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Louise Thomas
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Donald Trump will deliver the closing address of this year’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Thursday evening, having promised his remarks will be more moderate in tone after he called for cooler rhetoric in the wake of his surviving an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania on Saturday night.
Trump’s new running mate JD Vance closed out the third night of the RNC in Wisconsin on Wednesday with his first speech as the GOP’s vice presidential nominee.
Vance laid into President Joe Biden by declaring: “For half a century, he’s been a champion of every single policy initiative to make America weaker and poorer.”
Also addressing the convention on Wednesday was Donald Trump Jr and his daughter Kai Trump – the former president’s eldest grandchild, 17 – who received a warm welcome on stage at the Fiserv Forum and praised her grandfather as a “normal” senior who gives her “candy and soda when her parents aren’t looking”.
The program also included Peter Navarro – fresh out of prison that morning – plus Nancy Mace, Matt Gaetz, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Kellyanne Conway and hard-line Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
Key Points
- JD Vance closes out third night of RNC with brutal attacks on Biden
- Vance: ‘I will be a vice president who never forgets where he came from’
- Kai Trump, 17, tells RNC what her ‘grandpa is actually like'
- Navarro says Republicans needs to control all three branches of government
JD Vance’s wife reveals softer side of new Republican VP nominee
The wife of Donald Trump’s running mate JD Vance emphasized his softer side — offering a sharp contrast with some of his hardline views.
The GOP nominee announced the first-term Ohio Senator as his vice presidential pick at the Republican National Convention on Monday, resurfacing Vance’s previous critiques of Trump, his harsh opposition to abortion, and his baseless claims about Biden using immigrants to “replace the citizens of his own country” to win the November election.
But his wife Usha Chilukuri Vance took the time at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday to provide a glimpse into the Ohio Republican’s softer side.
She spoke about their very different upbringings.
Kelly Rissman reports.
‘Babe’ and puppies: JD Vance’s wife reveals softer side of new Republican VP nominee
Despite being a ‘meat-and-potatoes kind of guy,’ she said, ‘he adapted to my vegetarian diet’
Oliver O'Connell18 July 2024 17:15 1721318432Watch: McCarthy says Gaetz ‘looks unhinged’ and people have ‘concerns about him'
Former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy said on CNN this morning about his rival, Florida Rep Matt Gaetz: “He looks very unhinged. A lot of people have concerns about him, and I'm not sure if he was on something. But I do hope that he gets the help that he needs. More importantly, I hope the young women get the justice they deserve when it comes to him.”
McCarthy then reminds viewers of the backstory of the bitterness between the two Republicans and how that ended with the premature end of his term as speaker.
Oliver O'Connell18 July 2024 17:00 1721317856 Oliver O'Connell18 July 2024 16:50 1721317532Kari Lake schooled by reporter at RNC over JD Vance’s Trump is ‘Hitler’ comment
Failed Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake appeared caught off guard when questioned about Donald Trump‘s running mate pick JD Vance likening the former president to Adolf Hitler.
Former BBC presenter Emily Maitlis pressed the Arizona Senate candidate about the need for a “new tone in politics”.
Kelly Rissman reports on what happened next.
Kari Lake is schooled by reporter at RNC over JD Vance’s Trump is ‘Hitler’ comment
‘I actually think you need your head examined,’ failed Arizona candidate tells ex-BBC presenter Emily Maitlis
Oliver O'Connell18 July 2024 16:45 1721317281
Merch watch: Florida GOP has state as Trump’s hair
This is a) creative, b) hilarious, and c) true to the real-life color palette.
Oliver O'Connell18 July 2024 16:41 1721315732First major poll since assassination attempt shows Trump leading Biden in seven swing states and nationally
More disastrous polling for the Democrats, both in key swing states and nationally, was published today by Emerson College.
In the first major poll since the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, nationally, a survey of 2,000 registered voters on July 15-16 put the former president at 46 per cent and Joe Biden at 42 per cent, with 12 per cent undecided, representing a two per cent drop in support for the president since earlier in the month.
In seven key swing states, the survey consisting of 1,000 registered voters in each state conducted on the same dates, showed more bad news for the Biden team when third-party candidates are added in.
- Arizona: Trump 46%, Biden 36%, other candidates 8.2%
- Georgia: Trump 44%, Biden 39%, other candidates 9.3%
- Michigan: Trump 43%, Biden 40%, other candidates 8.3%
- Nevada: Trump 43%, Biden 40%, other candidates 9.2%
- North Carolina: Trump 47%, Biden 38%, other candidates 8.7%
- Pennsylvania: Trump 46%, Biden 40%, other candidates 6.3%
- Wisconsin: Trump 46%, Biden 43%, other candidates 6.5%
However, a “qualified Democratic candidate younger than Biden” leads former President Trump in all seven swing states by a margin of 7.4 percentage points – 53.7 per cent to 46.3 per cent.
Nationally, with third-party candidates, the poll results were Trump 44 per cent, Biden 38 per cent, and other candidates 8.4 per cent.
Since March, Trump has gained a point in five of the states, while gaining two points in Arizona and losing a point in Michigan.
For Biden over the same period, he has lost four points in North Carolina, two points in Arizona, Michigan, and Wisconsin, and one point in Georgia, Nevada, and Pennsylvania.
Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, said: “Recent polling shows Biden losing support more significantly than Trump gaining it since the attempted assassination. This raises questions about whether Biden’s decline is still influenced by the debate or if Trump has reached his support ceiling.”
When asked if President Biden should withdraw from the race, 52 per cent nationally think he should and 48 per cent think he should not. Regarding whether former President Trump should withdraw, 56 per cent think he should not, and 44 per cent think he should.
Across the seven swing states, clear majorities believe Biden should withdraw, compared to those who think Trump should:
- Arizona: Biden 52%, Trump 45%
- Georgia: Biden 51%, Trump 45%
- Michigan: Biden 55% , Trump 45%
- Nevada: Biden 51%, Trump 47%
- North Carolina: Biden 57%, Trump 41%
- Pennsylvania: Biden 51%, Trump 44%
- Wisconsin: Biden 53%, Trump 45%
The poll was sponsored by Democrats for the Next Generation.
Oliver O'Connell18 July 2024 16:15 1721314832Florida man arrested for threatening to ‘slit Biden’s throat’ two days after Trump assassination attempt
Two days after an assassination attempt on Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, a suspect was arrested for threatening to kill President Joe Biden.
Jason Patrick Alday, 39, was arrested on federal charges by the US Marshals Service Task Force on Monday following a series of disturbing comments and online statements including a threat to “slit his throat,” the Justice Department said.
According to court filings, obtained by The Independent, the Secret Service received a call from an intake coordinator at a mental health facility in Florida about Aladay – claiming that during his intake process on June 25, the 39-year-old said: “I don’t like President Biden. I want to kill him, slit his throat.”
Amelia Neath reports.
Florida man threatened to ‘slit Biden’s throat’ before Trump rally shooting
According to authorities, the man wrote statements on his X account such as ‘Joe biden’s health is declining rapidly. Not doing too good at all. Should I finish him off?’
Oliver O'Connell18 July 2024 16:00 1721313039‘Trump’s ear has been through enough’: Jimmy Kimmel guest host roasts Amber Rose’s ‘Ice, Ice, Baby’ rendition at RNC
Here’s Amelia Neath on the model’s truly horrific new Trump-themed hip hop track with Forgiato Blow.
Jimmy Kimmel guest host roasts Amber Rose’s ‘Ice, Ice, Baby’ RNC song
During day two of the RNC on Tuesday, attendees were treated to a video of rappers Amber Rose and Forgiato Blow performing a parody of Vanilla Ice’s smash hit Ice Ice Baby
Joe Sommerlad18 July 2024 15:30 1721311231Inside Republicans’ efforts to get Black voters on board
Eric Garcia speaks with Black voters at the Republican National Convention and on the ground in Wisconsin, a must-win state for both sides come November.
From Project 2025 to ‘high as hell’ rent: Black voters back away from Biden and Trump
Eric Garcia speaks with Black voters at the Republican National Convention and on the ground in Wisconsin, a must-win state
Joe Sommerlad18 July 2024 15:00 1721309400Video: The RNC’s main event? The merch
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