Harris and Walz trade fire with Trump and Vance at dueling events in battleground states fight
EAU CLAIRE, WI – Standing in front of over 15,000 supporters packed into an airport hanger at the airport in Detroit, Michigan, Vice President Kamala Harris proclaimed that “this election’s going to be a fight.” “We like a good fight,” added Harris, who rose to the top of the Democratic Party’s 2024 ticket two and a half weeks ago after President Biden suspended his re-election bid and endorsed his vice president as his successor. Hours earlier in neighboring Wisconsin, another crucial battleground state that will also likely determine the outcome of the presidential election between Harris and former President Trump, the vice president’s newly named running mate took aim at Trump. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, enjoying what seemed like a hometown crowd at a rally just an hour from his own state, spoke to a sea of supporters – over 12,000 who had waited in line for hours on the roads and farm fields of mostly rural northwest Wisconsin to see Harris and her running mate. KAMALA HARRIS AND HER NEWLY NAMED RUNNING MATE KICK OFF A BATTLEGROUND STATE SWING Walz charged that the former president “sees the world differently than we see it. He has no understanding of service. Because he’s too busy serving himself again and again and again.” “This guy weakens our country to strengthen his own hands. He mocks our laws. He sows chaos and division among the people. And that’s to say nothing of the job he did as president,” Walz argued. Walz, a former high school teacher and football coach before entering politics, showcased his Midwestern roots as he told the “Packers and Badgers fans” in the crowd that he once coached his team to a state championship and touted that he was the “top gun” three years running at the trap shoot during his dozen years representing a mostly rural red-leaning district from southern Minnesota in Congress. KAMALA HARRIS AND HER NEWLY NAMED RUNNING MATE KICK OFF A BATTLEGROUND STATE SWING Hours earlier, Trump aimed to paint Harris and Walz as ultra-liberals as he called into Fox News’ “Fox and Friends” for an interview. “You know, nobody knew how radical left she was, but he’s a smarter version of her, if you want to know the truth,” Trump claimed in his Wednesday interview. “He’s probably about the same as Bernie Sanders. He’s probably more so than Bernie Sanders.” And the former president argued that “this is a ticket that would want this country to go communist immediately, if not sooner.” Trump’s team was planning on painting the Democratic ticket as extreme left-leaning regardless of whom the vice president chose as her running mate, a source in Trump’s campaign told Fox News. But Harris’ naming on Tuesday of Walz, a moderate congressman who shifted to a more progressive governor, over more moderate running mate finalists Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona seemed like a gift to Trump’s team. “I could not be more thrilled,” Trump said regarding the choice of Walz as running mate. “I was shocked when, when it came down to the final two, that she didn’t pick Shapiro. I was very surprised.” But the naming of a running mate has been lucrative for the Harris campaign, which highlighted that it had hauled in $36 million in fundraising in the 24 hours since the Walz announcement. At the rally, Walz once again argued that Trump and running mate Sen. JD Vance of Ohio “are creepy and weird as hell.” Vance, at a dueling campaign event just miles away, pushed back on the “weird” label, saying he and Trump are “normal guys who want to make this country great.” In a viral moment, Vance appeared to try and troll the vice president, as he approached Air Force Two at Chippewa Valley Regional Airport, where the senator’s campaign plane was also parked. “I figured that I would come by and get a good look at the plane because hopefully it’s going to be my plane in a few months,” Vance said in front of Air Force Two. And once again pointing out that Harris has yet to sit for a major interview or hold a press conference in the two and a half weeks since she replaced Biden at the top of the Democrats’ national ticket, Vance told reporters, “I also thought you guys may get lonely, because the VP doesn’t answer questions from reporters.” Vance also took aim at Walz, who served nearly a quarter-century in the National Guard, for what he claimed was “stolen valor,” as the Trump campaign launched a full-frontal assault on the governor, accusing him of misrepresenting his rank, his service and charging he abandoned his unit on the eve of its deployment to Iraq. The charge, if substantiated, could be explosive, as Trump co-campaign manager Chris LaCivita well knows. He was the mastermind 20 years ago behind the “Swift Boat Veterans for Truth” campaign that aimed to discredit Vietnam War veteran and Purple Heart recipient Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts ahead of his narrow 2004 presidential election loss to GOP incumbent George W. Bush. But Vance himself never served in combat. While Vance was deployed to the war in Iraq as a Marine, he worked in the public affairs department while on his deployment. And Trump over the years has faced well-documented allegations that as a young man he dodged the Vietnam War draft by claiming to have bone spurs in his feet, which sidetracked him from service. It’s no surprise that Harris and Walz so far this week have held rallies in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan, with Vance holding events nearby to stay in close proximity. The three states make up the so-called “Blue Wall” that Democrats reliably won in presidential elections for nearly a quarter-century before Trump narrowly carried them in capturing the White House eight years ago. But in 2020, Biden won back all three states with razor-thin margins as he defeated Trump, and the states remain extremely competitive
Crucial battleground states shift toward Harris after Biden drops out: forecasters
Vice President Kamala Harris is gaining ground in several key battleground states that are likely to determine the result of the 2024 presidential election. Election forecasters at the Cook Political Report and the Center for Politics say poll averages have shifted in Harris’ favor by roughly 3 points. Polls in three states have also shifted toward Democrats, with Georgia moving from “lean Republican” to “toss up,” while Minnesota and New Hampshire shifted from “lean Democratic” to “likely Democratic.” Harris has gained significant ground on former President Trump since President Biden withdrew from the race, with multiple polls now showing her ahead of Trump in the general election. While Democratic enthusiasm has surged since Harris became the party’s nominee, many political analysts say the honeymoon period is likely to wear off. Harris is already facing heavy criticism for her lack of transparency to the press, and she has yet to take questions from reporters in the 18 days since Biden dropped out. HARRIS LAPS TRUMP IN CASH DASH THANKS TO FUNDRAISING SURGE KAMALA HARRIS SUPPORTERS UNSURE WHEN ASKED ABOUT VP’S POLICY ACCOMPLISHMENTS She has been busy on the campaign trail, spoken at various events, and given informal remarks to reporters at various points, but hasn’t done a formal press conference or wide-ranging interview since Biden’s withdrawal. She also failed to appear at the National Association of Black Journalists’ convention in Chicago, where Trump made headlines last week with a heated question-and-answer session, although she could make a future appearance with the group. This week, she made headlines by picking Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, but the two have still not been questioned formally in interviews or press conferences. It’s gotten the attention of GOP vice-presidential candidate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio. KAMALA HARRIS’ TREATMENT OF STAFF UNDER SCRUTINY AS REPORTS OF POOR OFFICE CULTURE RESURFACE Vance called out the media for their lack of aggression towards Harris. Speaking at a rally in Detroit, he urged reporters to “show a little bit of self-awareness” and called on Harris to “do the job of a presidential candidate” by speaking to them. Trump himself has accused Harris of hiding behind her teleprompter even as Biden “hid in his basement.” Fox News’ Brian Flood contributed to this report.
‘We do not…’: India on former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina’s future plans
MEA India said that India is concerned about the ‘evolving’ situation in Bangladesh in the aftermath of intense violence and Sheikh Hasina’s resignation.
Pence’s think tank reacts to Walz selection as Harris VP: ‘Radical record’
Former Vice President Mike Pence’s think tank released a strong rebuke to Gov. Tim Walz’s spot on the Democratic Party ticket for the 2024 presidential election. Advancing American Freedom — the policy institute founded by Pence following his term as vice president under former President Donald Trump – released a memo Wednesday outlining what the organization calls Waltz’s “radical record.” “Gov. Walz is actually the perfect pick for Vice President Kamala Harris — a hardcore leftist who appeals to the growing Ilhan Omar wing of the Democratic Party,” AAF Executive Director Paul Tellers told Fox News Digital. FORMER MINNESOTA GOP GOVERNOR SUMS UP TIM WALZ VP PICK: ‘BERNIE SANDERS IN HUNTING GEAR’ The memo accused Walz of “[fanning] the flames of Black Lives Matter riots” during the 2020 unrest in Minnesota, turning the state into a “murder capital” with a 50% spike in homicide rates, and “[cutting] funding for pregnant women” while “[pushing] abortion-on-demand.” The think tank also blasted Walz for turning Minnesota into a “trans refugee state,” having “signed legislation allowing children to be taken from their parents if parents don’t support their minor child receiving life altering surgeries or supposed medical treatments.” The selection of the 60-year-old Walz was not a shocker, as his name was believed to be in contention for the two weeks following Harris’s replacement of President Biden as the party’s standard-bearer. WALZ’S HANDLING OF BLM RIOTS, STRICT COVID RULES UNDER MICROSCOPE AFTER HARRIS VP PICK Walz, a former congressman, is in his second term as governor of Minnesota, a state that Democrats have reliably won in presidential elections for decades but that the Trump campaign has aimed at flipping this cycle. The memo touches on multiple common criticisms being offered against the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, such as exacerbation of the border crisis through sanctuary laws and his treatment of religious institutions during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Pence has largely remained above the fray of the 2024 presidential election after dropping out late last year. He previously refused to endorse his former running partner in the 2024 Republican presidential primary. At the same time, he made clear earlier this year that he would never support the Biden re-election campaign. The vice-president’s think tank has offered a “Biden-Harris Accountability Tracker” on their website through which the group catalogs the administration’s policies and offers examples of consequential negative effects. Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
Trump praised Walz’s George Floyd riot response in 2020, audio shows: ‘Very happy’
As former President Trump blasts Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz over his response to the unrest in his state in May 2020 following the murder of George Floyd, a resurfaced audio recording shows that Trump had praised Walz at the time for how he “dominated” the situation. In the audio recording, which was obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday, Trump was on a phone call with Walz and other governors and officials on June 1, 2020. “What they did in Minneapolis was incredible. They went in and dominated, and it happened immediately,” Trump told Walz and the others on the call. Walz, who has served as Minnesota’s governor since 2019, was selected as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate Tuesday, putting a spotlight on his handling of the riots that spread across Minneapolis in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder on May 25, 2020. TIM WALZ’S BLM RIOTS RESPONSE LEFT MINNESOTA HUSBAND DAD OF 2 ‘DISGUSTED’: ‘CAN’T BELIEVE’ PEOPLE SUPPORT HIM Walz deployed the National Guard three days later to stop the violence, which included the torching of a police station, but critics have said both the governor and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey were too slow to act. Walz and Frey each blamed the other for the delays. Trump offered federal help to Walz at the time, but the governor did not take him up on it. WALZ SLAMMED FOR ‘HESITATING’ TO SEND IN GUARD AS HIS DAUGHTER TIPPED OFF RIOTERS VIA SOCIAL MEDIA Trump didn’t blame Walz at the time for the delays, later saying: “I don’t blame you. I blame the mayor.” “I was very happy with the last couple of days, Tim,” Trump said during the call. “You called up big numbers and the big numbers knocked them out so fast, it was like bowling pins.” FIVE CONTROVERSIES SURROUNDING VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE TIM WALZ, FROM DUI TO COVID FRAUD But on Wednesday, Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told The Associated Press in a statement that Trump was only acknowledging that Walz took steps to end the violence after days of violence and unrest in Minneapolis. “Governor Walz allowed Minneapolis to burn for days, despite President Trump’s offer to deploy soldiers and cries for help from the liberal Mayor of Minneapolis,” Leavitt said. “In this daily briefing phone call with Governors on June 1, days after the riots began, President Trump acknowledged Governor Walz for FINALLY taking action to deploy the National Guard to end the violence in the city.” Fox Digital reached out to the Trump campaign for comment but did not immediately hear back. Fox Digital’s Michael Lee and Chris Pandolfo, along with The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Where does Tim Walz stand on Israel?
Vice President Kamala Harris’ decision to tap Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as running mate over Pennsylvania’s Josh Shapiro, the only Jewish candidate under consideration, sparked immediate speculation that the Keystone State’s governor was cast aside because of his pro-Israel politics. “This is a person who listened to the Hamas wing of her own party in selecting a nominee,” former President Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, told reporters in reaction to the pick, according to a CBS News report. The comment comes amid heavy backlash to the selection of Walz over Shapiro in some corners, with many speculating that the pick was made to appease the far-left wing of the Democratic Party that some see as hostile to Israel. “Those in the overly online left who are attacking Josh Shapiro’s pro-Israel positions in a different way than they are attacking non-Jewish veep contenders’ positions, they’re just telling on themselves,” Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-Mass., told CNN Monday. WALZ WAITED UNTIL LEGISLATIVE SESSION WRAPPED TO DEMAND RESIGNATION FROM DEM LAWMAKER ACCUSED OF BURGLARY “There is a strong undercurrent of antisemitism to that,” he continued. “It’s unacceptable. Every contender’s positions on all policy issues, their track records in elected office, all of that is fair game. That is totally open to be subjected to interrogation and to questioning by the Harris team, by observers, but holding him to a different standard because of his religion just simply isn’t who we are in the Democratic Party.” The defense of Shapiro comes as some supporters of Israel have become increasingly worried in recent months that Harris has started to carve out a position different from President Biden on support for the Jewish state, claiming the vice president has begun to take a more sympathetic view toward the faction of the Democratic Party that has showed support for Palestinians amid Israel’s invasion of Gaza. While Harris has continued to express that Israel has a right to defend itself and has repeatedly condemned the October terrorist attacks against the Jewish state, she did become the first administration official to call for an “immediate cease-fire” in Gaza. Harris also vowed “not to be silent” about the suffering of Gazans ahead of a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month, remarks some took as a continued signal of a shifting position from the president. Walz has taken a similar approach to Harris, at times expressing support for Israel while also expressing sympathy for the plight of Gazans. VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS NAMES MINNESOTA GOV TIM WALZ AS HER RUNNING MATE “You can hold competing things: That Israel has the right to defend itself, and the atrocities of October 7 are unacceptable, but Palestinian civilians being caught in this… has got to end,” Walz said during an appearance on Minnesota Public Radio in March, according to a report from Al Jazeera. Walz has also consistently argued that Israel has a right to exist, telling the Jewish Community Relations Council earlier this year that the “ability of Jewish people to self-determine themselves is foundational.” “The failure to recognize the state of Israel is taking away that self-determination. So it is antisemitic,” he said. The Minnesota governor was quick to condemn the Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel, arguing those that carried out the attack showed “an absolute lack of humanity.” “That’s not a geopolitical discussion. That’s murder,” Walz said, according to a Times of Israel report. He also urged members of his own party to take the concerns of Jewish students seriously amid a wave of anti-Israel demonstrations on American college campuses in the spring. KAMALA HARRIS’ VP PICK TIM WALZ PREVIOUSLY CHARGED WITH DUI IN NEBRASKA “I think when Jewish students are telling us they feel unsafe in that, we need to believe them, and I do believe them,” Walz said during a PBS appearance. “Creating a space where political dissent or political rallying can happen is one thing. Intimidation is another.“ According to a USA Today report, Walz also expressed support for Israel while serving in Congress between 2007 and 2019, voting with Israel multiple times, including a vote to condemn the United Nations resolution that declared Israeli settlements on the West Bank illegal. But Walz also showed that his support for Israel is not unlimited, warning the country about those same settlements during a diplomatic tour through the Middle East in 2009, arguing that they were damaging prospects for peace. Like Harris, the Minnesota governor called for a cease-fire to the conflict in March. That same month, he praised Democrats who voted uncommitted during the state’s primary, following a movement that started in Michigan to protest the Biden administration’s handling of the conflict in Gaza.
Govt refers Waqf Bill to Joint Parliamentary Committee amid demands for close scrutiny by opposition
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA)-led centre has referred the Waqf Act Amendment Bill to Joint Parliamentary Committee amid demands for a wider scrutiny by the opposition.
Bangladesh Crisis: Arunachal students demand vigilance to stop illegal immigration
“In the wake of the turmoil in Bangladesh, we have received disturbing reports of a large number of people being displaced and attempting to enter India illegally,” it said.
Youngkin mandates all paper ballots for presidential elections in Virginia
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is ordering all votes for the 2024 presidential election to be cast by paper ballot. Youngkin issued Executive Order 35 on Wednesday, which codifies election security protocols established under his governance for all future elections. “The Virginia model for Election Security works. This isn’t a Democrat or Republican issue, it’s an American and Virginian issue,” Youngkin said in an announcement. “Every legal vote deserves to be counted without being watered down by illegal votes or inaccurate machines. In Virginia, we don’t play games and our model for election security is working.” VIRGINIA SCHOOL DISTRICT LAUNCHES PILOT NO CELLPHONE POLICY USING MAGNETIC POUCH THAT BLOCKS SIGNAL One of the most notable requirements of the security protocol is the exclusive use of paper ballots with a traceable chain of custody, offering a more concrete record of votes cast than widely-used electronic voting machines. Other aspects of the Virginia voting security protocol include the use of DMV data to verify voter identity, offline counting machines and more. “We use 100% paper ballots with a strict chain of custody. We use counting machines, not voting machines, that are tested prior to every election and never connected to the internet. We do not mass mail ballots. We monitor our drop boxes 24/7,” Young said. HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS CHAIR OUSTED BY TRUMP-BACKED CHALLENGER IN REPUBLICAN PRIMARY SHOWDOWN The governor added, “We verify the legal presence and identity of voters using DMV data and other trusted data sources to update our voter rolls daily, not only adding new voters, but scrubbing the lists to remove those that should not be on it, like the deceased, individuals that have moved, and non-citizens that have accidentally or maliciously attempted to register.” Former President Donald Trump celebrated the codification of Youngkin’s protocols, writing on his proprietary social media platform Truth Social that Virginia is “taking a strong lead in securing the election in November.” “The beautiful Commonwealth of Virginia, superbly led by Governor Glenn Youngkin, IS TAKING A STRONG LEAD IN SECURING THE ELECTION IN NOVEMBER — PROTECTING EVERY LEGAL VOTE AND KEEPING ILLEGAL ALIENS THAT HAVE BEEN LET INTO OUR COUNTRY FROM VOTING. All votes will be on paper ballots and counted safely and fairly, not by machines connected to the internet — A big security risk.” “We must work hard to make sure the Election is FAIR and SECURE!!! EVERY STATE SHOULD FOLLOW VIRGINIA’S LEAD,” Trump continued. “We need volunteers to watch the polls – So important. The Election on November 5th will be the MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION IN OUR COUNTRY’S HISTORY. Thank you Glenn, GREAT JOB!!!” Election security is a major concern for both political parties heading into this November’s presidential election. Over the last few elections, both Republicans and Democrats have made various accusations of illegal manipulation of voters.
Harris takes 4-point lead over Trump as favorability rating suddenly surges, poll finds
Vice President Kamala Harris has established a 4-point lead over former President Trump among registered voters, according to a Thursday poll from Marquette Law School. The poll, conducted from July 24 to Aug. 1, surveyed 879 registered voters from across the country. It advertised a margin of error of 4.1%. The poll found that Harris expanded her lead among likely voters, with Trump trailing 6 points in a 53% to 47% matchup. Marquette says its likely voters result has a margin of error of 4.7% and was based on a survey of 683 people. The poll comes as momentum for Harris continues to surge following President Biden’s unprecedented decision to withdraw from the race last month. HARRIS IS ‘BIDEN’S CO-PILOT’ ON ‘BIDENOMICS’ POLICIES THAT PROMPTED WOEFUL JOBS NUMBERS: TRUMP CAMP A Wednesday poll from NPR, PBS and Marist found that Harris has a 3-point lead over the former president. VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS NAMES MINNESOTA GOV. TIM WALZ AS HER RUNNING MATE The poll had found Harris leading Trump 51% to 48%, but clarified that the difference is within the margin of error. Harris has also narrowed Trump’s lead on key issues like the economy. Both polls had Trump leading Harris on key issues, including illegal immigration and foreign policy issues like Israel’s war in Gaza. TRUMP QUICKLY MOVES TO DEFINE HARRIS AS ‘MORE LEFT THAN BERNIE SANDERS’ The Marquette poll showed that 49% of Americans believe Trump would be better for the economy than Harris, with just 37% saying the reverse. The surveys come days after a Fox News poll found Trump and Harris deadlocked in Pennsylvania, a key swing state for the presidential election. The state of the race in the Keystone State is similar to where it was in April, when President Biden and Trump were tied 48%-48%. The survey, released Friday, shows Harris and Trump locked in a tie in Pennsylvania at 49%-49% — barely different from what the final election results were in the state in 2020 (49.85% Biden vs. 48.69% Trump).