Vice President Kamala Harris accepted her party’s nomination and offered her policy agenda on the fourth and final night of the Democratic National Convention on Thursday. Now, a stark reality exists as activists, operatives and party leaders begin leaving Chicago: The real test for Harris has only just begun.
Meanwhile, on a dirt road below the shrub-dotted hills of Arizona, Donald Trump used a stretch of wall and a pile of steel beams to draw a visual contrast between his approach to securing the border and that of his opponent.
Today, the Republican presidential nominee is set to appear just miles away from independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in the Phoenix area as speculation grows that Kennedy could drop his bid and give Trump his endorsement.
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RFK Jr. set to speak in Arizona hours before Trump as questions swirl around possible alliance
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Donald Trump are set to appear miles apart in Arizona on Friday as speculation grows that Kennedy could drop his independent presidential bid and endorse the Republican nominee.
Kennedy is scheduled to speak at 2 p.m. Eastern time in Phoenix “about the present historical moment and his path forward,” according to his campaign. Hours later, Trump will hold a rally in neighboring Glendale. Trump’s campaign has teased that he’ll be joined by “a special guest,” though neither campaign responded to messages about whether Kennedy would be that guest.
Kennedy withdrew from the ballot in Arizona late Thursday, less than a week after he submitted well more than the required number of signatures to appear on the ballot. But his critics raised questions about the validity of some of the signatures, and the involvement of a pro-Kennedy super PAC to collect them risked potentially running afoul of rules against coordination between candidates and independent political groups.
? Read more about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Democratic Sen. Jon Tester says he won’t be endorsing anyone in the race between Harris and Trump
This comes as the vulnerable three-term lawmaker seeks to distance himself from his party’s leaders ahead of the November election.
Tester said he was focused on his own race and it shouldn’t be about national politics. He faces a stiff challenge in November from Republican Tim Sheehy in a contest that could help decide control of the closely-divided Senate.
Tester made the remarks Thursday just hours before Harris accepted the Democratic nomination in Chicago, following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race last month. The moderate lawmaker didn’t attend the convention and was the sole Democratic delegate from Montana to withhold a vote backing Harris for president.
“It’s about making sure we have a Montanan back in Washington, D.C., representing Montana values,” Tester told reporters during a news conference in Hamilton, Montana, about prescription drug costs, the Missoulian reported.
Tester supported Biden in 2020 but called for him to drop out of this year’s election following the president’s stumbling performance in a June debate against Trump.
Trump visited Montana two weeks ago seeking to boost Sheehy, a former U.S. Navy SEAL who moved to Montana a decade ago and founded an aerial firefighting company.
Harris confronts Democratic divisions over Gaza war in convention speech
With anger over the war in Gaza simmering, Vice President Kamala Harris tried to defuse one of the most divisive issues within the Democratic Party on the biggest political stage of her life.
Her remarks Thursday night in her speech accepting the party’s presidential nomination hewed closely to previous statements on the conflict, which began when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7.
Harris said she “will always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself and I will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself.” She’s opposed restrictions on arms sales to Israel.
Then Harris pivoted to the destruction Israel has caused in Gaza, where 40,000 Palestinians have been killed.
“So many innocent lives lost,” she said. “Desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety, over and over again. The scale of suffering is heartbreaking.”
Harris said she was working with President Joe Biden on a cease-fire deal that would also release hostages held by Hamas, a step toward helping Palestinians “realize their right to dignity, security, freedom, and self-determination.”
? Read more about Harris and war in Gaza
Former FBI Director James Comey endorses Kamala Harris for president
Comey writes in a social media post that the Democratic nominee has “made me feel like it’s finally morning in America.”
Comey was fired by Trump in 2017 as the FBI was investigating potential ties between Russia and the Republican president’s 2016 campaign. He’s since become a public critic of Trump, writing frequently about what he says is Trump’s disdain for the rule of law and democratic norms.
Comey was a senior Justice Department official during the administration of Republican President George W. Bush. But in the last several years, he’s encouraged others to vote for Democrats.
In a post Friday on X, Comey wrote: “Everyone who cares about the rule of law and America’s indispensable role in the world should vote for Harris and Walz. I will.”
Weeks after blistering Georgia’s GOP governor, Trump warms to Brian Kemp
Donald Trump is changing his tune on Georgia’s Republican governor after delivering a series of blistering attacks at a rally just weeks ago.
In a social media post, Trump thanked Gov. Brian Kemp “for all of your help and support in Georgia, where a win is so important to the success of our Party and, most importantly, our Country.”
“I look forward to working with you, your team, and all of my friends in Georgia to help MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” he wrote.
Trump’s words marked a major departure from his comments at a rally earlier this month, where Trump tore into the governor in an Atlanta arena that is only blocks from the Georgia Capitol, blaming him for his narrow 2020 loss in the state.
? Read more about Trump and Gov. Kemp
Harris’ racial and cultural firsts were onstage throughout the Democratic convention
Vice President Kamala Harris, on the night she became the first woman of Black and South Asian heritage to be a major party’s presidential nominee, didn’t explicitly mention the racial and gender firsts she would set if elected to the White House.
Instead, she opted for direct mentions of her multiracial background and upbringing. She paid tribute to her roots as the daughter of a brown woman and Caribbean man. She honored the multicultural village of “aunties” and “uncles” in California’s Bay Area. And following her speech, the relatives who joined her onstage for the traditional balloon drop included people of different and often multiple, overlapping races, like Harris herself. Western attire and saris were worn side by side.
It was a way for Harris and others at the convention to display her personal story while offering a visual political message that could appeal to a broad swath of people who see themselves in families like hers. Around 12.5% of U.S. residents identified as two or more races in 2022, up from 3% a decade earlier, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s most comprehensive survey of American life.
? Read more about Harris’ racial and cultural identity
The convention reflected the party’s emotional whiplash since Biden dropped out
Harris’ nominating convention has been a four-day romp imbued with a party-like atmosphere and a sense of optimism. It’s safe to say it would have been a much different gathering were President Joe Biden the party’s nominee.
Democrats have been through emotional whiplash since Biden bowed out of the race last month, clearing the path for Harris.
For months, Democrats had been despondent about Biden’s polling and his underwhelming speaking appearances. And many Democrats were convinced Trump could run away with the election.
Contrast that with the convention being held to nominate Harris in Chicago: Laughter filled the air, the mood was electric and searing jokes at Trump’s expense flowed freely. The event has also drawn an A-list slate of talent, from John Legend to Pink.
Not to be forgotten: There also have been words of caution about the hard work ahead.
Palestinian supporters never got their moment
Pro-Palestinian delegates never got the chance to take the stage and address the convention. It was a reflection of how the party has tried to avoid one of the more divisive issues of this election season as the U.S. alliance with Israel has become a political flashpoint.
Israel’s response to the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas has spurred outrage over mass casualties and human rights violations in Gaza, and pro-Palestinian demonstrators have marched outside the arena each day.
“Uncommitted” delegate Abbas Alawieh had been in talks with DNC officials about speaking to the hall. After being rejected, he and other delegates chose to spend Wednesday night on the sidewalk outside the convention hall in protest.
Harris and Biden have both called for a cease-fire and the release of hostages taken in the October raid. On Wednesday, the parents of one of the young men being held hostage in Gaza addressed the convention.