Coverage on this live blog has ended.
What's happening on the campaign trail today
- Former President Donald Trump addressed Moms for Liberty in Washington, D.C. this evening. The nominally nonpartisan political organization, which started as a group of parents protesting Covid restrictions, has become a major political player in the Republican Party, and co-founder Tiffany Justice announced that she personally was endorsing Trump.
- Trump's running mate, Sen. JD Vance, earlier today responded to questions regarding Trump's plan to provide coverage for in-vitro fertilization treatment, saying the specifics of how the policy would get implemented would "get worked out in the legislative process."
- Second gentleman Doug Emhoff hit the campaign trail today on behalf of Vice President Kamala Harris, speaking at campaign receptions in their home state, California, and in Aspen, Colorado.
- Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, did the first sit-down interview of their campaign yesterday. CNN's Dana Bash pushed Harris on her policy evolutions, prompting her to respond, “My values have not changed.”
Trump’s lawyers seek post-Election Day delay for court fight over immunity decision fallout in interference case
Former President Donald Trump’s legal team on Friday proposed a court schedule in his federal election interference case that would delay a court fight over whether his charges are covered by immunity until after the election — and push the start of a potential trial until well after the next inauguration.
Special counsel Jack Smith argued for a vastly different approach to the trial’s scheduling, saying the court should begin considering arguments immediately as to whether Trump’s actions are covered by presidential immunity, a process his office said will include revealing new evidence.
“The Government is prepared to file its opening immunity brief promptly at any time the Court deems appropriate,” senior assistant special counsel Molly Gaston writes for the government.
Trump turns to Truth Social to share sexual jokes and calls for ‘military tribunals’
As the presidential candidates head into the most heated phase of the election year so far, former President Donald Trump has made a distinctive shift in tone on his Truth Social profile, lashing out in increasingly vulgar, misogynistic and vindictive posts.
Just this week, he’s reposted messages calling for his political opponents to be jailed, calling for a return of “public military tribunals” for people like former President Barack Obama, as well as making a graphic sexual joke about Vice President Kamala Harris and Democrat Hillary Clinton, his opponent in 2016. The repost of the sexual joke now appears to have been removed from Trump’s profile.
Actress Sigourney Weaver started tearing up when she was asked about Kamala Harris at a Venice Film Festival news conference earlier this week. Weaver, 74, the star of “Alien,” was asked whether movies “can make it possible that a woman like Harris” could become president.
ABBA tells Trump to stop using its music at his rallies
Swedish supergroup ABBA has asked Donald Trump to stop using its music at campaign rallies, but the Republican presidential nominee’s campaign says it has permission.
“ABBA has recently discovered the unauthorized use of their music and videos at a Trump event through videos that appeared online,” said a statement to The Associated Press from the band, whose hits include “Waterloo,” “The Winner Takes It All” and “Money, Money, Money.”
“As a result, ABBA and its representative has promptly requested the removal and deletion of such content. No request has been received; therefore, no permission or license has been granted.”
A spokesman for the Trump campaign said it had obtained a license. “The campaign had a license to play ABBA music through our agreement with BMI and ASCAP,” the spokesperson told the AP.
ABBA joins a long list of performers who’ve objected to Trump using their songs. Ahead of the 2020 election, that included Bruce Springsteen, Rihanna, Phil Collins, Pharrell, John Fogerty, Neil Young, Eddy Grant, Panic! at the Disco, R.E.M. and Guns N’ Roses.
Moms for Liberty's co-founder endorses Trump
Tiffany Justice, the co-founder of Moms for Liberty who moderated tonight's event with Trump, offered him her personal endorsement.
"I want to tell you: Moms for Liberty is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, and we only endorse the school board races, but I want to tell you personally, sir, that I endorse you for president," Justice said at the close of her conversation with the former president.
Trump responded by saying, "Wow, I didn't even expect that. Thank you."
After moderator misgenders female boxer, Trump responds: ‘Tiffany said it! I didn't’
When the moderator at the Moms for Liberty event referred to a female boxer as "he," Trump responded he needs to be "politically correct."
As Trump used "he or she" to describe boxer Lin Yu‑ting, who is not known to identify as transgender or intersex, moderator Tiffany Justice interrupted Trump to call Lin a “he,” suggesting the boxer was male. That was repeated by members of the audience who shouted, “He! He!”
“Tiffany said it! I didn’t. See, I’m a politician. I have to be politically correct,” Trump said to laughter from the crowd.
The former president also referred to Imane Khelif of Algeria, a female boxer whose gender identity came under scrutiny during the Paris Olympics earlier this month. Khelif defeated Angela Carini of Italy. Trump referred to Carini getting struck by Khelif during the match.
“She’s fighting this person that transgendered, and the guy, boom, hit to a left. It was like, she got hit by a horse, and then she backed up,” Trump said.
At the time, Trump wrote on Truth Social, in all caps, that he would “keep men out of women’s sports!”
Trump was also asked what he would do to address what she referred to as an issue over kids identifying as transgender in schools.
"Well, you can do everything. President has such power," Trump told moderator Justice, who's a co-founder of the group.
"The transgender thing is incredible. Think of it. Your kid goes to school and comes home a few days later with an operation," he added.
Trump's advice for people who want to run for office? Don't.
While addressing Moms for Liberty, Trump was asked what his advice would be for people who want to run for office.
"Don't do it," the former president said.
The moderator quickly jumped in to dissuade attendees who might be tempted to take Trump's advice.
“Run for office! We want you to run for office!” the moderator said.
What Anuel AA’s support for Trump means (or doesn’t mean)
Puerto Rican artist Anuel AA endorsed Trump during his rally in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on Friday, telling Puerto Ricans to “stay united” and to “vote for Trump.”
Anuel’s appearance — and embrace — of Trump can be consequential for a few reasons.
The first is Anuel’s magnitude as a Puerto Rican reggaeton/rap artist. He’s a frequent feature on smash hits with artists like Bad Bunny — and a major artist in his own right. The celebrity factor of the endorsement is certainly not one to brush aside, despite Trump himself telling attendees that they may not “know who the hell” Anuel is.
But Anuel’s appearance and brief remarks may also be part of a larger Trump campaign effort to court artists of color to engage voters in a new way.
Though Puerto Ricans still on the island — who are U.S. citizens — can only vote in presidential primaries and not in the general election, they can influence relatives on the mainland. Pennsylvania, a state that doesn’t often first come to mind as a battleground with a sizable Latino vote, is home to the third-largest Puerto Rican diaspora community in the country (roughly 500,000 Puerto Ricans strong).
Chipping away at Puerto Rican support for Democrats with such an influential artist from the community may just prove critical in a state with potentially razor-thin margins.
Ultimately, as is the case with any star, the influence of a celebrity endorsement is hard to gauge, but Anuel wading into the election on Trump’s behalf is significant — even if just as a pop culture moment.
Walz makes final fundraising stop of the night at former Virginia governor's home
Walz stopped for his final fundraiser of the night in McLean, Virginia, at the home of former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe.
McAuliffe, who introduced Walz, touted the Democratic ticket, saying voters can’t let Trump win a second term and criticizing the alleged altercation involving one of the former president’s aides at Arlington National Cemetery this week.
Walz accused Trump of stealing the country's joy and said that Harris is bringing joy back. He also said that Trump represented a threat to democracy and a threat to women’s reproductive freedom and called the former president “just weird as hell.”
Harris' interview last night was watched by 6.3 million TV viewers
Harris' interview last night with CNN anchor Dana Bash was watched by 6.3 million TV viewers, according to data from the media measurement company Nielsen.
Nielsen said the interview's performance exceeded a recent Fox News interview with Vance on the first day of the Republican National Convention last month. That interview was watched by 6.18 million TV viewers, the company said.