The Latest: Kamala Harris will accept her party’s nomination on final night of DNC

Aug 22, 2024 10:40 AM - 1111 words

By The Associated Press

The Democratic National Convention will kick off its fourth and final night Thursday.

After a week of Democrats’ most prominent figures rallying the party faithful, Vice President Kamala Harris will accept her party’s nomination for president during a speech in which she's widely expected to offer her vision and policy agenda to the American people.

The theme of the final night is “For Our Future,” according to convention organizers.

Follow the AP’s Election 2024 coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024.

Here’s the Latest:

Ramaswamy says media not giving enough coverage to Harris’ ‘policy deficits’

At a Thursday morning Trump campaign news conference in Chicago, Vivek Ramaswamy also blamed the media for what he characterized as lack of probative coverage of Harris’ policy proposals.

“Many covered for Joe Biden’s cognitive deficits in the same way that I worry the media is now covering for Kamala Harris’ policy deficits, and Americans are left holding the bag both times over.”

Ramaswamy also listed celebrities participating in this week’s DNC, portraying them as a distraction from the issues at stake in this campaign.

“I see Oprah Winfrey. I see John Legend. I see Lil Jon,” Ramaswamy said. “Great — then still tell me what she stands for.”

Trump says he plans to do a ‘LIVE PLAY BY PLAY’ on Truth Social of Harris’ speech at the DNC

Trump has been largely quiet on the platform during convention programming, commenting mostly in interviews and events he’s been holding in battleground states.

White House responds to Trump criticizing Shapiro as ‘the highly overrated Jewish’ governor of Pennsylvania

The White House issued a statement on antisemitism the morning after Donald Trump criticized Josh Shapiro as “the highly overrated Jewish Governor of the Great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”

Trump wrote on social media that Shapiro had “refused to acknowledge that I am the best friend that Israel, and the Jewish people, ever had.”

Herbie Ziskend, the White House principal deputy communications director, said “it is antisemitic, dangerous, and hurtful to attack a fellow American by calling out their Jewish faith in a derogatory way, or perpetuating the centuries-old smear of ‘dual loyalty.’”

He added that “President Biden and Vice President Harris believe we must come together as Americans to condemn and combat antisemitism — and hate and bigotry of all kinds.”

Trump’s allies are still counterprogramming against Harris’ policies as DNC wraps up

At a news conference Thursday morning, Carlos Trujillo, who served as Trump’s ambassador to the Organization of American States, decried Biden-Harris administration policies that “completely eliminated” Trump-era immigration achievements.

Vivek Ramaswamy, a businessman who went from one of Trump’s GOP primary rivals to one of his most vocal surrogates, listed crime statistics for the city of Chicago. The DNC host city, Ramaswamy said, has been “ravaged and devastated ... by rampant crime worsened by the effects of illegal mass migration to this country” he blamed on the Biden-Harris administration and the vice president specifically, due to her responsibilities related to the border.

“From one kid of legal immigrants to this country to another, my message to her is, shame on you,” Ramaswamy said.

Trump also said Democrats are spending more time at DNC talking about him than issues

“It’s like they’re having a party. They don’t mention the border. All they do is make up lies about me,” the GOP presidential nominee complained as he called into “Fox & Friends” on Thursday morning.

Trump is set to visit the southern border in Cochise County, Arizona, on Thursday as he continues to criticize the Biden administration’s border policies.

He’s been spending the week campaigning across battleground states.

Democrats on Wednesday night argued that they’re offering leadership on the U.S.-Mexico border, working toward policy solutions rather than simply demonizing immigrants and trying to use the issue as a political motivator for their base.

Texas Rep. Veronica Escobar, from the border city of El Paso, said, “Forget what you hear on the news, I’m from there. ... When it comes to the border, hear me when I say, you know nothing, Donald Trump.”

Trump criticizes Democrats for linking him to Project 2025

Former President Donald Trump is taking issue with continued efforts by Democrats to tie him to the conservative Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 at this week’s Democratic National Convention.

Calling into “Fox and Friends” on Thursday ahead of the convention’s final night, Trump called the efforts “disgraceful.”

“They know I have nothing to do with it. I had no idea what it was,” he said, despite the fact that the plan — which Trump and his campaign have repeatedly disavowed — was written by many longtime former staffers. “I have no idea what Project 2025 is.”

He took particular issue with Democrats saying he would sign a federal abortion ban after appointing the Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade.

“I would never,” Trump said. “There will not be a federal ban. This is now back in the states where it belongs.”

Trump also lashed out at Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, who spoke at the convention Wednesday night, calling him a “total lightweight.”

Dems gave freedom an expansive definition

Wednesday night’s convention theme was “Freedom.” Backed by Beyoncé’s song of the same name, which the musician has authorized the Harris campaign to use, the word flashed on the video screen and in speech after speech at the United Center.

Democrats firmly tied it to the fight over reproductive rights that went into overdrive after the fall of Roe v. Wade.

But Democrats also used the freedom argument to slam Republicans on other social issues, from gay rights to the spread of book bans in schools.

Hundreds of protesters rallied at park and train station on Democratic convention’s 3rd night

More than 1,000 pro-Palestinian protesters marched Wednesday past a park where pro-Israel demonstrators had gathered earlier.

The demonstration, which stayed largely peaceful, came a day after violent clashes between police and protesters led to 56 arrests.

As marchers passed under a new elevated train station near the United Center that was completed just before the DNC, officers were seen bringing a person to the ground on the platform above. In response, hundreds of protesters pushed against the edge of the station, banging on the glass with their hands and flag poles as they called on police to free the person. The person left through the station’s emergency exit moments later, accompanied by officers but not in handcuffs, prompting cheers from the crowd.