What's happening today on the campaign trail
- Vice President Kamala Harris, the clear front-runner for the Democratic nomination for president, held her first campaign rally since she jumped in the race in Milwaukee.
- In her speech, she contrasted her record as a prosecutor with former President Donald Trump's legal issues. "I know Donald Trump's type," she said to resounding cheers and chants of "Kamala!"
- Harris gained the backing of a majority of pledged Democratic convention delegates yesterday, the first full day of her presidential campaign. She also nabbed two key endorsements today: those of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both of New York.
- The Trump campaign has had to revise its strategy after the Democratic shakeup. Trump said this afternoon that he would "absolutely" commit to debating Harris.
Coverage on this live blog has ended. Follow the latest news on the 2024 election here.
Trump posts letter he says is from Palestinian Authority's leader after assassination attempt
Trump tonight posted what appeared to be a letter from Mahmoud Abbas, the leader of the Palestinian Authority.
The letter, dated July 14, the day after the assassination attempt on Trump, expresses well-wishes for Trump and reads, “Acts of violence must not have a place in a world of law and order.”
Trump captioned his Truth Social post by writing that he looks forward to his meeting this week with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and “achieving Peace in the Middle East!”
Hillary Clinton calls Harris 'a fresh start for American politics'
In a guest essay for The New York Times, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Harris a "fresh start for American politics."
Clinton, who lauded Biden for his accomplishments, called Harris "a hopeful, unifying vision."
She also described her experience being the first female presidential nominee for a major political party. "As a candidate, I sometimes shied away from talking about making history," Clinton wrote, adding that she looks "forward to hearing [Harris] prosecute a compelling case against Mr. Trump, who failed as a president the first time and is running on a dangerous agenda."
Trump says he's excited to debate Harris
Trump said tonight that he’s excited to debate Harris, calling debates “a great way of exposing people.”
“It’s a great way of finding whether or not — No. 1 — whether or not they’re capable, and also their ideas,” he said in a phone interview with Newsmax.
Rep. Katherine Clark says no 'backroom deal-making' in Harris' quick ascent
House Minority Whip Rep. Katherine Clark of Massachusetts told NBC News tonight that Democrats are "excited and energized" to make Harris the party's presidential nominee.
Asked to respond to criticism that the process after Biden withdrew hasn't been democratic enough, Clark noted that the majority of delegates have pledged their support for Harris and said: "This is not a backroom deal-making. This is about making sure that we have the very best candidate to defend our Constitution, defend our freedom and build an economy that works for us in the light of the very real danger of Donald Trump.”
Steve Kornacki: Harris’ campaign could draw undecided voters off the fence — in both directions
Harris is launching her White House bid pretty much where Biden left off: a few points behind Trump nationally.
Democrats obviously hope that Harris’ presidential campaign rollout will change how voters view her and this race, producing a meaningful polling improvement. And a new poll from Reuters/Ipsos (showing Harris at 44% among registered voters and Trump at 42%) very modestly, and tentatively, gives fuel to their optimism.
But previous polling hints at what could be a potentially significant difference in this new matchup. Essentially, it suggests that, faced with a Harris-Trump contest, the number of voters ready to pick sides may go up.
Why Harris may have just two weeks to pick a VP candidate
The selection of a running mate is arguably the most important decision any presidential campaign has to make. But Harris may have to compress her entire selection process into about two weeks to comply with an Aug. 7 deadline Democrats have set for themselves to finalize their ticket.
That deadline could push Harris to vet, meet with, select and announce her running mate in the next 15 days, according to numerous Democrats involved in the process — or potentially risk losing her spot on the ballot in Ohio. Even if she chooses to ignore that deadline, it would buy her only another two weeks, with the Democratic National Convention set to kick off Aug. 19.
“That’s something that will take some speed dating,” said Michael LaRosa, the former press secretary to first lady Jill Biden. “There’s a lot to consider. You have electoral calculus. You have personal chemistry. You have someone who really matches your ideology.”
Trump campaign files FEC complaint against Biden and Harris
The Trump campaign filed a complaint today with the Federal Election Commission accusing Harris, Biden and others of violating campaign finance laws by allowing Harris to take over more than $90 million in campaign funds this week.
According to a copy of the complaint obtained by NBC News, Trump’s legal team said Harris engaged in a “brazen money grab.”
In an interview, Democratic FEC member Dara Lindenbaum said that there was no violation of election laws because Harris’ name was already included in the original paperwork filed with the commission.
"It’s a shared campaign committee between the presidential candidate and the vice presidential candidate,” Lindenbaum said. “Both of their names are on the forms that they file with the FEC as the candidates, so the vice president can quite clearly continue on with it.”
The FEC complaint was first reported by The New York Times.
Pete Buttigieg declines to talk veepstakes when asked about Harris' campaign
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who has endorsed Harris for president, declined to talk about any role he might play in Harris' campaign or her administration if she wins in November.
Asked whether he would be Harris' VP candidate if she asked him, Buttigieg said on NBC News' “Hallie Jackson Now" that he "can't talk about the campaign or election side," citing concerns about speaking about politics while at the Transportation Department.
Pressed about whether he would like to remain in his position if Harris were elected president, Buttigieg declined to talk about anything "too speculative."
"I'm proud to be doing the job that I'm doing," he added.
Harris campaign is considering Andy Beshear as possible running mate
The Harris campaign is considering Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear as a possible running mate, according to a source familiar with the shortlist.
NBC News previously reported that the Harris campaign has requested vetting materials from North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona.
Biden's 2020 campaign alumni sign letter in support of Harris
A group of more than 700 alumni of Biden’s 2020 campaign have signed a letter in support of Harris’ candidacy, aiming to demonstrate a united front with the goal of once again defeating Trump.
“We have stood behind our leader President Biden for years, and will continue doing so by following his lead,” the letter states. “We will work, organize, and do all we can to ensure Vice President Harris wins in November.”
Signers run the gamut from field organizers and state staff members to Biden’s original 2020 campaign manager, Greg Schultz. It was spearheaded by Vince Evans, who started in 2020 as Southern regional political director, and Jenn Ridder, who was the campaign’s national states director.
“These leaders represent a cross-section of individuals who have worked for and alongside President Biden since he was president-elect, a presidential candidate, a vice president, and at one time, President Barack Obama’s running mate,” said Evans, who went on to work for Harris as vice president and is now executive director of the Congressional Black Caucus. “We felt it was important to come together to support President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.”
Ridder said: “This team are organizers at heart. We’re ready to knock on doors, make phone calls, and work as hard as we can to elect Kamala Harris.”
Read the letter here: