Khizr Khan says he was 'disgusted' and 'disturbed' by Trump's behavior during recent Arlington National Cemetery visit
Gold Star father Khizr Khan said in an interview on MSNBC that he was "disturbed" by Trump's behavior during a recent visit to Arlington National Cemetery and Section 60, where service members killed in Afghanistan and Iraq are interred.
"I was disgusted," Khan told MSNBC's Ana Cabrera.
Referring to a picture of Trump giving a thumbs-up and smiling at a service member's gravesite, Khan said, "I was disturbed to see that photo."
"I want his supporters to see that photo that he took on Aug. 24 in Arlington Cemetery, recently, his thumbs up as if this was a political event that was taking place," he continued. "He was there to exploit, he was there to use it for political purposes. He has, by his own actions, he has proven himself to be undeserving of being considered for re-election."
Khan, whose son was killed in the Iraq War, told NBC News that he was endorsing Harris for president and would serve as a campaign surrogate.
John Legend to campaign for Harris in Atlanta today
Musical artist John Legend will campaign for Harris today in Atlanta for "The Art of Voting" fireside chat, the campaign said.
The event is intended "to engage Georgia’s youth voters and community around electing Vice President Harris and Governor Walz," it said.
Legend is a longtime Democratic campaigner who performed at the Democratic National Convention last month as well as at Biden's inauguration in 2020. He is also an "EGOT" winner, having been awarded Emmys, Grammys, an Oscar and a Tony Award.
Biden officials ‘watered down’ warnings about crumbling security before Afghan withdrawal, new House GOP report says
In the months before the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, Biden administration officials “watered down” warnings about crumbling security and failed to launch an emergency evacuation of Americans and Afghan allies until it was too late, says a new report by House Republicans.
The scathing report from GOP lawmakers on the House Foreign Affairs Committee accuses President Joe Biden and his deputies, especially the acting ambassador to Kabul, of botching the 2021 pullout by reducing troop levels while keeping a large embassy staff in place and failing to prepare evacuation plans. The report was based on internal State Department documents and testimony from officials.
“Our investigation reveals the Biden-Harris administration had the information and opportunity to take necessary steps to plan for the inevitable collapse of the Afghan government,” said Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, the committee’s chair. “At each step of the way, however, the administration picked optics over security.”
National security leaders group endorse Harris, call Trump a 'danger to our national security and our democracy'
National Security Leaders for America, a bipartisan group of senior military leaders and elected and government officials, announced its support of Harris today.
The group said in a statement, signed by several generals and admirals, that Harris is “the best — and only — presidential candidate in this race who is fit to serve as our commander-in-chief."
“She has demonstrated her ability to take on the most difficult national security challenges in the Situation Room and on the international stage, from rallying our allies against Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine to standing shoulder to shoulder with our allies in the Indo-Pacific against China’s provocative actions, to advancing U.S. leadership on space and artificial intelligence. She is a steadfast supporter of service members, veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors,” the group wrote.
After noting that Harris has met with service members around the world and spoken highly about "the extraordinary skill, discipline, and dedication" of U.S. armed services, the group decried Trump as a “danger to our national security and our democracy.”
They cited past remarks from several of Trump's former top administration officials criticizing him and disparaging comments he has made about soldiers who were wounded or killed and about the late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam.
“At his core, he does not understand selfless service and sacrifice, and he should never be allowed to again serve as commander-in-chief of the greatest fighting force in the world,” the group wrote.
The leaders also sought to defend Harris against Trump and GOP attacks over the Biden administration’s 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal, saying the former president left Biden without plans or enough time to execute it.
“This chaotic approach severely hindered the Biden-Harris Administration’s ability to execute the most orderly withdrawal possible and put our service members and our allies at risk,” they wrote. “Nevertheless, President Biden with the support of Vice President Harris ended America’s longest war, oversaw the largest airlift in U.S. history, and brought our troops home.”
Walz postpones rally in Reno because of wildfires in the West
Walz has postponed a rally this evening in Reno, Nevada, because of wildfires in the West, the campaign said.
The Line Fire, east of Los Angeles, has been spreading in California and has led to evacuations of the affected areas.
Walz was planning to deliver remarks in Reno at 8:30 p.m. ET. He will still arrive in Nevada's Washoe County today and will participate in political engagements on a smaller scale.
Gavin Newsom will be in the post-debate spin room for Harris campaign
California Gov. Gavin Newsom will be in the spin room following the debate representing the Harris campaign in Philadelphia tomorrow, a source familiar with the plans tells NBC News.
Several other campaign surrogates will be in the spin room for the Harris campaign as well.
Harris says she expects Trump to 'speak a lot of untruths' during debate
In an interview with Rickey Smiley that aired this morning, Harris detailed her mindset and what she’s doing to prepare for her debate against Trump tomorrow night, saying that the former president “plays from this really old and tired playbook.”
“There’s no floor for him in terms of how low he will go,” Harris said in the interview, which was taped last week. “And we should be prepared for that. We should be prepared for the fact that he is not burdened by telling the truth. And we should be prepared for the fact that he is probably going to speak a lot of untruths.”
Harris said she intends to point out that Trump “tends to fight for himself, not for the American people, and I think that’s going to come out during the course of the debate.”
She added that she expects Trump is “going to lie” during the debate, citing his previous attacks against former President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
“So, we should expect that some of that might come out,” she said.
Harris is trying to cut into Trump’s edge on the economy. It could decide the election.
Harris is looking to neutralize a glaring vulnerability that has jeopardized her prospects since she replaced Joe Biden as the Democratic presidential nominee: voter frustration with high prices.
Harris is talking about the economy in hope of winning over voters who continue to feel nagging economic pain. It may be the most deliberate and clear break she has had with Biden since she took over the ticket.
Trump says he will vote yes on Florida amendment to legalize marijuana
Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform late last night that he supports a ballot measure in Florida to legalize marijuana.
“As I have previously stated, I believe it is time to end needless arrests and incarcerations of adults for small amounts of marijuana for personal use,” the former president wrote. “We must also implement smart regulations, while providing access for adults, to safe, tested product. As a Floridian, I will be voting YES on Amendment 3 this November.”
Trump said that if elected, his administration "will continue to focus on research to unlock the medical uses of marijuana to a Schedule 3 drug, and work with Congress to pass common sense laws, including safe banking for state authorized companies, and supporting states rights to pass marijuana laws, like in Florida, that work so well for their citizens.”
Trump said last month that he expected the ballot measure to pass and called for state laws to bar the use of marijuana in public spaces.
Government shutdown looms as Congress returns with just three weeks to avoid it
After a six-week summer recess, lawmakers return to the Capitol today facing a changed political landscape but a vexing, very familiar problem: figuring out how to avert a shutdown.
They have just three weeks to do so. Funding for the government runs out at the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30, and Trump is urging Republicans to force a shutdown unless certain demands are met. A shutdown would close federal agencies and national parks while limiting public services and furloughing millions of workers just weeks before the election.