence obviously,” she added.
“[Walz] has a great vision for our country. It is about working-class families, about rural America, about our veterans. He has won for governor two times in Minnesota,” Pelosi added.
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller
Minnesota Rep. Betty McCollum calls Walz a ‘rock-solid Democrat’
Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., praised Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday, calling him a “rock-solid Democrat.”
“Tim Walz is my friend and a former colleague whose Midwest values are rooted in selfless service to our nation, caring for his neighbors, and inspiring students, soldiers and citizens to stand together, dream bigger and never give up,” she said in a statement, reacting to the news that Vice President Kamala Harris is poised to pick the Minnesota governor as her running mate.
“Tim is a rock-solid Democrat, a teacher, a football coach, a veteran and a leader who will defend our freedoms and will work to improve the lives of all Americans in every corner of our country,” she said.
-ABC News’ John Parkinson
Trump reacts to news Harris is poised to pick Tim Walz
Donald Trump on Tuesday reacted to the news that Vice President Kamala Harris is poised to pick Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate.
Trump, in a campaign email, claimed Walz “would be the worst VP in history” and said the governor was “even worse” than Harris.
The pro-Trump super PAC MAGA Inc., a separate entity from the Trump campaign, also released a statement, claiming Walz and Harris are “both far-left radicals that don’t know how to govern.”
-ABC News’ Rick Klein, Soorin Kim, Lalee Ibssa and Kelsey Walsh
Majority Whip Tom Emmer, a Republican, reacts to Walz poised to be Harris’ VP pick
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota, a Republican, criticized Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who is poised to be Harris’ pick for vice president.
In a post on X, Emmer said, “It’s not surprising @KamalaHarris picked Tim Walz to be her running mate — he embodies the same disastrous economic, open-borders, and soft-on-crime policies Harris has inflicted on our country the last four years.”
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller
Harris poised to pick Tim Walz as vice presidential running mate
Vice President Kamala Harris is poised to pick Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her vice presidential running mate to help her challenge Donald Trump and JD Vance in November.
Harris grows Pennsylvania volunteers
Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign is touting its robust ground game in Pennsylvania, saying it’s taking “nothing for granted” in the state, ahead of her running mate reveal, which is expected on Tuesday.
About 33,000 people signed up to volunteer for the campaign in Pennsylvania in the last 15 days, according to a campaign memo. The campaign boasts nearly 300 staffers across three dozen offices in the state, the memo said.
The campaign also said it was “doing the work to make inroads in historically-safe Republican areas.”
The campaign sought to contrast Harris’ record with former President Donald Trump’s, citing the vice president’s time as a prosecutor and saying she “is committed to keeping our communities safe and locking up dangerous crooks, criminals, and predators.”
“With only three months until Election Day, Trump’s campaign still lags far behind in the infrastructure needed to win with just three offices in Pennsylvania,” the Harris campaign memo said. “He’s shown he doesn’t want these voters.”
Kamala Harris earns majority of Democratic roll call votes
Vice President Kamala Harris has officially gotten the vast majority of delegate votes in the virtual roll call that nominates her as the Democratic presidential nominee, the Democratic National Committee said in a statement released late Monday.
The roll call, which concluded on Monday evening, still needs to be certified by Convention Secretary Jason Rae, according to the statement, but the announcement makes Harris’s historic nomination effectively official.
Sens. Sanders, Warren join Progressives for Harris Call: ‘We have to beat Trump in November’
On a three-hour organizing call with over 100,000 attendees, numerous high-profile progressive democrats came out to support Vice President Kamala’s Harris’ presidential bid.
Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, Reps. Joaquin Castro, Ro Khanna, Ilhan Omar and Jamie Raskin and UAW President Shawn Fain all showed up as well as members of the uncommitted movement who had not yet endorsed Harris but strongly hope she’ll win them over in the next few months.
“The energy and the momentum in this election is on our side. And I am so inspired by the organizing in support of Vice President Harris, starting with the win with black women that mobilized a massive zoom call. And now here tonight, we have progressives coming together,” Warren said on the call.
Sanders, who has not officially said he endorses Harris — although he has encouraged voters to go out and support the candidate — told attendees that “Trump must be defeated” and Harris “must be elected.” He noted that it’s “imperative that Democrats gain control over the House and the Senate.”
“And we in the progressive movement must do all that we can to make that happen,” he added.
“I don’t know if I can add to what has already been said tonight, but my message is pretty clear, and that is all of us together must do everything that we can to defeat Donald Trump and elect Kamala Harris as our next president,” said Sanders.
Harris campaign selling yard signs without revealing running mate’s name
Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign is promoting pre-orders for a campaign yard sign with a mockup image featuring her last name and tape and question marks over where her yet-to-be-announced running mate’s last name would be.
“Be one of the first to proudly display your support for Kamala Harris and her running mate,” the campaign said on its website.
JD Vance to also give remarks in same states as Harris this week
Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance is scheduled to give remarks in the same states on the same days as Vice President Kamala Harris this week, the Trump-Vance campaign announced, as Harris embarks on a battleground state tour.
Vance is scheduled to speak at noon ET in Philadelphia on Tuesday. The event comes as Harris is set to hold a rally with her yet-to-be-announced running mate Tuesday night in the city.
On Wednesday, he is scheduled to deliver remarks in the Detroit suburb of Shelby Township, Michigan, and Eau Claire, Wisconsin, as Harris also campaigns in those states then.
Then on Thursday, he is set to speak in Raleigh and Oakboro in North Carolina, aligning with Harris’ scheduled visit to the state.
-ABC News’ Hannah Demissie
Bon Iver to campaign with Harris in Wisconsin
Bon Iver will join Harris and her running mate on Wednesday in Eau Claire, Wisconsin — where the Grammy-winning indie folk band was founded — for a “special performance” as part of the campaign’s battleground state tour, the Harris campaign announced on Monday.
-ABC News’ Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, Fritz Farrow, Will McDuffie and Isabella Murray
Harris still deliberating on VP pick: Source
At this moment, Vice President Harris has not decided on a running mate and is still deliberating, according to a source.
More than 10K people expected at Harris’ Philly rally: Source
More than 10,000 people are expected to attend Harris’ rally Tuesday night in Philadelphia, where she’ll be joined by her new running mate, according to a source familiar with the plans.
That would make this the biggest event yet for the Harris campaign.
Harris is looking to build off her momentum. Pennsylvania kicks off her swing through seven battleground states in five days.
The pace of her campaign is in stark contrast to Trump’s, which has only one rally scheduled this week — in Montana on Friday.
Usha Vance says husband’s ‘childless cat ladies’ comment was a ‘quip’
In her first interview since her husband was named former President Donald Trump’s running mate, Usha Vance sat down with Fox & Friends where she discussed her husband’s “childless cat ladies” comment that has gained attention recently — calling it a “quip.”
“The reality is, JD made a quote – I mean, he made a quip, and he made a quip in service of making a point that he wanted to make that was substantive,” Usha Vance said of the comments her husband made in 2021. “And I just wish sometimes that people would talk about those things and that we would spend a lot less time just sort of going through this three-word phrase or that three-word phrase.”
She continued, “What he was really saying is that it can be really hard to be a parent in this country, and sometimes our policies are designed in a way that make it even harder.”
She added that her husband “would never ever ever want to say something to hurt someone who was trying to have a family who really was struggling with that.”
JD Vance has called the comments “sarcastic.”
“Let’s try to look at the real conversation that he’s trying to have and engage with it and understand for those of us who do have families, for the many of us who want to have families, and for whom it’s really hard,” Usha Vance said on Monday. “What can we do to make it better? What can we do to make it easier to live in 2024?”
-ABC News’ Kelsey Walsh, Hannah Demissie, Lalee Ibssa and Soorin Kim
Pelosi says she spoke with Biden ahead of his withdrawal ‘asking for a campaign that would win’
Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, in an interview with Good Morning America anchor George Stephanopolous on Monday morning, said that she spoke with President Joe Biden ahead of his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race “asking for a campaign that would win.” She also said Biden was “the only person that I spoke to” about Biden possibly withdrawing.
“The only person that I spoke to about this was the president. Other people called me about what their views were about it, and — but I rarely even returned a call, much less initiated one,” Pelosi said.
Later, she added, “I wasn’t asking him to step down. I was asking for a campaign that would win, and I wasn’t seeing that on the horizon.”
Vice President Kamala Harris’ choice for her running mate is a the “most important” decision she has to make as her campaign gets started, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.
All of her choices appear to be good, Pelosi added.
“It’s a difficult decision because they are all so great,” she told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos on Good Morning America on Monday. “It is the most important decision for her to make. Not just about who can help win, but who can help serve and lead and whose confidence she trusts.”
Harris and to-be-announced running mate to launch seven-state tour Tuesday
Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, who is yet to be named, will go on tour, hitting seven battleground states in five days, the Harris campaign said Monday.
The tour will be an effort to “introduce the new Democratic ticket” and “speak directly with voters in their communities and cement the contrast between our ticket and Trump’s,” campaign said.
The tour, which kicks off Tuesday in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, will feature rallies in cities and stops at college campuses, including HBCUs, union halls, family-owned restaurants and their field offices, the campaign said.
The tour will continue through Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Detroit, Michigan; Durham, North Carolina; Savannah, Georgia; Phoenix, Arizona; and Las Vegas, Nevada, the campaign said.
Harris interviewing top VP contenders today at her residence: Source
Vice President Harris is meeting with top running mate candidates Sunday at her residence at the Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C., according to a source familiar with the matter.
Harris is meeting with at least three leading contenders — Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, according to the source.
The meetings were earlier reported by The New York Times.
Sen. JD Vance says he wears VP pick criticism as a ‘badge of honor’
In a Fox News interview Sunday, Sen. JD Vance responded to criticism of him being picked as former President Donald Trump’s running mate, saying he takes it as a “badge of honor.”
“All I can do is go out there and prosecute the case against Kamala Harris to remind people that things were more prosperous and more peaceful when Donald Trump was president,” Vance said. “Look, I recognize there are a lot of folks even in the GOP establishment and certainly on the far left who don’t like the fact that Donald Trump picked me, I actually take their criticism as a badge of honor.”
Vance also hit back at Democrats who’ve called him “weird,” calling it “a lot of projection.”
“They can call me whatever they want to. The middle school taunts don’t bother me,” he said. “What offends me is what Kamala Harris has done to this country over three and a half years.”
Harris campaign launches ‘Republicans for Harris’ outreach program
Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign announced Sunday that it would be launching a “Republicans for Harris” program aimed at reaching Republican voters who could be convinced to vote for Harris. The program will include digital advertising, phone banking, events and other initiatives, according to the campaign.
The program — and Harris herself — have been endorsed by a number of Republican figures, including former Trump White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham.
“I might not agree with Vice President Kamala Harris on everything, but I know that she will fight for our freedom, protect our democracy, and represent America with honor and dignity on the world stage,” Grisham wrote in a statement released by the Harris campaign.
The “Republicans for Harris” program will hold kickoff events starting this week, per the campaign.
(WASHINGTON) — Even as Iranian missiles were streaking across the skies over Israel this week, U.S. officials say they were actively engaging with their Israeli counterparts to game out an appropriate response to the attack and underscore the need to avoid escalation.
Now that the fog of war has subsided to reveal that Iran’s barrage on Tuesday did not incur massive loss of life or widespread damage, several Biden administration officials tell ABC News they’re more optimistic they can persuade Israel to carry out a measured response — but said they still fear a significant counterattack could trigger additional military action from Iran that leads to spiraling escalation in the Middle East.
One U.S. official said Israel aims to reestablish deterrence through its response by putting on a show of force. However, the official said Israel is unlikely to hit Iran’s nuclear facilities — a move that would spark ire from Tehran and one President Joe Biden made clear he does not support following a conversation with other members of the G7.
“We’ll be discussing with Israelis what they’re going to do,” Biden said Wednesday. “All seven of us agree that they have a right to respond, but they should respond in proportion.”
Another U.S. official said Israel could opt to go after other targets critical to Iran’s economy, like the country’s energy grid or its oil production infrastructure, but that striking a military installation would be the route with the lowest risk of escalation.
They added that the Biden administration believes Israel is still evaluating its options and has not yet set a firm timeline for its response.
An Israeli official told ABC News on Wednesday that its retaliation would be “significant” and “come fast.”
The Iranian regime has issued a range of messages following Tuesday’s attack on Israel, blaming the presence of the U.S. and some European nations in the Middle East for the turmoil in the region and declaring that peace depends on “rooting out the evil of these countries” while also declaring Tehran doesn’t want a broader war.
“We don’t seek war, it is Israel that is forcing us to react,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said during a press conference in Qatar on Wednesday.
Tehran said its attack was incited by the assassination of Hamas’ political leader Ismail Haniyeh on Iranian soil in July, which was widely attributed to Israel, and the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli strike last week.
The Biden administration has lauded the killing of Nasrallah, saying Israel acted to bring the leader of a designated terror organization to justice. But the killing of the Iranian proxy group’s leader has also complicated the leverage the U.S. has over Israel.
In April, Tehran launched a drone and missile attack at Israel to settle the score following an Israeli airstrike on an Iranian diplomatic compound in Damascus, Syria. Then, the tit-for-tat ended with a murmur — a muted counterblow from Israel on a single Iranian military site.
But in the spring, Israel still wished to avoid provoking Hezbollah, making the country more amenable to the Biden administration’s pleas for caution. Now, Israel is actively carrying out ground incursions into Lebanon and has greatly diminished the militant group’s capability.
The Biden administration initially responded to Israel’s actions in Lebanon by urgently calling for a cease-fire.
Now, U.S. officials say they are still pursuing a diplomatic solution, but the public messaging from Washington has pivoted back to one of support for Israel rather than calls for truce in Lebanon.
“Make no mistake, the United States is fully, fully supportive of Israel,” Biden said.