Nicole Wallace, George W. Bush‘s former communications director, calls on her old boss to denounce Trump
Nicole Wallace, on her MSNBC show “Deadline: White House,” made a public plea Friday night to her old boss, former President George W. Bush, to speak out against former President Donald Trump before Election Day.
However, following Trump’s derogatory remarks and violent rhetoric directed at former Rep. Liz Cheney, the daughter of Bush’s vice president, Wallace expressed her concerns and reached out to Bush’s office to see if anything would change his stance on remaining silent before the election.
After sharing some of Bush’s own words about Americans’ role in defending liberty amidst threats, Wallace stated, “We have a right to hope that those who have stood for freedom and celebrated those who have protected it might have a last-minute change of heart in the closing hours of this campaign.”
Texas won’t allow federal monitors in Texas polling locations, says top state election official
Texas’ top election official, Secretary of State Jane Nelson said the state will not be allowing federal monitors into Texas polling locations.
”Texans can be confident in the state’s strong measures to ensure election integrity,” Nelson stated in a post on X, where she also shared her letter to the Justice Department.
The Justice Department enforces federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all eligible citizens to access the ballot. The department regularly deploys its staff to monitor compliance with federal civil rights laws during elections across the U.S.
The Justice Department has announced plans to send monitors to 86 jurisdictions across 27 states, including eight locations in Texas.
Supreme Court denies GOP request to block counting of certain provisional ballots in battleground Pennsylvania
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday declined to freeze a decision from Pennsylvania’s highest court that required election officials to count provisional ballots cast by individuals whose mail ballots were invalid due to missing mandatory secrecy envelopes.
The justices’ order means election officials in this key battleground state must count provisional ballots submitted on Election Day by voters who had defective mail ballots, such as those lacking secrecy envelopes or failing to sign or date the outer envelope.
Updated 7:20 AMTrump holds final Wisconsin rally of campaign
Donald Trump held his final Wisconsin rally of the 2024 campaign Friday night, choosing Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, the site of the Republican convention, to deliver his closing message to the state. In 2016, he narrowly won Wisconsin but lost its 10 electoral votes to Joe Biden in 2020.
The rally faced microphone issues, leading those seated in the back of the arena to struggle to hear Trump, prompting his frustration.
“I’m seething. I’m working my ass off with a stupid mic,” Trump expressed.
He made several crude gestures toward the mic stand, stating it was too low, and held the microphone
“Do you want to see me knock the hell out of people backstage?” Trump quipped. “The only thing I ask for is a good mic. And this is the second time today that this happened.”
He also implicitly blamed campaign manager Susie Wiles for the microphone problem.
By Olivia Rinaldi and Katrina Kaufman
Both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris campaigned in the Milwaukee area Friday night, entering the final weekend of the 2024 campaign. Harris maintained her usual stump speech in West Allis, a Milwaukee suburb, urging individuals who have yet to cast their ballots to do so.
“No judgment, no judgment at all — but do get to it,” Harris commented, reviewing her campaign promises and expressing grievances against Trump.
Cardi B, who spoke just before Harris, disclosed to the crowd that she initially did not plan to vote this year, but ”Kamala Harris changed my mind.”
She labeled Trump a “bully” and stated, “I can’t stand a bully, but just like Kamala, I stand up to one
Cardi B noted her nerves about speaking at the rally, emphasizing that women must work ten times harder than men ”and still, people question us.”
Ration as he attempted to encourage support. Despite the technical difficulties, Trump focused on key issues such as the economy and crime, emphasizing his previous policies and pledging to restore “America first” principles if elected again.
As the campaign winds down, both parties are ramping up their final push to mobilize voters ahead of Election Day. With critical states like Wisconsin up for grabs, every rally and event is seen as vital to swaying undecided voters and ensuring turnout among supporters. Trump’s appearance in Milwaukee was one of several planned roadshows aimed at energizing his base just before the election.
The stakes are particularly high in battleground states across the country, making this final weekend crucial for candidates as they make their final appeals to the electorate.