Harris holds campaign rally in Milwaukee as Trump team pivots

In a guest essay for The New York Times, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Harris a "fresh start for American politics."

Clinton, who lauded Biden for his accomplishments, called Harris "a hopeful, unifying vision."

She also described her experience being the first female presidential nominee for a major political party. "As a candidate, I sometimes shied away from talking about making history," Clinton wrote, adding that she looks "forward to hearing [Harris] prosecute a compelling case against Mr. Trump, who failed as a president the first time and is running on a dangerous agenda."

Trump said tonight that he’s excited to debate Harris, calling debates “a great way of exposing people.”

“It’s a great way of finding whether or not — No. 1 — whether or not they’re capable, and also their ideas,” he said in a phone interview with Newsmax.

House Minority Whip Rep. Katherine Clark of Massachusetts told NBC News tonight that Democrats are "excited and energized" to make Harris the party's presidential nominee.

Asked to respond to criticism that the process after Biden withdrew hasn't been democratic enough, Clark noted that the majority of delegates have pledged their support for Harris and said: "This is not a backroom deal-making. This is about making sure that we have the very best candidate to defend our Constitution, defend our freedom and build an economy that works for us in the light of the very real danger of Donald Trump.”

Harris is launching her White House bid pretty much where Biden left off: a few points behind Trump nationally.

Democrats obviously hope that Harris’ presidential campaign rollout will change how voters view her and this race, producing a meaningful polling improvement. And a new poll from Reuters/Ipsos (showing Harris at 44% among registered voters and Trump at 42%) very modestly, and tentatively, gives fuel to their optimism.

But previous polling hints at what could be a potentially significant difference in this new matchup. Essentially, it suggests that, faced with a Harris-Trump contest, the number of voters ready to pick sides may go up.

Read the full analysis here.

The selection of a running mate is arguably the most important decision any presidential campaign has to make. But Harris may have to compress her entire selection process into about two weeks to comply with an Aug. 7 deadline Democrats have set for themselves to finalize their ticket.

That deadline could push Harris to vet, meet with, select and announce her running mate in the next 15 days, according to numerous Democrats involved in the process — or potentially risk losing her spot on the ballot in Ohio. Even if she chooses to ignore that deadline, it would buy her only another two weeks, with the Democratic National Convention set to kick off Aug. 19.

“That’s something that will take some speed dating,” said Michael LaRosa, the former press secretary to first lady Jill Biden. “There’s a lot to consider. You have electoral calculus. You have personal chemistry. You have someone who really matches your ideology.”

Read the full story here.

The Trump campaign filed a complaint today with the Federal Election Commission accusing Harris, Biden and others of violating campaign finance laws by allowing Harris to take over more than $90 million in campaign funds this week.

According to a copy of the complaint obtained by NBC News, Trump’s legal team said Harris engaged in a “brazen money grab.”

In an interview, Democratic FEC member Dara Lindenbaum said that there was no violation of election laws because Harris’ name was already included in the original paperwork filed with the commission.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who has endorsed Harris for president, declined to talk about any role he might play in Harris' campaign or her administration if she wins in November.

Asked whether he would be Harris' VP candidate if she asked him, Buttigieg said on NBC News' “Hallie Jackson Now" that he "can't talk about the campaign or election side," citing concerns about speaking about politics while at the Transportation Department.

Pressed about whether he would like to remain in his position if Harris were elected president, Buttigieg declined to talk about anything "too speculative."

The Harris campaign is considering Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear as a possible running mate, according to a source familiar with the shortlist.

NBC News previously reported that the Harris campaign has requested vetting materials from North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona.

A group of more than 700 alumni of Biden’s 2020 campaign have signed a letter in support of Harris’ candidacy, aiming to demonstrate a united front with the goal of once again defeating Trump.

“We have stood behind our leader President Biden for years, and will continue doing so by following his lead,” the letter states. “We will work, organize, and do all we can to ensure Vice President Harris wins in November.”

Signers run the gamut from field organizers and state staff members to Biden’s original 2020 campaign manager, Greg Schultz. It was spearheaded by Vince Evans, who started in 2020 as Southern regional political director, and Jenn Ridder, who was the campaign’s national states director.

The Trump campaign shows no signs of pivoting his messaging to solely focus on Harris in the wake of Biden’s announcement that he will not seek re-election. Trump's campaign intends to tie Biden to Harris, saying she is just as responsible for the actions of the administration as he is. And it is going even further, saying Harris was complicit in “covering up” the gravity of Biden’s mental capacity.

A Trump campaign adviser kept up the talking points that are recognizable in a statement to NBC News: “Kamala Harris is weak, failed and dangerously liberal. Our approach will be virtually the same. Biden was so feeble he could barely answer for his terrible record on the economy, the border invasion and a world in chaos caused by his weakness in the White House. Harris owns every bit of the same failures — especially the issue of migrant crime while she has been ‘border czar.’ While Joe acted like an extreme California liberal, Harris actually is an extreme California liberal. Joe is Kamala. Kamala is Joe.”

Today, on a rare on-the-record call with reporters to talk about Harris’ record on immigration, Trump was asked whether Harris will be a more difficult opponent, to which he answered: "As far as her as a candidate, I think it’s probably similar. I noticed the polls are virtually identical.” He went on to say: “She’s the same as Biden, but much more radical. She’s a radical left person, and this country doesn’t want a radical left person to destroy it. She’s far more radical than he is.”

“So I think she should be easier than Biden. Because he was slightly more mainstream, but not much,” he said.

The rapid replacement of Biden with Harris as the de facto Democratic nominee is reshaping the dynamics for both parties in key races set to decide control of Congress.

For Republicans, the calculus changes dramatically. Their candidates have embraced Trump and were banking on tying Democrats to an aging and unpopular Biden to win competitive House and Senate races. Now they’re eying a pivot to tying them to Harris, and GOP operatives are already testing new lines of attack on her.

For Democrats, candidates in battleground races still plan to localize their races as much as possible. But lawmakers and party operatives now hope they can benefit from the wave of enthusiasm provided by Harris’ campaign in down-ballot races.

Read the full story here.

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said today that attacks by his former colleagues on Harris using the initialism DEI — diversity, equity and inclusion — are “stupid and dumb.”

“I disagree with DEI, but she is the vice president of the United States, she is the former U.S. senator. These congressmen saying it, they are wrong in their own instincts,” McCarthy told NBC News' Garrett Haake on "Meet the Press NOW."

McCarthy also urged Republicans to stop calling for Biden to resign, saying it could help Harris' campaign if she were to become president before the November election.

Harris will travel to Houston on Thursday to speak at the American Federation of Teachers convention, according to a source familiar with the plans.

AFT President Randi Weingarten endorsed Harris on Sunday night after Biden announced he was dropping his re-election bid.

"Harris is fighting to restore Roe, fighting for families, for student debt relief and is a powerful advocate for workers," Weingarten said on X.

New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy said in a statement on X today that she would not accept an appointment to the Senate seat being vacated next month by longtime Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez.

Murphy, who ran for Menendez’s seat in the state’s Democratic primary this year before she dropped out in March, said she is grateful for the support but considers the issues facing New Jersey residents her greatest concern. “As I said in March, I am completely focused on the critical work of boosting infant and maternal health, combating climate change, and uplifting the voices of those in greatest need,” she said.

Earlier today, Gov. Phil Murphy announced that he had received a letter from Menendez informing him of his intention to resign on Aug. 20 after he was found guilty of accepting bribes, including cash and gold bars, to benefit the governments of Egypt and Qatar. “I will exercise my duty to make a temporary appointment to the United States Senate to ensure the people of New Jersey have the representation they deserve,” he said in a statement.

Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., will resign next month after he was found guilty on all 16 counts in a federal bribery and corruption trial.

Menendez officially informed Gov. Phil Murphy of his decision in a letter today.

“This is to advise you that I will be resigning from my office as the United States Senator from New Jersey, effective on the close of business on August 20, 2024,” Menendez said in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by NBC News.

Read the full story here.

Planned Parenthood Action Fund — the advocacy arm of the nonprofit Planned Parenthood Federation of America — is endorsing Harris, according to Alexis McGill Johnson, the president of both organizations, who shared the news exclusively with NBC News today.

The group has worked extensively with Harris — the most prominent voice in the Biden administration on issues related to abortion access and reproductive health care. 

“We just can’t talk enough about what it means in this moment to have her representing at the top of the ticket,” McGill Johnson said. “She has been an incredible, invaluable partner inside of the administration these last two years since Dobbs. She has traveled and done hundreds of events with patients and providers and really gotten on the ground to understand, as she always does, the issue from all angles.”

A night after fundraisers announced that 45,000 Black women raised $1.5 million in three hours for Harris’ presidential campaign, 21,000 Black men chipped in $1.3 million during a virtual live fundraising event yesterday, according to one of the event's organizers. NBC News has not independently confirmed the amount.

The #winwithblackmen rally featured dozens of speakers from across the country who urged those gathered to support Harris as she seeks the Democratic nomination to take on Trump in November. Political commentator Roland S. Martin led the energized event.

Its purpose was clear: to show Black mens’ support of Harris and to raise money for her campaign.

Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., is pushing for the House Judiciary Committee to investigate whether Elon Musk’s X improperly prevented users from following an official presidential campaign account for Harris on Sunday.

Nadler, the ranking Democrat on the committee, sent a letter to chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, yesterday saying “numerous users” were blocked from following the @KamalaHQ account after Biden stepped aside and endorsed Harris for president. The letter was exclusively obtained by NBC News.

“Regardless of political ideology, Americans have a protected interest in receiving Vice President Harris’ communications regarding her candidacy,” Nadler wrote. “Vice President Harris, in turn, has a right to communicate with the American people as she runs for the highest office in the country.”

Read the full story here.

Trump said today that he would "absolutely" commit to debating Harris and is open to having multiple debates.

"Oh, yes, absolutely. I'd want to," he said during a Republican National Committee call this afternoon.

"Well, I haven't agreed to anything. I agreed to debate with Joe Biden," Trump said later on the call. "But I want to debate her, and she'll be no different because they have the same policies."

Read the full story here.

Arriving at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, after returning from isolating in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, Biden appeared to tell reporters to “watch and listen” when he was asked what his message will be tomorrow night when he addresses the nation.

Biden is expected to give a prime-time speech from the Oval Office about his decision to not seek a second term.

Before he took off, Biden said he was "feeling well" as he boarded Air Force One.

Recounting her history as attorney general of California and as a courtroom prosecutor, Harris said she has dealt with people like Trump.

"I took on perpetrators of all kinds: predators who abused women, fraudsters who ripped off consumers, cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain," she said.

Generating loud applause from the audience, she added, "So hear me out when I say this: I know Donald Trump's type."

Throughout the speech, the audience repeatedly erupted in cheers, applause or chants of "Kamala!"

In her first rally since she announced her campaign for president, Harris walked out to Beyonce's "Freedom," a song inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement.

Trump will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago on Friday, he said in an emailed statement.

A source familiar with the matter told NBC News that Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with Biden and family members of the American hostages still being held in Gaza at the White House on Thursday.

Just days after Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 race, Vice President Kamala Harris has raised stacks of campaign money, she’s mostly united and energized the Democratic Party, and she’s received the backing of a majority of pledged Democratic convention delegates. 

That’s the good news for Harris and the Democrats. 

But her next challenge may be a much steeper one: winning over the swing and independent voters who have been cool to her previously — but who will be crucial to defeating Trump in November. 

Merged polling from the NBC News poll — combining responses from surveys conducted in January, April and July before Biden’s exit — shows Harris not only underwater with these swing voters in terms of her popularity, but also with lower net scores than Biden has. There are more voters who don’t yet register a strong opinion of her, so those numbers could change as the public side of her campaign gets going in earnest. But it’s a potentially vulnerable starting position, though Trump is in similar territory. 

Read the full story here.

Biden’s visit to the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin, Texas, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act has been rescheduled for July 29. 

His visit was originally scheduled for July 15, but was postponed after the assassination attempt on Trump during a rally two days earlier in Butler, Pennsylvania. Biden was diagnosed with Covid last week and was recovering and in self-isolation at his home in Rehoboth, Delaware.

Before his Covid diagnosis and the announcement of his withdrawal from the 2024 race, Biden had trips and a few political fundraisers in the works for this week. Those engagements have been postponed or rescheduled for a future date.

Biden has officially tested negative for Covid and his “symptoms have resolved,” Dr. Kevin O’Connor, his physician, said in a letter.

“Over the course of his infection, he never manifested a fever, and his vital signs remained normal, to include pulse oximetry,” O’Connor wrote in the letter. “His lungs remained clear.”

O’Connor said Biden will continue to be monitored “for any recurrence of illness” as he continues to perform his presidential duties.

Trump could be about to face off against a familiar foe he sparred with when he was in office: Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.

Shapiro, now considered a potential running mate for Harris after Biden dropped out of the presidential race, built his national profile when he was the commonwealth’s attorney general, filing challenges to Trump policies and battling his efforts to overturn the state’s 2020 election results.

Shapiro’s battles with Trump “were a huge part of raising his profile and cementing a real track record on a lot of important issues,” said J.J. Abbott, who at the time was a spokesman for then-Gov. Tom Wolf.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken addressed Biden’s legacy after he chose not to run for re-election and described his leadership as “extraordinary.” Blinken did not endorse Harris but praised her as a “leading voice” for American foreign policy.

NextGen PAC, the political arm of the nation's largest youth voter organization, has endorsed Harris for president.

NextGen PAC President Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez said in a statement, "From protecting abortion access and care, to supporting climate justice, economic justice, voting rights, and LGBTQ+ rights, Vice President Harris represents the diversity, vision, and values of young Americans."

"Young people remain committed to turning out in force and defeating MAGA extremism and the existential threat of Trump’s Project 2025, and we are proud to join Vice President Harris in this fight," she said.

Harris is scheduled to travel to Indianapolis tomorrow to deliver a keynote speech during the Grand Boulé of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc., a historically Black sorority — one of the "Divine Nine," the group of historically Black Greek-letter organizations.

Indiana, the home state of Harris’ former VP rival Mike Pence, will be the 24th state that she has visited this year, the White House said.

Harris became a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, the oldest historically Black sorority, in 1986 when she was a student at Howard University. She delivered the keynote address at its biennial national convention in Dallas this month.

Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to travel to Milwaukee today for the first rally in her presidential campaign.

Harris’ trip to Milwaukee marks her first stop in a battleground state under her presidential campaign, as well. It will be her ninth visit to Wisconsin in her vice presidential term and her fifth visit to the state this year, her campaign said in a press release.

She is expected to make the case to Wisconsin voters that they face a choice between Trump, a convicted felon “who would drag this country backwards,” and Harris’ “brighter vision for the future, where our freedoms are protected and every American has a fair shot,” the campaign said.

Read the full story here.

In her first interview since Biden dropped out of the presidential race, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told ABC's "The View" that calls from Republicans for his resignation from office are "ridiculous."

"The president decided to not run for re-election. That's it. That's all he decided on," she said.

Since Biden ended his campaign Sunday afternoon, House Speaker Mike Johnson, of Louisiana, and House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, of New York, were among those calling on him to resign. Trump's running mate, JD Vance, also suggested Biden step down, asking how he could justify remaining on as president if he decided not to run.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries will endorse Kamala Harris today during their 1 p.m. press conference, three sources familiar with their endorsement say.

The two leaders have said very positive things about Harris and her campaign, but both had stopped short of offering a formal endorsement. 

Jeffries had said that the pair wanted to meet face to face with Harris. That meeting has not yet happened but both Jeffries and Schumer have spoken with Harris on the phone. 

Oscar-winning actor and prolific Democratic donor George Clooney praised Biden for stepping aside from the presidential race and endorsed Harris in a statement to NBC News.

“President Biden has shown what true leadership is. He’s saving democracy once again,” Clooney said. “We’re all so excited to do whatever we can to support Vice President Harris in her historic quest.”

Clooney had urged Democratic leaders to ramp up pressure within the party for Biden to bow out of the race in a guest essay in The New York Times following the president's lackluster June debate performance.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., are working on creating a bipartisan task force to investigate the assassination attempt on Trump.

The task force, which will require a House vote, would have 11 members — six Republicans and five Democrats. Johnson would designate the chair, and he and Jeffries would serve as ex officio members.

The task force would have subpoena power and be charged with issuing a report of its findings by Dec. 13, with a recommendation on legislation to prevent future security lapses.

House Rules Committee Chairman Michael Burgess, R-Texas, said the bill to establish the task force will likely come to the floor for a vote tomorrow. 

U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has stepped down after widespread calls from lawmakers for her to resign following the assassination attempt on Donald Trump on July 13, three sources told NBC News.

An official announcement on her resignation is expected later this morning, two law enforcement sources said.

Cheatle’s resignation comes a day after she faced questions from angry lawmakers from both parties exasperated over the Secret Service’s failure to protect Trump.

Her responses, however, didn’t satisfy the leaders of the House Oversight Committee, which held the hearing yesterday. 

Read the full story here.

Biden will give a prime-time address from the White House tomorrow on his decision to exit the presidential race, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Biden issued a letter Sunday saying he would not accept the Democratic nomination and then endorsed his running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris, to replace him atop the ticket. Biden was diagnosed days before with Covid, which delayed him in commenting about the decision.

Read the full story here.

An adviser to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Nathan Click, told NBC News the governor isn't interested in being Harris' vice president.

“From his perspective, he has the best job in the world," Click said. "He looks forward to supporting VP Harris and whomever she picks as her running mate."

Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced he is again running for California governor.

In a video released by his campaign, Villaraigosa touted himself as a “problem solver” the state needs as its leader. He cited his years serving in the state Assembly, his bipartisan work to balance the state budget, and his economic record and efforts to reduce crime in Los Angeles during his mayoral term.

“I know we can do big things for California because I’ve done them before,” Villaraigosa said in the video. “As governor, I’ll balance the budget. I’ll make sure our neighborhoods are safe and that our kids have great schools. I’ll work to bring down costs for small businesses and middle-class families. We have serious problems, and money alone won’t fix them. We need to focus on what works.”

The president, who has been self-isolating in Delaware after last week's Covid diagnosis, is scheduled to return to the White House today.

Biden’s physician said in a letter Sunday that the Covid symptoms had "improved significantly.”

The Democratic shakeup is forcing Republicans to pivot after focusing on a rematch with Biden for almost two years. Now, the Trump campaign is taking on Harris with JD Vance criticizing her in his first solo campaign appearance. NBC’s Garrett Haake reports for "TODAY."

The vice president is scheduled to hold a campaign rally in Milwaukee, where Republicans held their convention last week.

She will return to Washington after the event.

A majority of pledged Democratic convention delegates have endorsed Harris, who said yesterday in her first campaign remarks as a presidential candidate that she knows how to take on Trump.

Harris quickly consolidated support around her bid for the Democratic nomination for president, with seemingly all of her major potential rivals rallying around her less than 24 hours after Biden announced he was bowing out and state delegate slates endorsing Harris quickly, too.

Democratic convention delegations across a number of states unanimously endorsed Harris, as the party prepares for its nominating vote in August. The Democratic National Committee has not yet finalized its rules for that vote, but the flock of delegates to the vice president reflected broader coalescing of support throughout the Democratic Party.

Read the full story here.