Trump suggests Eric Adams was indicted for comments about migrants
Trump suggested to reporters in remarks in New York that Mayor Eric Adams might have been indicted for speaking out about migrants in the city. He did not provide any evidence to back up his claim.
"I watched about a year ago when he talked about how the illegal migrants are hurting our city and the federal government should pay us and we shouldn't have to take them, and I said, 'You know what? He'll be indicted within a year,' and I was exactly right," Trump said.
Adams was charged with bribery and wire fraud.
Trump also said he wished Adams "well," adding, "I don't know anything about what he did."
Trump spent the bulk of his remarks trashing Harris and her record on immigration before her trip to the border tomorrow, calling her "grossly incompetent, weak and ineffective."
Trump says he will meet with Zelenskyy tomorrow
Trump said today that he would meet with Zelenskyy tomorrow morning at Trump Tower in New York.
Trump was previously not expected to meet with Zelenskyy, who has already held meetings today with both Biden and Harris. Both Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, have been critical of the U.S. aid to Ukraine.
Trump posts text message he says is from Zelenskyy
Trump posted a screenshot to Truth Social today of a text message that appears to be from Zelenskyy via the deputy chief of mission for the Ukrainian Embassy.
Part of the lengthy text, which NBC News has not verified, said: "Days ago, we requested a meeting with you, and I really want to hear your thoughts directly, and first hand. You know I always speak with great respect about everything connected to you, and that's how it should be."
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for clarification about who the text is from and whether Trump's posture toward a meeting has changed. Recent reporting has indicated that Trump does not plan to meet with Zelenskyy while he is in the U.S.
Harris to tour border entry facility for official briefing
During her visit to Douglas, Arizona, tomorrow, Harris will visit Customs and Border Protection’s Raul H. Castro Port of Entry for “official briefings on operations and progress on disrupting the flow of fentanyl through the southern border,” said an official from her office who exclusively confirmed the details of her plans with NBC News.
The official also pointed to a frequent Harris talking point — that as attorney general of California, she went after transnational criminal organizations that smuggled and trafficked guns, drugs and human beings across the U.S.-Mexico border.
The official also said that the Biden-Harris administration has taken executive action that has reduced unlawful border crossings by more than 50% and that now, border crossings are at the lowest level in four years.
Harris: 'My support for the people of Ukraine is unwavering'
Harris reiterated her support for Ukraine in remarks at the White House after her meeting with Zelenskyy, telling reporters, "I’ve been proud to stand with Ukraine, I’ll continue to stand with Ukraine, and I will work to ensure Ukraine prevails in this war."
Harris framed Ukraine's fight against Russia as reflecting American values, saying: "The American people know well the meaning of freedom, of independence and the importance of rule of law. These ideals are central to who we are as Americans, and some of the most important moments in our history have come when we stood up to aggressors like Putin.
"If we allow aggressors like Putin to take land with impunity, they keep going, and Putin could set his sights on Poland, the Baltic states and other NATO allies. ... The U.S. cannot and should not isolate ourselves from the rest of the world. Isolation is not insulation," she added.
Zelenskyy spoke after Harris, telling reporters: "We have to end this war. We need a just peace. We must protect our people: Ukrainian families, Ukrainian children and everyone from Putin's evil. We are grateful to America for supporting Ukraine all along."
For young men who grew up in the Trump era, the election is about one big thing
New focus groups of skeptical young men planning to vote in this fall’s most critical battleground states illustrate how, for these voters, it’s all about Trump.
Trump has been the dominant figure in American politics and culture since they were teens — or even earlier for some of them. Those leaning toward Harris described their choice as more of a vote against Trump than a demonstration of support for her — “the lesser of two evils” or a “step in the right direction, even if it’s a small step.”
By contrast, those leaning toward Trump were far more likely describe their vote as affirmative support for Trump, reminiscing about the “prosperity” and “stability” they associate with his first term in conversations as part of the NBC News Deciders Focus Group, produced in collaboration with Syracuse University and the research firms Engagious and Sago.
Polling has found a significant gender gap in the race, with Trump holding the upper hand among men and Harris among women. And while Democrats have long performed better among younger voters, the gender gap persists with that group, too: This month’s NBC News Stay Tuned Gen Z Poll powered by SurveyMonkey found Harris leading among Gen Z women by a much wider margin, 30 points, than her 4-point edge over Trump among Gen Z men (within the margin of error).
The two campaigns have been vocal about their attempts to target young men — Trump through the world of influencers and combat sports and Harris through targeted ads and the constant refrain about vice presidential nominee Tim Walz’s past as an assistant football coach. And considering these voters live in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, states regularly decided by small numbers of voters, the ultimate margin among these young, male voters could prove pivotal.
Harris may have locked down her first electoral vote this week
The war for the first battleground electoral vote may have been decided this week before a single ballot was cast. The weapons of choice: private polls. The likely winner: Vice President Kamala Harris.
In a wild election season that has featured Democrats substituting Harris for President Joe Biden at the top of their ticket — and Republican Donald Trump surviving two assassination attempts while trying to become the first former president in modern history to avenge a loss — the story of Nebraska’s Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District is one of the most compelling subplots.
Party operatives and political analysts are fascinated with the district because it is highly competitive turf in one of just two states — Maine is the other — that award an elector to the candidate who wins the most votes in each congressional district. With recent presidential elections turning on tens of thousands of votes spread across a few states, there are scenarios in which Nebraska’s 2nd District could determine who wins the Electoral College and the presidency.
That’s why Trump made a full-court press to get Nebraska to change its law to give all of the electors to the statewide winner — he took 58.5% statewide in 2020. But his effort came up short this week when GOP state Sen. Mike McDonnell — a former Democrat — said he would not back the plan.
Schumer says charges against NYC Mayor Eric Adams are 'serious,' but doesn't call for his resignation
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement this afternoon that the charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams are “serious,” but he stopped short of calling for his resignation.
“No one is above the law, including the Mayor of New York City. The charges are serious, and the legal process should now play out speedily and fairly,” said Schumer.
Sen. Lindsey Graham outlines what Zelenskyy told senators at meeting
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said after a bipartisan group of senators met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this morning that Zelenskyy’s top request is to have “more permissive use of long-range missiles to hit legitimate military targets.”
“The only way you’re going to get Russia to the table is hit them harder than we’re hitting them today,” Graham said. “His No. 1 request was to have more permissive use of long-range missiles to hit legitimate military targets. He believes if he could shut down those Russian air bases and missile bases that are attacking his country, that would give him leverage to get Putin to the table. I believe that too.”
“So there’s no amount of money you can spend unless you change the ability of Ukraine to take the fight to Russia more effectively,” he added. “So President Biden, whether it’s Harris or Trump, if you don’t allow this to start now, Russia will just over time wear Ukraine down. The production of weapons in Russia is going up, so long term without a change in military strategy benefit[s] Russia.”
Graham said it’s important for Zelenskyy to make his case to Biden when he meets with him later today “to change the military strategy or Ukraine will be doomed, in my view, to failure.”
Zelenskyy is also scheduled to meet with Harris this afternoon. In a press release, the Harris campaign noted her role in rallying 50 allies and partners to help Ukraine defend itself and that she will be meeting with Zelenskyy today for the seventh time since Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country began.
A White House official said Harris plans to reaffirm her support for Ukraine and discuss a wide range of issues, including developments on the battlefield and efforts to secure peace based on the United Nations Charter and the will of the Ukrainian people.
The Harris campaign's national security spokesperson Morgan Finkelstien attacked Trump ahead of the meeting, saying the former president "won’t say he wants Ukraine to win the war because he’s rooting for Vladimir Putin. He cozies up to dictators because he wants to be one." Vice President Harris understands that the American people stand on the side of freedom, democracy and rule of law.
"I’m the only one who can get the war stopped. It should have never started in the first place," Trump said in a statement to NBC News. "Harris and Biden don’t know what to do or how to end it. They have big blood on their hands— and there is no end in sight. Europe has paid only a small fraction- and they should equalize."
Embattled North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson to speak at Faith & Freedom Coalition event
Embattled North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson is scheduled to speak at a conference for the state's Faith & Freedom Coalition on Saturday afternoon.
The Republican, who's running for governor, has been embroiled in a scandal after allegedly making antisemitic and racist comments years ago on a porn website. Robinson has denied reports that he made the comments.