Election 2024: Harris stumps with Liz Cheney in Wisconsin; Trump rallies in Michigan

Democratic Sen. Bob Casey went head-to-head with Republican challenger Dave McCormick in a bitter first debate tonight that reflected the close nature and high stakes of the Pennsylvania Senate race, which could help determine the balance of power in Washington.

The hourlong showdown touched on topics from the economy to abortion to energy — and it frequently got personal, with each candidate repeatedly trying to paint the other as a liar. Casey targeted questions about McCormick’s residency and his work as a hedge fund manager, while McCormick attacked Casey, a three-term incumbent, as a career politician who’s a rubber-stamp for Democratic leaders.

"Probably the biggest lie told in the whole election," Casey said in response to multiple off-topic questions by the debate’s moderator, "was a lie when my opponent said he lived in Pennsylvania when he was living in Connecticut."

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Biden tonight praised the agreement between the International Longshoremen's Association and the United States Maritime Alliance ending the dockworkers' strike after the groups decided to extend their current contract through Jan. 15.

"I congratulate the dockworkers from the ILA, who deserve a strong contract after sacrificing so much to keep our ports open during the pandemic," he said in a statement. "And I applaud the port operators and carriers who are members of the US Maritime Alliance for working hard and putting a strong offer on the table."

In a similar statement, Harris said, "I want to applaud all involved for their efforts."

Walz addressed a Democratic Muslim voter group tonight as the Harris campaign works to engage a group of voters who threaten to defect in large numbers over the Biden administration’s handling of the deteriorating situation in the Middle East.

The virtual event, organized by Emgage Action, which endorsed Harris last week, was the most direct pitch yet to conflicted Muslim and Arab voters from Harris or Walz.

The appearance, which coincided with the launch of a group called Arab Americans for Harris-Walz, comes after Harris’ top national security adviser met with Arab and Muslim community leaders.

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NBC News Capitol Hill correspondent Julie Tsirkin reports for "Meet the Press NOW" from Pennsylvania ahead of the first debate in the state’s Senate race between Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and Republican nominee Dave McCormick.

Walz is set to take on late-night TV with an appearance on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on Monday, a Harris campaign official said.

The appearance, first reported by The Hollywood Reporter, will come as Walz campaigns on the West Coast.

The interview in Los Angeles will be less than a month before the election and nearly a week after Walz debated Vance.

Biden told reporters tonight that he thought Liz Cheney's speech supporting Harris today was "one of the most consequential speeches I’ve ever heard."

"What she did not took only political courage, but physical courage. Physical courage it took to do," he said.

Cheney delivered remarks supporting Harris' candidacy, laying out a forceful case for why she decided to cast a ballot for a Democrat for the first time.

After a day of campaigning in battleground Michigan, Vance acknowledged that while the Trump campaign may still have “a lot of work to do” in that region, he feels confident about its chances in other parts of the country.

“I think we feel very good about the Sun Belt,” Vance said in an interview on the “Ruthless” podcast recorded earlier today.

Former first lady Melania Trump appeared to discuss her views on women’s rights today in a video on X, one day after publication of an excerpt from her coming memoir in which she reportedly takes a strong stance in support of abortion rights.

In the 28-second video, Trump says: “Individual freedom is a fundamental principle that I safeguard. Without a doubt there is no room for compromise when it comes to this essential right that all women possess from birth.”

“Individual freedom. What does my body my choice really mean?” she added.

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Former Rep. Liz Cheney, a Republican, emphasized her conservative credentials as she delivered a forceful speech backing Harris for president tonight — and continued to focus on Trump's actions leading up to and during the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.

Cheney insisted that she remains "a Ronald Reagan conservative" who believes in limited government. She also emphasized the value of "fidelity to our Constitution."