Like Trump, Vance to campaign behind bulletproof glass at Michigan rally
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(WASHINGTON) — Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance will deliver remarks on the economy on Tuesday in Big Rapids, Michigan, at an outdoor farm — during which he will speak from behind bulletproof glass, the first time there has ever been one at a solo event for Vance
It’s similar to the new safety measures in place for former President Donald Trump’s outdoor rallies following his assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July.
Vance did have bulletproof glass in Asheboro, North Carolina, last week, but that was a joint event with the former president.
The U.S. Secret Service made arrangements for Trump to resume outdoor campaign rallies by surrounding his podium with bulletproof glass, multiple sources told ABC News earlier this month.
The Secret Service recommended Trump stop holding outdoor rallies last month after a gunman in Butler, Pennsylvania, fired at him from a rooftop 400 feet from the stage, hitting his ear. A man in the crowd was killed in the attack.
Between July 13 and Aug. 20, Trump held nearly a dozen campaign events, all of them indoors.
However, since being announced as Trump’s running mate on July 15, Vance has held several outdoor campaign events without bulletproof glass.
(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. military coordinated closely with the Israeli Defense Forces to help defend against Tuesday’s Iranian missile attack, national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters at a White House briefing shortly after the strike appeared to have ended.
“U.S. naval destroyers joined Israeli Air Defense units in firing interceptors to shoot down inbound missiles,” he said.
At the Pentagon, Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters that two U.S. Navy destroyers fired “approximately a dozen” missile interceptors at the incoming ballistic missile barrage aimed at Israel.
Ryder said the two destroyers that launched missile interceptors were the USS Bulkeley and USS Cole that were in the eastern Mediterranean on the ongoing missile defense mission.
“We do not know of any damage to aircraft or strategic military assets in Israel. In short, based on what we know at this point, this attack appears to have been defeated and ineffective,” Sullivan said.
At the same time, he called it a “significant escalation” by Iran.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris monitored the Iranian attack against Israel from the White House Situation Room and received regular updates from their national security team, Sullivan said.
The president had directed the U.S. military to aid Israel’s defense against Iranian attacks and to help shoot down missiles targeting Israel.
Earlier, before the strike began, Biden had posted on X that the U.S. was ready to help Israel defend against the Iranian missile attack.
He said as well that the U.S. was ready to protect American personnel in the region.
Asked at the briefing whether Biden would recommend Israel have a limited response as he did after Iran’s attack in Israel in April, Sullivan declined to say.
“I will not, from this podium, share the president’s recommendations. He will have the opportunity to share them directly. We’re going to have, as I said, ongoing consultations with the Israelis this afternoon and this evening. It is too early for me to tell you anything publicly in terms of our assessment or in terms of what our expectations are of the Israelis or the advice that we will give them,” he said.
Before the strike began, the Pentagon said Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant to discuss the threat of an imminent Iranian attack against Israel.
A spokesman said they spoke about severe consequences “in the event Iran chooses to launch a direct military attack against Israel.”
One of the first reactions from a congressional lawmaker came from from South Carolina GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham who called Iran’s missile attack on Israel a “breaking point” and called for a response.
“I would urge the Biden Administration to coordinate an overwhelming response with Israel, starting with Iran’s ability to refine oil,” Graham said in a statement.
He called for oil refineries to be “hit and hit hard.”
President Biden had been scheduled to hold a call with rabbis ahead of the Jewish High Holidays but the White House said that call has now postponed.
House Speaker Mike Johnson was briefed on the Iranian strikes on Israel, according to his spokesperson.
“Pray for Israel,” Johnston said in a statement posted on X.
ABC News’ Luis Martinez and Lauren Peller contributed to this report.
(PITTSBURGH) — Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Thursday to hunker down and prepare for the ABC News Sept. 10 debate with former President Donald Trump, according to a campaign aide.
Choosing to stay in Pennsylvania, a critical battleground state, could potentially allow Harris to continue campaigning while she prepares for the debate — and what will be her first in-person meeting with Trump.
The debate is a critical moment for Harris as it could be her last opportunity to pitch herself to a large television audience.
Harris has been preparing for the debate for weeks now. She has been holding mock debates at her alma mater, Howard University in Washington, D.C., with former Hillary Clinton aide Phillips Reines playing the part of Trump while wearing a wig, according to a source.
Reines isn’t the only one assisting Harris in her preparation — she’s also enlisted former White House aides Karen Dunn, Sean Clegg and Rohini Kosoglu. All three worked with her during her 2020 vice presidential debate against Mike Pence.
Asked by reporters Wednesday how her debate preparations were going, Harris responded, “So far, so good.”
While in Pittsburgh, Harris will work on maintaining a calm demeanor as she makes a case for her own presidency while holding Trump accountable for his, according to a source familiar with Harris’ debate preparations.
If Trump dodges a question or begins launching attacks, she wants to be able to successfully pivot the conversation, the source added.
That same source said the vice president will also focus on avoiding going down policy rabbit holes, which the source said was something she did during her 2019 debates.
Harris’ latest high-profile debates were during her presidential run four years ago and her vice presidential debate with Pence. This cycle, Trump debated President Joe Biden in June.
The ABC News debate will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 9 p.m ET. A prime-time pre-debate special will air at 8 p.m. ET.
(WASHINGTON) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard, two previous Democrats, have joined former President Donald Trump’s transition team, the campaign confirmed to ABC News.
“As President Trump’s broad coalition of supporters and endorsers expands across partisan lines, we are proud that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard have been added to the Trump/Vance Transition team,” Trump campaign’s senior adviser Brian Hughes told ABC News in a statement.
“We look forward to having their powerful voices on the team as we work to restore America’s greatness,” Hughes continued.
Kennedy, who was until recently Trump’s opponent in the presidential race and a subject of Trump’s name-calling, and Gabbard, the former congresswoman who represented Hawaii and left the Democratic Party after her 2020 presidential run, have both endorsed Trump in the last few days.
It’s not yet clear what roles Kennedy and Gabbard will be playing in the Trump-Vance transition team.
Others leading the transition effort include some of Trump’s family members as well as his major donors, including former U.S. Administrator of the Small Business Administration Linda McMahon, billionaire and Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick, running mate Sen. JD Vance and sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump.
Gabbard joined Trump on the campaign trail in Detroit on Monday where she later endorsed him.
She will also join him and moderate a town hall in La Crosse, Wisconsin, later this week. Gabbard has been helping Trump prepare for his first debate against Vice President Kamala Harris on Sept. 10, the Trump campaign previously told ABC News.
After suspending his campaign on Friday, Kennedy endorsed Trump and said he would remove himself from the ballot in states where his presence could hurt Trump.
The New York Times was first to report the new additions to the transition team.
