Trump campaign ordered to stop using Isaac Hayes song at rallies after family sues
(ATLANTA) — A federal judge in Atlanta on Tuesday issued a temporary injunction ordering Donald Trump and his campaign to stop using a song co-written by the late musician Isaac Hayes at their events.
The song “Hold On, I’m Coming,” published in 1966, was played at Trump rallies and can be heard in campaign videos that were posted online, according to court documents reviewed by ABC News. The judge did not order that these videos be taken down, according to a statement from Trump representative Ronald Coleman.
“The campaign had already agreed to cease further use,” Coleman told ABC News in a statement. “We’re very gratified that the court recognized the First Amendment issues at stake and didn’t order a takedown of existing videos.”
Isaac Hayes III, Hayes’ son, said in a social media post last month that he was demanding $3 million in licensing fees from Trump and his campaign for unauthorized use of the song “Hold On, I’m Coming.” Trump and his partners played the song over 150 times without permission, court documents said.
“We won,” Isaac Hayes III posted on Instagram on Tuesday after the hearing. “@realdonaldtrump has been barred from playing @isaachayes music forever.”
The injunction stops the campaign from playing the song pending further proceedings, Coleman told ABC News, and the court would consider a motion for reconsideration based on copyright ownership if appropriate.
“The campaign has a license to play the music through an agreement with BMI and ASCAP,” the Trump campaign said in a statement emailed to ABC News in response to the ruling, referring to performance rights groups Broadcast Music Inc and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.
Neither Isaac Hayes III nor attorneys for Isaac Hayes Enterprises — the company that handles licensing for Hayes’ estate — have responded to ABC News’ request for statements. Neither sides’ attorneys have responded to ABC News regarding any decision made on money allegedly owed to Isaac Hayes Enterprises.
The song was popularized by the music duo Sam & Dave in 1966 and reached No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 at the time, according to court documents. Hayes, who wrote the song with David Porter, passed away at age 65 in 2008, but his estate is the current owner of right and title to the song, the court documents noted.
After Trump and his campaign played the song in 2020 as “outro” music at one of their events, a cease-and-desist letter was sent to the Trump campaign on behalf of Isaac Hayes Enterprises, according to court documents.
The Donald J. Trump for President campaign, Republican National Committee (RNC), conservative advocacy group Turning Point, National Rifle Association (NRA), American Conservative Union and BTC were named as defendants on the complaint filed by Isaac Hayes Enterprises last month, for hosting events and uploading videos where the song was played, according to court documents.
The motion was withdrawn on Tuesday by Hayes Enterprises as to Turning Point, NRA and RNC, the court noted.
Hayes is part of a group of musicians who have called for Trump to stop playing their music at his events, which include Beyoncé, the Foo Fighters, Jack White and Celine Dion.
(WASHINGTON) — Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to soon face her first post-convention test when she sits for a formal interview airing in primetime Thursday.
CNN announced Tuesday that Harris and her running mate Gov. Tim Walz will be interviewed by anchor Dana Bash, marking the first sitdown with a reporter since President Joe Biden bowed out of the race.
The announcement came as Harris faced growing calls from critics about her availability to reporters since she took over the campaign.
Ian Sams, a senior adviser to the Harris campaign, appeared reiterated on Monday that Harris would “schedule” a sit-down interview by the end of the month.
The initial absence of plans for any such sit-down prompted accusations by Republican critics of dodging the press.
“She refuses to do any interviews or press conferences, almost 30 days now, she has not done an interview,” former President Donald Trump said of Harris at a North Carolina event earlier this month. “You know why she hasn’t done an interview? Because she’s not smart. She’s not intelligent.”
His campaign has said Harris is trying to “duck and hide” from the news media, which is sure to sling several tough questions her way when she meets the press.
The lack of a media interview has yet to hurt Harris, whose poll numbers are outpacing those of President Joe Biden when he was atop the Democratic ticket, according to 538’s national polling average. As of Tuesday, Harris is polling ahead of Trump, 47.2% to 43.6%; when Biden left the race, he was polling at 40.2% compared to Trump’s 43.5%, according to 538’s polling average.
Harris has also stirred enthusiasm from Democrats that had been absent most of the campaign cycle — and is riding a high following last week’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Moreover, she chose a running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, whose rural background has helped the ticket craft a message Democrats have said they believe will make inroads with voters in conservative parts of the country.
All the while, Trump has seemed to abandon the discipline Republicans had lauded him for this summer. Recently, he has made false claims about the crowd size at a Harris rally and appeared to forget to mention a policy proposal he had been slated to unveil at an event in Michigan.
Democrats have cautioned that Harris has several hurdles to clear in the coming weeks.
One of those hurdles is the pending media interview, where Harris would likely have to defend the decisions of the Biden administration and specify some of her policy stances.
On Monday, Trump sought to spotlight Harris’ connection to the Biden administration’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, laying wreaths in Arlington National Cemetery to commemorate the third anniversary of the suicide bombing that killed 13 U.S. service members.
“Caused by Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, the humiliation in Afghanistan set off the collapse of American credibility and respect all around the world,” Trump claimed when he spoke to National Guardsmen at a Detroit event later Monday.
Harris is also likely to be pressed on how much she knew about Biden’s capacities prior to the June 27 debate. That night, she urged Americans to judge Biden not on the “90 minutes” on stage but the “three-and-a-half years of performance.”
Yet, that same debate performance set in motion a weekslong effort by top Democrats to nudge Biden from the race.
Few had a better understanding of what Biden was like behind the scenes than Harris, his No. 2, and an interviewer would likely challenge her about what she witnessed in private.
Harris would surely be asked about the war in Gaza. She said recently, “We need a cease-fire,” but is a member of an administration that has yet to help broker one.
The situation at the southern border would likely be another topic an interviewer would press Harris on. Republicans have linked her to an increase in unauthorized border crossings earlier in Biden’s term, misleadingly dubbing her the “border czar.”
An interviewer might also ask Harris to respond to the criticism of her recently unveiled economic plan, in which she called for an end to grocery “price-gouging,” prompting accusations by some Republicans that she wants “communist price controls.”
Harris travels this week to south Georgia, where she will embark on a bus tour and hold a rally in Savannah, Georgia.
(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.
(MILWAUKEE) — Former President Donald Trump toggled between somber messages of harmony and his favorite red meat rhetoric in a lengthy and charged speech accepting the GOP presidential nomination.
Trump, just days removed from surviving an assassination attempt at a Saturday rally, had forecasted a unifying, and largely delivered at the beginning, reliving details of the shooting that had some audience members in tears. As the speech went on, however, the former president switched back to the GOP’s regularly scheduled programming, veering into unscripted tangents on everything from immigration to foreign policy, occasionally swiping at Democrats by name.
“The first half was perhaps one of the best speeches I have heard in a long time, really driven by emotion and brought a lot of people in. The second half was a rally speech that so many people love,” one GOP strategist said. “It was really two separate speeches in one.”
Trump appeared subdued at the start of the speech Thursday, pushing the country to turn the page on divisions that have ravaged the nation’s politics.
“The discord and division in our society must be healed, we must heal it quickly. As Americans, we are bound together by a single fate and a shared destiny. We rise together. Or we fall apart,” he told an emotional crowd.
He then recounted the details of the shooting, when a shooter grazed his right ear, injured two others and killed one rallygoer at his Pennsylvania rally. Trump said it would be the only time he would discuss the specifics of the assassination attempt because “it’s actually too painful to tell.”
“I’m not supposed to be here tonight,” he told an emotional crowd. “I stand before you in this arena only by the grace of Almighty God.”
Trump also announced that $6.3 million had been raised to help the families of those killed and wounded in attack.
“Despite such a heinous attack, we unite this evening more determined than ever,” Trump declared.
The opening had less of the trappings of a classic, raucous Trump rally, though that was to be expected, given the subject matter.
Quickly, however, the speech reverted back to more typical rhetoric.
Despite his team advertising beforehand that he wouldn’t mention President Joe Biden by name, Trump shouted him out, dubbing him one of the worst presidents in American history.
“If you took the 10 worst presidents in the history of the United States, think of it, the 10 worst, added them up, they will not have done the damage that Biden has done. Only going to use the term once, Biden. I’m not going to use the name anymore, just one time. The damage that he’s done to this country is unthinkable,” Trump said to a crowd that was visibly getting more amped up.
He went on to mention “crazy Nancy Pelosi” and downplayed the current administration’s ability to tackle the nation’s problems — though he said they were capable to fixing elections, reviving unfounded conspiracies about election fraud.
“We’re dealing with very tough, very fierce people, they’re fierce people. And we don’t have fierce people, we have people that are a lot less than fierce, except when it comes to cheating on elections and a couple of other things, then they’re fierce,” he said, mentioning another topic that was not thought to be on the agenda for Thursday night.
The rest of the speech ping-ponged between the two trends.
Trump adlibbed extensively on immigration, repeating warnings that the country was facing an “invasion” at the Southern border and vowing to “drill, baby, drill” for oil and natural gas on his first day in office.
Toward the end of the remarks, he again sprinkled in messages of unity.
“So, tonight, whether you’ve supported me in the past or not, I hope you will support me in the future, because I will bring back the American Dream,” he said. “Love, it’s about love.”
Taken together, the speech left the impression less of a candidate fundamentally changed by Saturday’s tragic events as much as one recognizing its historicity, while still eager to energize his most fervent supporters.
“He’s playing the greatest hits from 2016 — Trump has not changed, he has not moderated, he has gotten worse,” one Biden adviser said. “And he is making no appeal to moderates.”
Republicans, meanwhile, praised the speech, saying it marked a blend that could be featured in future stump speeches.
“I thought it was a good blend,” said Marc Lotter, an official on Trump’s 2020 campaign. “I think it’s one of the reasons why people like him, because he’s not just reading off the teleprompter, the perfectly prepared, well- crafted, poll-tested talking points. He’s adding that context, that commentary.”
Other Republicans swatted away Democratic criticism that the speech was more of the same old, same old from Trump.
“He united the party and country,” said another former Trump campaign official. “Same old led to one of the largest economic expansion in generations. Same old led to zero wars. Same old rebuilt the military.”
Still, some Republicans were seeking more of an emphasis on unity — and that dishing out red meat offered Democrats a chance to swing back at him and go on offense right as they’re convulsing over Biden’s place atop the 2024 ticket.
“Tone was what I expected, typically for these speeches he’s much more on teleprompter, some of his riffs were too long,” one former senior Trump administration official said. “Overall, it doesn’t change anything, but they missed an opportunity to put this out of reach.”