Trump adds new campaign pledge to get IVF paid for by government or covered by insurance
Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a town hall meeting at La Crosse Center in La Crosse, Wisconsin, on August 29, 2024. — Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images
(LA CROSSE, Wis.) — Former President Donald Trump introduced a new campaign platform on Thursday aimed at helping Americans with the cost of IVF.
At a town hall moderated by his supporter, one-time Democrat presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard, Trump said he and his team have been exploring ways to help those wanting in vitro fertilization.
“I’ve been looking at it, and what we’re going to do is for people that are using IVF, which is fertilization … the government is going to pay for it, or we’re going to get — we’ll mandate your insurance company to pay for it, which is going to be great. We’re going to do that,” he told Gabbard.
“We want to produce babies in this country, right?” he added.
Trump first spoke about the idea of government-funded or insurance-covered fertility treatments earlier in the day during a campaign stop in the battleground state of Michigan.
When asked by NBC News if it would be the government or insurance companies paying for IVF, the network reported that Trump said it would be the latter, “under a mandate.”
Meanwhile, Trump’s camp on Thursday night walked back comments the former president made earlier in the day suggesting he did not support Florida’s now-implemented six-week ban on abortions.
“I think the six week is too short, there has to be more time and I told them I want more weeks,” Trump told NBC.
“I am going to be voting that we need more than six weeks,” he added, noting that he believes abortion should be a states’ issue, something he’s said before.
Later, though, Trump Campaign National Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt attempted to clarify the candidate’s remarks.
“President Trump has not yet said how he will vote on the ballot initiative in Florida, he simply reiterated that he believes six weeks is too short,” Leavitt said in a statement.
Susan B. Anthony, Pro-Life America, President Marjorie Dannenfelser also released a statement Thursday night saying she had spoken to the president, and he told her he hasn’t “committed” to how he’ll vote on Florida’s Amendment 4. The amendment, if passed, would insert language into the state’s constitution that abortions determined medically necessary by a patient’s healthcare provider would be permitted.
“He has not committed to how he will vote on Amendment 4. President Trump has consistently opposed abortions after five months of pregnancy. Amendment 4 would allow abortion past this point. Voting for Amendment 4 completely undermines his position,” her statement read.
(WASHINGTON) — Following New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman’s primary defeat at the hands of George Latimer, another member of “The Squad” is at risk of being ousted: Democratic Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri, who is facing a strong challenge from St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell in the Democratic primary on Tuesday.
The race catapulted to national attention in part due to the tremendous amount of outside group spending. The United Democracy Project PAC, the fundraising arm affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, has spent more than $7 million to challenge Bush, who currently represents a district composed of the St. Louis area, and boost Bell’s profile.
This dynamic is reminiscent of Bowman’s race, where he and his supporters point to AIPAC’s enormous cash flow behind his challenger as a key reason he lost his primary in June. United Democracy Project’s spending in Bowman’s race helped make it the most expensive House primary in U.S. history.
Asked for comment for this story, Bush’s campaign pointed to data showing that it is the second-most expensive House race.
AIPAC’s involvement in this primary was precipitated by Bush’s critical stance of Israel in how it carried out its war with Hamas, a posture held by many other progressive lawmakers, including Bowman.
Bush has said that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza following Hamas’ attacks on Israel on Oct. 7 — and was supported in calling for a cease-fire by over two dozen local faith and social justice groups, including Jewish organizations, last November.
Bush was condemned by a group of local Jewish organizations, including the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, the St. Louis Jewish Community Center and the St. Louis Rabbinical and Cantorial Association, for her “communication about the recent events in Israel and Gaza,” which they described as “insensitive, incorrect, and fanning the flames of antisemitism.”
Another group of Jewish clergy endorsed Bell in the month leading up to the primary.
Meanwhile, Bell has aggressively campaigned with the St. Louis Jewish community. According to Jewish Insider, Bell has made Jewish outreach a priority in his campaign.
Sam Crystal, the chief of staff of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, which has endorsed Bell, said he believes that this tactic has been successful.
“That he is not just expressing support for the issues that Jewish voters are prioritizing, but taking the time to actually reach out to Jewish voters in the district and to create relationships with the Jewish leaders, has been a big impact on why he’s gained so much support in the district,” he said.
Crystal said he believes that this outreach will help Bell defeat Bush. He estimated that Jews make up 2.8% of the district and said that “in close races, those kinds of margins can make the difference, and the Jewish vote will be a part of the winning coalition that delivers victory for Wesley Bell.”
Professor Dan Butler, director of Undergraduate Studies in Political Science at the Washington University in St. Louis, stressed to ABC News that Bowman and Bush’s races have a great deal of differences, especially when it comes to the impact of the Israel-Hamas war.
“Clearly the war in Gaza is what is behind the donor class here. That’s the reason Bush is being challenged,” said Butler. “But you don’t really see it discussed, in part because I just don’t think either candidate has much to gain from it.”
Butler said he finds that the conflict here is not between centrism and progressivism, as in New York’s primary race, but rather a clash between two progressives “trying to signal who’s the right member of the Democratic team to send to Washington.”
Even still, Bell’s campaign is not without problems of its own.
Bell’s decision to run for this seat, and his approach to doing so, have garnered some controversy. In October of last year, he ended a bid for Senate to challenge Bush. In a statement at the time, Devon Moody, Bush’s campaign manager, said it was “disheartening that Prosecuting Attorney Bell has decided to abandon his U.S. Senate campaign to become Missouri’s first Black senator after less than five months, and has instead decided to target Missouri’s first Black congresswoman.”
And according to Drop Site News, four months before Bell challenged Bush, he privately assured her that he would not drop his Senate bid to face her. “I’m telling you on my word: I am not running against you. That is not happening,” he said on the leaked audio.
Moreover, Bell’s progressive bona fides have been challenged. Prosecutor Organizing Table, a watchdog organization formed by several racial justice organizations, accused Bell of not matching his promises of being a progressive prosecutor.
Bell has also received criticism for managing Mark Byrne’s campaign for the same seat in 2006. Byrne, who Bell’s campaign described as a “longtime friend” despite “differences in political affiliations and positions on many issues,” ran as a conservative Republican. Byrne’s website said that he intended to “protect the rights of the unborn” and that there is “no greater job for elected representatives than to protect those who cannot protect themselves.”
Bell campaign spokesman, Anjan Mukherjee told ABC News that Bell has the “momentum and enthusiasm to win this election, and looks forward to taking his progressive track record to Congress.”
Sarah Arkebaur, co-chair of the St. Louis Democratic Socialists of America electoral working group, said that with “who is donating to his campaign, as well as his past work for Republican candidates,” Bell “does not live up to [the] moniker” of a progressive.
Arkebaur touted Bush’s work in Congress.
“She is non-stop fighting for policies that are crucial for working people,” she said. “And we know, from what we’ve talked to — people at the doors, doing door-to-door canvassing, on the phones doing phone banks — that these policies are popular with voters.”
Usamah Andrabi, a spokesperson for Justice Democrats, offered a similar message.
“This race is about reelecting a champion for abortion rights, democracy and everyday people — that has the broad support of local electeds, unions and every reproductive rights group against the same Republican megadonors banning abortion in Missouri and trying to elect Donald Trump in November,” he said.
If Bush is unable to defend her seat, Butler, the professor, says her loss will send a clear message.
“If Bush loses, it will send a message to the other Democratic incumbents to be much more careful about criticizing Israel,” said Butler.
ABC News’ Oren Oppenheim contributed to this report.
Vice President and 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris gestures as she speaks at a campaign event in Atlanta, July 30, 2024. (Elijah Nouvelage/AFP via Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — A virtual voting process kicks off on Thursday morning to formally designate Vice President Kamala Harris the official presidential nominee of the Democratic Party.
Harris was already deemed the presumptive nominee by the Democratic National Committee on Tuesday after she emerged from a process, laid out by the party’s Rules Committee, as the only qualified candidate.
The results of the virtual roll call — opening at 9 a.m. ET on Thursday — will be announced after 6 p.m. ET on Monday, which is the deadline for convention delegates to virtually submit votes. Delegates will get a secure ballot to cast a vote “on a rolling basis.”
Thus, Harris’ official nomination will come two weeks ahead of Democrats’ in-person convention starting in Chicago on Aug. 19.
The DNC initially decided in May to hold a virtual roll call because of uncertainty over deadlines to get on the ballot in Ohio. The state legislature eventually rectified the issue, but the DNC has argued that Republican lawmakers in Ohio are acting in bad faith and that the Democratic candidate needs to be nominated earlier than the convention to avoid legal issues. Ohio leaders have denied this allegation.
The virtual process is expected to mimic the nominating and voting that is held at the Democratic National Convention every four years, with a ceremonial roll call still slated to be held in-person in Chicago.
“Democratic delegates from across the nation made their voices heard, overwhelmingly backing Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee,” a statement from DNC Chair Jamie Harrison and DNCC Chair Minyon Moore released on Tuesday night said.
“We move to this final stage of our nomination process with unprecedented momentum and unity across our party. We stand united in our mission to elect a Democratic nominee who has the experience, the wisdom, and the bold determination to lead our country, and we stand united in our mission to defeat Donald Trump once again … We look forward to celebrating together with all of our delegates in Chicago,” they added.
In order to have been qualified for the presidential nomination, candidates needed to submit a declaration of candidacy and to get 300 delegates to send in virtual signatures supporting them. That window to submit materials concluded on Tuesday.
Three other Democrats who are not Harris had indicated their interest to run for the top of the ticket: Robert C. “Robby” Wells, Jr., Gibran Nicholas and Ralph Robbie Hoffman.
The DNC said on Tuesday that these three individuals did not make the threshold of 300 delegate signatures to qualify for the ballot.
According to the party, “3,923 delegates from across the country petitioned to put Vice President Harris on the ballot for the Democratic nomination, and Vice President Harris secured the support of 99% of participating delegates, with 84% of total delegates submitting a signature during the petitioning phase.”
The process received more scrutiny after President Joe Biden’s debate performance in late June, which sparked a contentious debate within the party over if he should continue running for president and accusations that the virtual roll call process would shuttle him to the nomination regardless. (The DNC at the time emphasized that the process had been greenlit before the debate.)
Once Biden stepped out of the race and endorsed Harris, the debate around the virtual roll call mostly receded, although some still called for a less complicated nominating process. It took only about two days into her new candidacy for Harris to secure enough non-binding commitments from delegates around the country who said that they’d vote for her to assure she’d clinch the nomination.
“I don’t like doing a virtual roll call vote on principle, but I understand the need for one this year,” Will Thompson, a delegate from North Dakota who has said he is supporting Harris, told ABC News.
He hopes future party conventions could be scheduled earlier in order to not run into deadline and timing issues with getting on state ballots.
“I trust the security of the virtual roll call process, but as someone who was unable to go to the 2020 DNC in person because of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was looking forward to doing everything in person this year … it won’t dampen my extremely high enthusiasm for the event and election writ large,” Thompson said.
(CHICAGO) —Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday unveiled her economic platform, her first major policy rollout since becoming the Democratic nominee.
Former President Donald Trump on Thursday held a press conference in Bedminster, New Jersey, where he said he’s “entitled” to insult his Democratic opponent because he doesn’t respect her and attacked her record on the economy.
Here’s how the news is developing:
Harris headed to Milwaukee rally tonight
Democratic candidate for president, Vice President Kamala Harris, is set to speak at a rally in Milwaukee on Tuesday, according to her campaign.
Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ vice presidential running mate, will be in attendance, the campaign confirmed. Also expected at the event are Congresswoman Gwen Moore, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, members of the Milwaukee Bucks franchise, including Khris Middleton and President Peter Feigin, and labor leaders.
Harris and Waltz appeared at the DNC in Chicago on Monday night, where Harris surprised delegates by taking the stage early in the night for a brief speech.
Tuesday’s rally, which is being held at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, is aimed at energizing Wisconsin voters, the campaign said.
Iran denies involvement in attempts to hack Trump, Biden campaigns
Iran is denying reports it was involved in attempts to hack the presidential campaigns of former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden, the latter of which while he was still in the race.
In a statement, the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations, said that reports of attempted hacking, which came from Google and Microsoft, are “unsubstantiated.”
“Such allegations are unsubstantiated and devoid of any standing. As we have previously announced, the Islamic Republic of Iran harbors neither the intention nor the motive to interfere with the U.S. presidential election,” the statement read. “Should the U.S. government genuinely believe in the validity of its claims, it should furnish us with the pertinent evidence—if any—to which we will respond accordingly.”
-ABC News’ Pierre Thomas
7:32 AM EDT Bernie Sanders to speak at DNC on ‘lowering health care costs’
Lowering health care costs will be a central theme at the Democratic National Convention this week, campaign and convention officials said on Monday, with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), confirmed as one notable program speaker set to focus upon the issue — specifically on “lowering Rx drug prices” and “taking on Big Pharma.”
Speakers throughout the week like Sanders, California Rep. Robert Garcia, Illinois Rep. Lauren Underwood and New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham will highlight the support of Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz for strengthening the Affordable Care Act, convention officials shared first with ABC News.
In a Friday speech setting out a string of economic proposals, Harris pledged to “lower the cost of insulin and prescription drugs for everyone.” She also said she’d “demand transparency from the middlemen who operate between Big Pharma and the insurance companies, who use opaque practices to raise your drug prices and profit off your need for medicine.”
-ABC News’ Isabella Murray
Kerry Washington, Tony Goldwyn and more to host DNC
Actors Kerry Washington, Tony Goldwyn, Mindy Kaling and commentator Ana Navarro will serve as hosts at the Democratic National Convention this week, convention officials confirmed to ABC News.
Each will host one night of the four-day convention, starting the programming with opening remarks and reappearing onstage throughout the night.
Goldwyn will host Monday night, Navarro on Tuesday and Kaling on Wednesday. Washington will host on Thursday, the night Vice President Kamala Harris formally accepts her nomination.
CNN first reported this news.
Harris and Walz debut new campaign buses and kick off tour ahead of DNC
Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz debuted their new campaign buses Sunday and kicked off a bus tour of southwestern Pennsylvania ahead of this week’s Democratic National Convention.
Upon their arrival on Air Force Two, a few hundred supporters greeted Harris, Walz and their spouses at a hangar where the new were buses parked.
Supporters told ABC News they were thrilled by Harris’ candidacy, with one saying she had not felt this excited about politics in years. Some said they had never volunteered for a campaign before signing up to work on Harris’.
“I was excited about Biden, but I am a million times more excited about Kamala,” Nicole Molinaro, a Pittsburgh-area mom, said. “I think that we need her leadership. We need her intelligence. We need her progressive, you know, stance. I think we need her experience. We need everything about Kamala.”
Another supporter, Edward Freel, said he was unsure about Harris at first, “but then, as I started listening better and following her, [I thought] this woman is going to be good for this country.”
Trump campaign releases counterprogramming schedule for DNC week
During the week of the DNC, Former President Donald Trump and Sen. JD Vance will be out on the campaign trail, holding events in battleground states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada.
Trump allies — including Sens. Ron Johnson and Rick Scott, and Rep. Byron Donalds — will travel to Chicago to host press conferences every day of the convention. The Trump team will also give a press conference on Thursday ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris accepting the Democratic party’s nomination.
“As they meet Americans where they are in battleground states across the country, President Trump and Senator Vance will remind voters that under their leadership, we can end inflation, protect our communities from violent criminals, secure the border, and Make America Great Again,” Trump Campaign Senior Advisors Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles said in a statement.
-ABC News’ Lalee Ibssa, Soo Rin Kim and Kelsey Walsh
Michelle Obama to speak at DNC this week
Former first lady Michelle Obama will speak at the DNC in Chicago this week, ABC News has confirmed with her office.
Her appearance, first reported by Essence Magazine, will be among a lineup of prominent Democratic leaders who are rallying in support of Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Former President Barack Obama is also scheduled to speak at the DNC.
According to a source familiar with the planning, Michelle Obama will speak on Tuesday — the same day as the former president.
-ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart and Gabriella Abdul-Hakim
Former Democrat Rep. Tulsi Gabbard will help Trump prepare for presidential debate
Former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard will assist Trump in preparing for his first debate against Vice President Kamala Harris.
“[Trump] does not need traditional debate prep but will continue to meet with respected policy advisors and effective communicators like Tulsi Gabbard, who successfully dominated Kamala Harris on the debate stage,” Trump campaign National Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote in a statement to ABC News, confirming a development first reported by The New York Times.
Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii and a one-time Democratic presidential candidate during the 2020 election, gained brief momentum during her presidential run after challenging Harris on the debate stage on topics like criminal prosecutions.
Since leaving the Democratic Party, Gabbard has been gaining traction among Trump supporters, and more recently she has appeared on Fox and other conservative news outlets attacking Harris.
– ABC News’ Rachel Scott, Soo Rin Kim, Kelsey Walsh, and Lalee Ibssa
Election 2024 updates: ABC News Harris-Trump debate to be held in Philadelphia
The first debate between Vice President Harris and former President Trump will be held by ABC News at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
The Sept. 10 debate will be moderated by ABC News anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis.
It will air live at 9:00 p.m. ET on the network and on its 24/7 streaming network ABC News Live, Disney+ and Hulu.
