Trump vows to “never surrender” after 2nd assassination target

Former President Trump says he “will never surrender” following another apparent assassination attempt on his life. After being whisked away from his golf course when Secret Service agents spotted a nearby gunman, the former president sent fundraising emails to his supporters saying he was “safe and well.” Trump wrote that his “resolve is only stronger” and that he “will never give up.” His campaign credited the Secret Service for protecting Trump, describing the agency’s action as “great work.”

FBI investigating attempted assassination of Trump

Law enforcement officials are investigating a potential assassination attempt of Donald Trump.  The former president was uninjured after a man was found with a weapon near his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida. The suspected gunman was later taken into custody. In a statement, the FBI said the incident “appears to be an attempted assassination.” The Palm Beach County Sheriff said U.S. Secret Service agents fired at a man pointing an AK-style rifle with a scope into the club as Trump was on the course. He said the gunman was about 400 to 500 yards away from Trump and hiding in shrubbery.

Trump safe after gunshots fired in his vicinity in Florida

After rejecting another debate, Trump leaves the door open

Former President Trump is rejecting another debate with Vice President Harris — for now. On Thursday, Trump emphatically ruled out debating Harris again before the November election. But on Friday, he suggested that he could change his mind. At a news conference in California, Trump said perhaps he would agree to another debate if he “got in the right mood.” The vice president has challenged him to another debate and Fox News Channel has proposed three possible locations and dates in October. But, for now, the answer is no.

Federal Appeals Court puts election betting on hold

A federal appeals court has blocked legally sanctioned bets on American elections. Late last week, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals put on hold a New York company’s betting platform on congressional races. The court issued an order temporarily freezing the matter until it can consider and rule on the issue. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission appealed an earlier go-ahead from a federal judge, warning that allowing election bets risked serious harm from people trying to manipulate the election for financial purposes.

Biden proposes larger tax on 100 biggest U.S. corporations

The Biden administration wants the largest U-S companies to pay more in taxes. Under the administration’s proposal, about 100 of the biggest corporations would be forced to pay at least 15 percent of their profits in taxes. The Treasury Department says the corporate alternative minimum tax would raise 250-billion over the next decade. Without it, officials estimate that those companies would pay just two-and-a-half percent of their profits in taxes. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump opposes the corporate tax.

Federal gov’t not rushing to block Japanese takeover of U.S. Steel

The federal government is not rushing to block Japan’s Nippon Steel from buying U-S Steel.  President Biden opposes the deal and wants to formally block the acquisition. But the necessary report from the government’s Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States has yet to be submitted to the White House. U-S Steel is headquartered in Pittsburgh and the proposed takeover carries some political weight during an election year. Pennsylvania is the biggest electoral vote prize among the battleground states. In addition to the president, Vice President Harris and former President Trump have also come out against the deal.

Biden, British PM hold White House talks on Ukraine

President Biden held talks with British Prime Minister Starmer in Washington. At the start of their White House meeting, the president said the Ukraine war was on the agenda and vowed that Russia’s aggression would not succeed. Ukraine is asking western allies to ease restrictions on the use of weapons from the U-S and Britain, in order to strike deeper into Russia. But officials here did not expect any immediate changes.

Trump rules out another debate with Harris

Former President Trump is ruling out another debate with Vice President Harris. Even though he initially proposed additional debates with Harris, Trump now says there will not be another presidential debate. His social media post came after the vice president challenged him to another one-on-one event and after Fox News Channel proposed three possible locations and dates in October. The former president says the Harris campaign wants a rematch because, he claims, she lost this week’s debate in Philadelphia.

Trump, Harris resume campaigning after 9/11 pause

It’s back to the campaign trail for presidential nominees Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. After pausing their schedules yesterday to commemorate the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, Trump and Harris are resuming their campaign activities. And, not surprisingly, battleground states are in focus. The vice president holds two events in North Carolina, while the former president delivers remarks in Arizona.

Harris, Trump claim upper hand in foreign policy, military

At their debate, Vice President Harris and former President Trump each claimed the upper hand in foreign policy. Trump accused the Biden-Harris administration of botching the U-S military withdrawal from Afghanistan. But Harris faulted Trump for his dealings with the Taliban. And each made a case for being the next commander in chief.

Debate exposed sharp differences between Harris, Trump

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris offered starkly different views on the debate stage in Philadelphia.
After an opening handshake initiated by the vice president, the two nominees squared off on issue after issue during the ABC News Presidential Debate, including on fracking — which is a major topic here in battleground Pennsylvania. Harris promised middle class tax cuts and forcefully defended the right to abortion. Trump vowed to secure the southern border and said he would end the Russia-Ukraine war in the weeks after being elected.

Trump, Harris spar in tense, high-stakes debate

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris sparred during an intensely personal debate. The ABC News Presidential Debate covered major issues, including the economy, immigration, and abortion — exposing deep differences between the two presidential hopefuls. And it turned personal, early and often. Trump argued the country was safer and more prosperous under his leadership, while Harris repeatedly urged Americans to “turn the page” on Trump’s divisiveness. GC, at the presidential debate in Philadelphia.

Trump, Harris to face off in Philadelphia debate tonight

It’s Debate Night in Philadelphia between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. Tonight’s debate could be the only face-to-face encounter between the two presidential hopefuls. Trump has proposed additional debates, but Harris has only agreed on tonight’s debate so far. Polls continue to show a dead heat nationally and close margins in the handful of battleground states that are expected to decide the election. Tonight’s 90-minute debate from Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center can be heard on the Salem Radio Network beginning at 9pm Eastern time.

Ground rules for the Trump-Harris presidential debate

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris will debate each other in Philadelphia. Like the Biden-Trump debate in June, tonight’s debate will not have an audience and microphones will be turned off when it’s not the candidate’s turn to speak. Trump and Harris will have two minutes to answer questions and for rebuttals. They are not allowed to bring notes or props and cannot interact with campaign staff during the two commercial breaks. There won’t be any opening statements, but the candidates will have two minutes to deliver closing remarks.

Retired military officials endorse Harris ahead of the debate

Vice President Harris has won the support of 10 retired top U-S military officials ahead of Tuesday night’s debate. In a letter released Monday, the retired military officials endorsed Harris, saying she is the only presidential candidate fit to serve as the nation’s commander in chief. The officials, including Retired General Larry Ellis and Retired Rear Admiral Michael Smith, described Trump as “a danger to our national security and democracy.” The letter coincided with a new Harris campaign ad featuring former Trump officials warning that a second Trump presidency would pose major risks.

NYT poll: tight presidential race; Harris seen as “too liberal”

The latest New York Times-Siena College poll shows an extremely tight presidential race. According to the poll, Donald Trump leads Kamala Harris by one point among likely voters. The results show each candidate with clear advantages and disadvantages. Voters favor Harris on democracy and abortion and choose Trump on immigration and the economy. The national survey also finds that nearly half of voters view the vice president as “too liberal or progressive.”

Trump, Harris take different approaches ahead of debate

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris have different strategies ahead of Tuesday night’s debate. The two candidates are doing their own thing as the first debate draws near. Since Thursday, Vice President Harris has been prepping with advisers at a downtown Pittsburgh hotel. Meanwhile, the Trump campaign says the former president is not engaged in traditional debate prep — focusing instead on campaign events and interviews. ABC will host the 90-minute debate on Tuesday night at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.

Biden meets with hostage deal negotiators after murder of 6 hostages in Gaza

President Biden met with the U-S hostage deal negotiation team at the White House. The Situation Room meeting followed the murder of Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin and five other hostages by Hamas. Their bodies were found in Gaza over the weekend. The White House says the president “expressed his devastation and outrage at the murder, and reaffirmed the importance of holding Hamas’s leaders accountable.” He received an update from advisers and they “discussed next steps in the ongoing effort to secure the release of hostages.” GC, Wash.

Biden says Netanyahu not doing enough to reach cease-fire, hostage deal

President Biden is putting more pressure on Israel’s prime minister to reach a cease-fire deal in the war with Hamas. Asked by reporters if Benjamin Netanyahu was doing enough to reach a cease-fire and a deal to free hostages in Gaza, the president said, “No.” He insisted that negotiators remain “very close” to an agreement. His comments came before a White House Situation Room meeting with advisers involved in the negotiations. There’s a renewed urgency to reaching a cease-fire after six more hostages — including an Israeli-American — were found dead in Gaza over the weekend.

Trump claims he had “every right” to interfere with 2020 presidential election

Donald Trump maintains he had “every right” to interfere with the 2020 presidential election. The former president is showing no regret for challenging the results of the election four years ago. In a Fox News interview, Trump said, “Whoever heard you get indicted for interfering with a presidential election where you have every right to do it?” He also repeated his claim that the criminal cases against him are politically motivated. Trump faces federal charges in Washington for his alleged actions to subvert the 2020 election results, and he is separately charged in Georgia for trying to overturn the state’s election results.

Biden to convene meeting after death of Israeli-American hostage

President Biden will meet with top officials following the murder of American citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin and five other hostages by Hamas. The Situation Room meeting will include the president, vice president, and members of the U-S hostage deal negotiating team. They will discuss efforts to drive toward a deal that secures the release of the remaining hostages. Several Democratic lawmakers have renewed calls for an Israel-Hamas ceasefire, while some Republicans are criticizing the president and vice president for not giving stronger support to Israel.

Biden administration reaches out to families of American hostages

The Biden administration continues reaching out to the families of American hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. After the weekend killing of six hostages in a tunnel under Gaza, President Biden spoke with the parents of 23-year-old Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli-American who was among those killed. Meanwhile, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan held a virtual meeting with the families of the remaining American hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. The White House said he discussed the ongoing diplomatic push to reach a hostage deal and cease fire.

Trump walks fine line on abortion in re-election bid

Donald Trump is walking a fine line on abortion as he seeks re-election. The former president has said abortion is not a “big factor” in this year’s election. But it’s a ballot issue in several states, including his home state of Florida. Last Thursday, Trump got an earful from pro-life leaders when he seemed to say in an interview that he would vote in favor of the ballot measure and repeal the six week ban. But on Friday, he told Fox News that he’ll be voting no because he thinks Democrats are extreme on abortion.