First to ABC: Retired 4-star general, 200 former GOP staffers endorse Harris
(WASHINGTON) — General Larry Ellis, a retired four-star general who served in that rank under George W. Bush’s administration, is endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris in a letter exclusively obtained by ABC News.
This is the first time Ellis, who served as the commander of the U.S. Army Forces Command, has endorsed a presidential candidate, writing that “this is not a decision I take lightly, but one I believe necessary.”
“Donald Trump has demonstrated that he is wholly and dangerously unfit for Commander-in-Chief. He praises and emboldens our enemies that seek to weaken our country. He has denigrated our brave men and women in uniform,” Ellis writes.
Ellis adds that if any service member were to ever “act just a bit like” Trump, “then he or she would be immediately removed from the leadership position, admonished, and separated from military service.”
Former Bush, Romney and McCain staffers endorse Harris
More than 200 Republican staffers who previously worked for either former President George W. Bush, Sen. Mitt Romney, or the late Sen. John McCain also endorsed Harris in a letter Monday obtained by ABC News. The letter was first obtained by USA today.
The letter calls on moderate Republicans and conservative independents in key swing states who voted for President Biden in 2020 to vote for Harris in November.
“Of course, we have plenty of honest, ideological disagreements with Vice President Harris and Gov. Walz. That’s to be expected. The alternative, however, is simply untenable,” the letter says.
The letters of endorsement come on the same day that Trump is reaching out to U.S. service members. On the third anniversary of the Afghanistan withdrawal and bombing that killed 13 U.S. service members, Trump slammed the Biden administration’s handling and sought to tie Harris to the chaotic withdrawal.
“The humiliation in Afghanistan set off the collapse of American credibility and respect all around the world,” Trump said to the National Guard Association of the United States conference in Detroit.
In response, Harris campaign spokesperson Ammar Moussa said in a statement to ABC News: “The Biden-Harris Administration inherited a mess from Donald Trump. Trump wants America to forget that he had four years to get out of Afghanistan, but failed to do it. All he did was continue our longest war. Trump cannot be trusted to keep us safe, but Vice President Harris is a proven leader on the world stage.”
(SPRINGFIELD, Ohio) — Shortly before the ABC News presidential debate on Tuesday, the parents of a child who was killed in a bus crash caused by a Haitian immigrant in Springfield, Ohio, last year made an emotional plea for former President Donald Trump, vice presidential candidate JD Vance and others to stop using the death of their child “as a political tool.”
“They have spoken my son’s name and used his death for political gain,” said Nathan Clark, who spoke at a Springfield City Commission hearing. Flanked by his wife Danielle, Clark said “My son was not murdered. He was accidentally killed by an immigrant from Haiti.”
“I wish that my son, Aiden Clark, was killed by a 60-year-old white man. I bet you never thought anyone would ever say something so blunt. But if that guy killed my 11-year-old son, the incessant group of hate-spewing people would leave us alone,” he said tearfully.
Aiden Clark was killed last year when a minivan driven by Hemanio Joseph crashed into his school bus. Joseph, whose legal team says has Temporary Protected Status (TPS), was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and vehicular homicide and sentenced to nine to 13 years in prison in May. Joseph’s team has filed to appeal the conviction.
Some Haitian nationals present in the United States are eligible for TPS, which provides them with temporary permission to live and work in the country legally. The Department of Homeland Security designates certain countries for TPS when it deems it too dangerous for migrants to return due civil unrest, natural disasters, or other reasons.
Nathan Clark called for an apology from Vance, Trump, Bernie Moreno, the Republican Senate candidate in Ohio, and Texas GOP Rep. Chip Roy, who he called “morally bankrupt,” for spinning Aiden’s death “towards hate.”
“This needs to stop now,” he said. “They can vomit all the hate they want about illegal immigrants, the border crisis, and even untrue claims about fluffy pets being ravaged and eaten by community members. However, they are not allowed, nor have they ever been allowed, to mention Aiden Clark from Springfield, Ohio.”
The claims about the Haitian community in Springfield spread quickly through conservative circles with accounts like that of the House Judiciary Committee Republicans using AI tools to show Trump holding cats and ducks, portraying him as a savior of animals.
One of the main images circulating online showing a man holding a dead goose was taken not in Springfield, but in Columbus, Ohio, two months ago. The resident who captured the image told ABC News he was surprised to see his image used to “ push false narratives.”
In a Tuesday post on X, Vance made debunked claims about Haitian migrants eating people’s pets in the town — a claim he later conceded could be false.
“In the last several weeks, my office has received many inquiries from actual residents of Springfield who’ve said their neighbors’ pets or local wildlife were abducted by Haitian migrants,” Vance wrote on X. “It’s possible, of course, that all of these rumors will turn out to be false.”
But then he went on to say, “Do you know what’s confirmed? That a child was murdered by a Haitian migrant who had no right to be here.”
Vance then criticized Harris for the Biden administration’s Temporary Protected Status extension for tens of thousands of Haitian migrants.
A spokesperson for Vance did not respond when ABC News asked for comment and more information about the incident he described in the post.
Asked for comment on the Clarks’ plea, Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign, said, “We are deeply sorry to the Clark family for the loss of their son. We hope the media will continue to cover the stories of the very real suffering and tragedies experienced by the people of Springfield, Ohio due to the influx of illegal Haitian immigrants in their community.”
At Tuesday’s debate, Trump brought up the unsubstantiated claims circulating online regarding immigrants in Springfield.
Bryan Heck, Springfield’s city manager, also condemned the misinformation being spread on social media and in the political arena.
“Our Springfield community is making notable progress that contributes to its growing appeal to new residents, including immigrants,” Heck said in an online statement. “This development is underpinned by our city’s diverse and robust industrial base that encompasses the technology, automotive, food production and distribution sectors. The growth in our workforce population has supported the expansion of local businesses, contributed to the stabilization of the local economy. Our commitment to promoting a business-friendly environment has attracted new enterprises to our region and we’ll continue to focus on collaborating with industry leaders who seek to establish operations here.”
He also stated that challenges related to the growing immigrant population are from the pace of the growth and not the growth itself.
“These rumors will not distract us from addressing the real strain on our resources including the impact to our schools, healthcare system and first responders,” Heck said.
Migrants have been drawn to the region because of the low cost of living and work opportunities, the city says on its site. The city estimates there are around 12,000 to 15,000 immigrants living in the county, and the rapid rise in population has strained housing, health care, and school resources.
But the city also says that the migrants are in the country legally and that many are recipients of Temporary Protected Status.
The Haitian Bridge Alliance condemned “baseless and inflammatory” claims about Haitian migrants, arguing they “not only perpetuate harmful stereotypes but also contribute to the dangerous stigmatization of immigrant communities, particularly Black immigrants from the Republic of Haiti.”
The group has also called for an apology.
At Tuesday’s debate, Trump ranted about migrants from Haiti stealing and eating people’s pets.
“They’re eating the dogs. The people that came in. They’re eating the cats. They’re eating — they’re eating the pets of the people that live there. And this is what’s happening in our country. And it’s a shame.”
Bryan Heck, Springfield’s city manager, also condemned the misinformation being spread on social media and in the political arena.
“Our Springfield community is making notable progress that contributes to its growing appeal to new residents, including immigrants,” Heck said in an online statement. “This development is underpinned by our city’s diverse and robust industrial base that encompasses the technology, automotive, food production and distribution sectors. The growth in our workforce population has supported the expansion of local businesses, contributed to the stabilization of the local economy. Our commitment to promoting a business-friendly environment has attracted new enterprises to our region and we’ll continue to focus on collaborating with industry leaders who seek to establish operations here.”
He also stated that challenges related to the growing immigrant population are from the pace of the growth and not the growth itself.
“These rumors will not distract us from addressing the real strain on our resources including the impact to our schools, healthcare system and first responders,” Heck said.
Migrants have been drawn to the region because of the low cost of living and work opportunities, the city says on its site. The city estimates there are around 12,000 to 15,000 immigrants living in the county, and the rapid rise in population has strained housing, health care, and school resources.
But the city also says that the migrants are in the country legally and that many are recipients of TPS.
The Haitian Bridge Alliance condemned “baseless and inflammatory” claims about Haitian migrants, arguing they “not only perpetuate harmful stereotypes but also contribute to the dangerous stigmatization of immigrant communities, particularly Black immigrants from the Republic of Haiti.”
The group has also called for an apology.
ABC News’ Julia Reinstein and Hannah Demissie contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris on Wednesday unveiled a vastly expanded $50,000 tax benefit for new small businesses and a lower long-term capital gains tax than that was proposed by President Joe Biden in his budget blueprint, one of her clearest breaks yet with Biden.
Speaking to a crowd of supporters in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Harris said, “And while we ensure that the wealthy and big corporations pay their fair share, we will tax capital gains at a rate that rewards investment in America’s innovators, founders, and small businesses,” before proposing a 28% long-term capital gains tax on people making $1 million a year or more.
Biden previously called for a 39.6% tax rate on capital gains. It is unclear where Harris stands on the additional 5% tax. While Harris’ presidential rival former President Donald Trump has not explicitly outlined a position this cycle, in 2016 he supported capping capital gains taxes at 20%, and the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 calls for a 15% capital gains tax.
A source familiar with the plan told ABC News that Harris believes a more moderated approach toward capital gains taxes will balance with other measures she supports to crack down on billionaires and big corporations. Harris said on Wednesday that she supported a minimum tax rate on billionaires. The source said she also supports raising the corporate tax rate and quadrupling taxes on stock buybacks.
However, the move comes as Harris and Trump seek to sharpen their economic messages to voters before facing off in their first debate on ABC News in Philadelphia next week. Trump is scheduled to give his own economic policy address on Thursday.
Harris’ announcement is part of a broader effort to generate a record-breaking 25 million new small business applications in her first term if elected, and her tax plan would represent a tenfold expansion of a $5,000 deduction already available to entrepreneurs to help cover startup costs.
An official familiar with Harris’ plans said the $50,000 benefit would help offset the $40,000 it costs on average to start a small business. The terms of the proposal would also allow eligible enterprises operating at a loss to delay utilizing the benefit until they turn a profit.
Some profitable businesses could also defer the full benefit, opting to instead use it across multiple years by deducting only earnings from the first year of business and utilizing the remainder of the total $50,000 in future years, according to literature circulated to reporters from the Harris campaign.
Harris said her administration would also seek to develop a standard deduction for small businesses to reduce the burden and cost of filing taxes, and remove barriers around occupational licensing, which inhibits workers from working across state lines.
While the literature circulated to reporters did not estimate the program’s cost, Harris told the crowd that the the plan would provide access to venture capital, support “innovation hubs and business incubators,” and increase the number of federal contracts with small businesses.
Many aspects of Harris’ proposed tax program would likely require congressional approval. The current 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, signed into law by Trump, is set to expire next year.
Harris also said that her administration would provide low- and no-interest loans to already existing small businesses. The campaign’s literature detailed a fund that would enable community banks and Community Development Financial Institutions to cover interest costs as small businesses expand in historically underinvested regions.
“We will have a particular focus on small businesses in rural communities, like right here in New Hampshire,” she said.
Both Trump and Harris have repeatedly sought to strike populist economic tones in their messaging, promising to provide relief to middle-class earners and even finding agreement on a proposed phase-out of federal income taxes on tipped wages.
Under pressure to define aspects of her policy agenda, Harris unveiled a slew of additional economic priorities last month that included, among other policies, restoring the American Rescue Plan’s expanded Child Tax Credit, proposing $25,000 in down payment assistance to qualifying first-time home buyers, capping prescription drug prices and a federal ban on price gouging in the food sector.
Meanwhile, Trump has advocated for broader reforms to U.S. economic policy, which have included tax cuts for businesses and wealthy individuals alongside an across-the-board tariff hike on imports to the U.S., generally, with tax rates as high as 60% to 100% on Chinese goods.
(WASHINGTON) — Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday praised the Secret Service for stopping an apparent assassination attempt Sunday, speaking in a phone interview with ABC News.
“I’m fine. The Secret Service did a good job, actually,” he said.
A Secret Service agent fired several shots at Ryan Wesley Routh, who was allegedly concealed in a tree line armed with a rifle at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, about 300 to 500 yards from the Republican presidential nominee, authorities said.
The suspect was able to get into a car and drive off, but was stopped by law enforcement.
He appeared in court on Monday and currently faces two felony gun charges. The investigation is ongoing.
Trump spoke about the heightened threat environment, telling ABC News, “Probably always been dangerous, but it’s more so now, I think.”
He reiterated satisfaction with how the Secret Service handled Sunday’s incident.
“On that on that event, I thought they were excellent,” he said.
Trump also discussed his phone call with President Joe Biden following the incident, calling the conversation “very, very nice.”
“He called me just to, you know, express his sort of horror that a thing like that could happen. But it was a very good conversation,” Trump said.
Trump said Biden told him he wants to be sure the Secret Service has all the resources it needs to do its job, adding, “I hope that is the case.”