Good morning, I’m Daniel Orton, Live News Editor at Newsweek, and I will be taking us through the latest election developments in the early hours today.
We’ve been keeping track of the polls so you don’t have to, and Vice President Kamala Harris maintains a narrow lead nationally over former President Donald Trump as of Wednesday morning. She’s also ahead in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania by a hair.
Here’s a quick overview of where the candidates are planning to be today: Trump will hold a rally in Uniondale, New York at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum at 7 p.m.
Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, will be further down the East Coast, holding a rally in Raleigh, North Carolina. The event will be held at Union Hall at 3 p.m.
On the Democratic side, second gentleman Doug Emhoff will also be in New York, making appearances in Upper Manhattan and in Brooklyn.
Following her interview with the National Association of Black Journalists yesterday, Harris will have the day off from public events as she prepares for a livestreamed virtual rally with Oprah Winfrey on Thursday in Michigan.
Also, we’ll be keeping an eye on the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision later, and what it means for the candidates.
Follow Newsweek’s live blog for updates throughout the day.
07:00 AM EDT
Liz Cheney Takes Aim at Ted Cruz for ‘Dangerous’ Trump Loyalty
Former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney called Texas GOP Senator Ted Cruz “dangerous” for choosing to follow “whatever” former President Donald Trump wanted after the 2020 presidential election.
Cheney has become increasingly vocal about her disdain for Cruz ahead of November’s election, where Democratic Congressman Colin Allred is running to unseat Cruz. The former Wyoming lawmaker has also joined dozens of other Republicans, including her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, in backing Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election against Trump.
Speaking with ABC News affiliate WFAA Tuesday, Cheney addressed her decision to endorse Allred over Cruz, a close Trump ally, telling the interviewer that in her mind, “the most conservative value of all is being faithful to the Constitution and doing your duty to uphold the Constitution.”
Read more from Kaitlin Lewis
06:48 AM EDT
Former Bernie Sanders advisor warns of “major shift in young Black voters”
A former senior advisor to Sen. Bernie Sanders said that there is a major shift among young Black men that the Harris campaign is not prepared for, after Harris was interviewed by the National Association of Black Journalists yesterday.
Will Pierce, who helped sculpt Sanders’ 2020 bid for the White House, said on Fox News that the interview gave Harris “softball” questions and did not properly prepare her for appealing to the Black vote.
Pierce said: “What we’ve been seeing is a major shift amongst young Black voters. The numbers are showing that they’re shifting more for Donald Trump, and this has been going on throughout the whole entire summer.
“Black male voters want to see more on the economy and on the border, because it’s impacting them on the day-to-day basis. We’re actually seeing an increase among black Republicans coming out too, getting involved in the early vote.”
–Theo Burman
06:46 AM EDT
Latest polling average: Harris leads Trump by 2.9 percentage points
Read more about the latest polls and betting odds
06:43 AM EDT
From Newsweek Opinion: Kamala Harris Understands Tackling Climate Change Is Good Business
Kamala Harris crushed former President Donald Trump in the debate last week. On issues like choice, support of small business, immigration, and foreign policy, the vice president articulated a vision aligned with the majority of American voters. Great. But one critical issue didn’t get nearly enough airtime: our choice in November will determine whether the United States leads—and benefits from—the economy of the future.
The outcome of this election will determine whether the United States continues its role as the undisputed global juggernaut of the innovation economy. As climate change reshapes global markets, American businesses have been presented with an economic choice of historic proportions. They can choose to lead the world in the acceleration of clean technologies, which are creating new jobs in rapidly evolving fields while reducing costs and increasing profits for business owners. Or, America can surrender that opportunity to its greatest competitors.
Read more from Tom Steyer, co-executive chair of Galvanize Climate Solutions
06:41 AM EDT
Prince Harry and Meghan Foundation Breaks Silence on Election
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s charitable foundation has broken its silence on the upcoming presidential election, marking National Voter Registration Day with a new statement.
“In honor of National Voter Registration Day, The Archewell Foundation team came together for a meaningful volunteer activity to support and empower our communities,” they said in a post to their website on September 17.
Read more from James Crawford-Smith
06:39 AM EDT
Mike Pence Offers Advice to JD Vance
Former Vice President Mike Pence has given advice to Donald Trump‘s new running mate, JD Vance, and offered to sit down with the Ohio senator to discuss further.
Speaking at the Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) on Tuesday as part of their Constitution Day celebration, Pence told Vance that the job of a vice president is to “be prepared” if “history called.”
Pence, whose relationship with Trump fell apart in the wake of the 2021 January 6 Capitol riot, made the remarks days shortly after the apparent assassination attempt against the former president at his Trump International Golf Club, West Palm Beach, in Florida.
Read more from Ewan Palmer
