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What’s happening on the campaign trail today
- President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris met separately with Benjamin Netanyahu a day after the Israeli prime minister addressed Congress in a speech met with protests inside and outside the chamber. Harris expressed support for Israel's right to defend itself and concern for those suffering in Gaza.
- The vice president told reporters that she is "ready" to debate former President Donald Trump at the scheduled Sept. 10 debate.
- The Trump campaign has said it would not commit to a debate with Harris, who has secured support from a majority of the delegatesuntil Democrats formally nominate their candidate. Harris accused Trump of "backpedaling" on the deal their campaigns made with ABC.
First to NBC News: Pa. labor leaders back the idea of Josh Shapiro as VP
Fifty labor leaders across Pennsylvania signed a letter today in support of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s being Harris’ running mate.
"It is more crucial than ever that we elevate elected officials whose leadership can unite our democratic coalition and remind us that, above all else, we share a vision for a fairer, stronger, more inclusive Commonwealth and country," the letter says.
It also praises Shapiro’s leadership, saying he has “safeguarded our rights” and “fostered a climate of economic security and opportunity,” adding that his initiatives have been “instrumental in enhancing the livelihoods of working Pennsylvanians.”
Danny Bauder, the president of the Philadelphia AFL-CIO, told NBC News that the letter “really underscores the strong union relationships Gov. Shapiro has here in state.”
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Pennsylvania is home to more than half a million union workers.
Just as other Shapiro backers have done, the labor leaders pointed to the fact that Shapiro is the only governor in the country with a divided Legislature, arguing that he “knows better than anyone that we don’t have to agree on every single issue to continue to get stuff done.”
“Recent history has taught us that even amongst our brothers and sisters in labor, we are not always aligned in our politics — that’s why it is more crucial than ever that we elevate elected officials whose leadership can unite our democratic coalition and remind us that, above all else, we share a vision for a fairer, stronger, more inclusive Commonwealth and country,” the letter says.
“Now more than ever, our country deserves leaders who have the backs of working people. Make no mistake — Governor Shapiro has always had our backs, and the men and women of organized labor will continue to have his.”
A Kamala Harris meme imagines fake but funny campaign promises
What is Harris’ policy platform? The internet has some suggestions.
A new meme has social media users floating whimsical, fake campaign promises from Harris that would satisfy the most niche desires of pop culture fans, from releasing Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” film on streaming services to bringing back Miller Lite vortex beer bottles.
The memes show an official portrait of Harris side by side with an image referring to the fake campaign promise and are written in the style of an official campaign announcement. Some say Harris would enact the promise within the first 100 days of her presidency or start with a breaking news label.
Trump campaign won't commit to debating Harris
The Trump campaign will not commit to debating Harris, arguing in a statement that "Democrats very well could still change their minds" about her being the nominee.
"Given the continued political chaos surrounding Crooked Joe Biden and the Democrat Party, general election debate details cannot be finalized until Democrats formally decide on their nominee," Trump campaign Communications Director Steven Cheung said in a statement.
Harris has said she is ready to debate Trump on Sept. 10, the previously scheduled debate date. She accused Trump of "backpedaling" on his commitment to the debate.
Harris reiterated her criticism of the Trump campaign's unwillingness to commit to a debate against her, writing in a post to X, "What happened to 'any time, any place'?" The post was a reference to Trump's previous commitment to debate Biden.
Manhattan DA urges judge not to overturn Trump conviction
A Supreme Court decision on Trump’s immunity for “official acts” while he was president has no bearing on his conviction on charges of falsifying business records in New York, state prosecutors argued in a filing made public today.
In a filing arguing against Trump’s bid to dismiss the indictment and guilty verdict on 34 felony counts, prosecutors from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office said the Supreme Court’s ruling in the federal election interference case against Trump “has nothing to say about defendant’s conviction” in its case.
Biden posts video of him addressing staff
Biden posted a short video on X of him addressing his staff after his Oval Office address last night.
Staff members cheered loudly when he appeared.
"The only reason we’ve had the progress we’ve had is because of you," Biden said in the video. "And that’s not hyperbole. That’s the God’s truth."
Vance talks about his family on podcast with Trump Jr.
Trump's running mate, Sen. JD Vance, discussed his family's interactions with politics in an interview on Donald Trump Jr.'s "Ruthless" podcast.
Vance recalled how his 7-year-old son was talking in the background as Trump called to offer him the slot as his running mate. He apologized to Trump about his son's disruptions, and Trump asked Vance to put him on the phone.
"Your dad starts asking my 7-year-old son what he thinks about the Truth statement he’s about to put out about the endorsement," Vance told Trump Jr., referring to Trump's social media platform, Truth Social.
Vance also recounted Trump's asking his wife, Usha Vance, whether she likes politics.
"She gives a diplomatic answer, like, 'No, I really appreciate his love of service, and I want to support however I can.' Just like a totally Usha answer, right? She’s a very diplomatic person," Vance said. "And he looks at her and says, 'Yeah, my wife hates it, too.'"
Harris says her meeting with Netanyahu was 'frank and constructive'
Harris told reporters that her meeting with Netanyahu today was "frank and constructive."
She said she told Netanyahu that she would make sure Israel would always be able to defend itself, saying she has always had an "unwavering commitment to the existence of the state of Israel, to its security and to the people of Israel."
Harris named each American still being held hostage in Gaza.
She said that during the meeting she also expressed her "serious concern about the scale of human suffering in Gaza, including the death of far too many innocent civilians."
Harris emphasized that "it is time for this war to end" and promoted Biden's cease-fire and hostage release proposal.
Harris joins TikTok
Although the Harris campaign account (@kamalahq) already had a 1.6 million-user following on TikTok, Harris herself had not joined the social media platform until today.
The new account, @kamalaharris, which was quickly verified by TikTok, amassed nearly 100,000 followers within 30 minutes of the first video’s being posted.
Almost 30 million people watched Biden's Oval Office address
About 28.9 million people watched Biden's prime-time address last night explaining his decision to withdraw from the race.
The estimate, provided by Nielsen, was higher than the company's estimate of 25 million viewers for the final day of the Republican National Convention, when Trump delivered his first major speech since the assassination attempt.
Nielsen previously estimated that 51 million people tuned into the June 27 debate between Trump and Biden.
Nikki Haley says she is 'not looking for a job' in a possible Trump administration
Former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley said today that she's "not looking for a job" in another Trump administration if he wins in November, adding that she's not sure whether she'll launch another White House bid.
"I don't know whether I would run again," she said in an interview with CNN after being asked whether she would run for president again or look for a job in a Trump administration.
"I think you never say never, but I don't know how you can be someone who goes through all of that and says, 'Oh, let's run for president again,'" she said. "It's just not a natural thing."
Earlier in the interview, Haley discussed her 2024 presidential campaign, including what it was like being on the campaign trail while her husband was deployed overseas.
"He's like my right arm," Haley said. "I've never gone through any challenge without him."