Tim Walz says Trump is ‘spiraling down,’ pitches Harris’ message of change
ABC News
(WASHINGTON, DC) — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, said Donald Trump is “spiraling down” after being asked on ABC’s “The View” about the former president’s recent lewd comments.
“It’s very clear that, as you said, Donald Trump is spiraling down, unhinged,” Walz said. “What worries me about these comments, some of these are just so strange that they’re hard to imagine, are the dangerous ones in the middle of that — the ‘enemy from within’ and some of that.”
Walz quickly switched gears, though, to talking about how Trump’s comments stand in contrast with the optimistic vision the Harris campaign is pitching to voters.
“But on the flip side of that is the message that’s starting to break through is this opportunity economy, a new way forward,” Walz said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(WASHINGTON) — Vice President Kamala Harris indicated in a “60 Minutes” interview out Monday that she could get her economic policies through a Republican-controlled Congress, despite the potential for opposition from Republican lawmakers to her proposed tax breaks that drive up the federal deficit.
In a clip of the interview released Monday, “60 Minutes” correspondent Bill Whitaker pressed Harris on how she would pay for the policies, which include tax breaks for small business owners, parents and first-time homebuyers.
“How are you going to get this through Congress?” Whitaker asked.
“You know, when you talk quietly with a lot of folks in Congress, they know exactly what I’m talking about because their constituents know exactly what I’m talking about; their constituents are those firefighters and teachers and nurses,” the vice president responded.
The “60 Minutes” interview, which will air in full Monday night, is the second time in recent weeks Harris has been asked to describe how she would fund her policies.
MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle asked her in an interview last month, “If you can’t raise corporate taxes, or if GOP takes control of the Senate, where do you get the money to do that?”
“Well, but we’re going to have to raise corporate taxes. And we’re going to have to raise — we’re going to have to make sure that the biggest corporations and billionaires pay their fair share,” answered Harris.
The vice president speaks often about her economic plans — a key voter issue in the election — while on the campaign trail, too. Her plans are geared toward helping working-class Americans as she tries to gain ground on an issue, which surveys suggest former President Donald Trump is winning.
In an economics-focused speech last month in Pittsburgh, Harris touted a “pragmatic” vision for the economy, saying she would be “grounded in my fundamental values of fairness, dignity and opportunity.”
Harris, though, is likely to face continuing questions about her plans to fund her ideas.
In another pre-released exceprt of the “60 Minutes” interview, Whitaker challenged Harris on whether Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanahu is “listening” to the Biden administration’s urges to defuse tensions in the Middle East.
“Well, Bill, the work that we have done has resulted in a number of movements in that region by Israel that were very much prompted by or a result of many things, including our advocacy for what needs to happen in the region,” Harris said.
Asked if the United States has “a real close ally in Prime Minister Netanyahu,” Harris responded, “I think, with all due respect, the better question is: do we have an important alliance between the American people and the Israeli people? And the answer to that question is yes.”
Harris’ “60 Minutes” interview is part of a flurry of interviews she has set for this week, including with “The View,” “The Howard Stern Show” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” a senior campaign official said.
Her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz, also has a media blitz planned this week with stops at “Jimmy Kimmel Live” as well as being part of the “60 Minutes” interview.
Both Harris and Walz will spend time campaigning out West this week with stops in Nevada and Arizona, according to the senior campaign official.
Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead. Via Flickr
(WASHINGTON) — President-elect Donald Trump was greeted with a standing ovation from House Republicans at his first stop back in Washington on Wednesday.
“It’s nice to win,” Trump said as he took the stage at the conference’s internal meeting at the Hyatt Regency near the Capitol.
Ahead of his arrival, House Speaker Mike Johnson celebrated Trump as the “comeback king.”
Trump smiled and shook Johnson’s hand and other top GOP brass on stage, including Rep. Elise Stefanik, who has been named as Trump’s U.S ambassador to the United Nations.
The meeting comes as Republicans inch closer to a majority in the House. While ABC News has not yet projected which party will control the chamber, Republicans are two seats away from the threshold with a dozen races still undecided.
House Republicans took an early victory lap as they came back to town Tuesday for the lame-duck session, saying they are prepared to enact Trump’s agenda on Day 1 of his administration come January.
“I just want to thank everybody,” Trump told the room. “You’ve been incredible. We worked with a lot of you to get you in, and you helped me, and you helped me too.”
As the press was being escorted out of the room, pool reporters noted Trump told lawmakers: “I suspect I won’t be running again unless you do something else, unless you say he’s so good we’ve got to figure something out.”
The friendly atmosphere comes ahead of Trump’s sit-down with President Joe Biden in the Oval Office, a return of a White House tradition that Trump flouted in 2020.
Trump landed at Joint Base Andrews for the first time since leaving office in January 2021 flanked by billionaire Elon Musk, a sign of some of the new faces that may dominate Trump’s orbit in his second term.
This is Trump’s first public appearance since his speech in the early hours after Election Day. He’s since huddled at Mar-a-Lago, where he’s been rolling out picks for Cabinet roles and other administration positions.
Musk has been weighing in on the decisions, ABC News previously reported.
On Tuesday, Trump announced Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy would lead a what he’s calling a new “Department of Government Efficiency” to provide outside guidance on reforming federal agencies and cutting government “waste.”
(WASHINGTON) — President-elect Donald Trump announced that Alina Habba, his senior adviser and attorney, will serve as counselor to the president.
The appointment was shared through a post on Truth Social on Sunday evening, in which he wrote, “Alina has been a tireless advocate for Justice, a fierce Defender of the Rule of Law, and an invaluable Advisor to my Campaign and Transition Team. She has been unwavering in her loyalty, and unmatched in her resolve – standing with me through numerous ‘trials,’ battles, and countless days in Court.”
“As a first generation American of Middle Eastern Heritage, she has become a role model for women in Law and Politics, most recently being named Chaldean Woman of the Year,” the post continued, before congratulating Habba and her family on the appointment.
In his former administration, the position was held by Kellyanne Conway. It is not associated with the White House counsel’s office.
In additional social media posts the same evening, Trump announced several State Department roles, including Michael Anton as director of policy planning, Michael Needham as counselor and Christopher Landau as deputy secretary.
“Michael served me loyally and effectively at the National Security Council in my First Term,” Trump’s post regarding the director of policy planning position said.
“He spent the last eight years explaining what an America First foreign policy truly means,” it added.
For Needham, he wrote, “Mike has capably served Senator Marco Rubio for many years, and is a key leader in the America First Movement. He has been on the front lines of the fight for the Forgotten Men and Women of America for nearly two decades, and will do a great job at State.”
In while appointing the deputy secretary of the State Department, the president-elect posted, “Chris will work closely with our great Secretary of State Nominee, Marco Rubio, to promote our Nation’s security and prosperity through an America First Foreign Policy. Chris served as my Ambassador to Mexico, where he worked tirelessly with our team to reduce illegal migration to the lowest levels in History.”
“He is also one of our Country’s great lawyers, and clerked for both Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas on the United States Supreme Court,” the post continued. “He graduated from Harvard College, first in his Class, and Harvard Law School, and has argued nine cases in the U.S. Supreme Court.”
All four of the posts appeared on Trump’s account within the span of about one minute, just before 7 p.m.
