Live Reporting

Edited by Sam Hancock in Washington DC

1. VP’s live interview ends abruptlypublished at 23:13 British Summer Time23:13 BSTKamala Harris’s interview on The Breakfast Club has come to an abrupt end with music now playing on the station instead.We can’t say for sure what happened but it’s likely due to the programme running slightly behind schedule.Stay tuned for a round-up of the key points we heard – plus a look at why the vice-president is ramping up efforts to court black and Latino voters.Share
2. Radio host asks Harris about scolding voters to support herpublished at 23:12 British Summer Time23:12 BSTIMAGE SOURCE,REUTERSRadio host Charlamagne Tha God cuts in to ask a question about how former President Barack Obama “finger wagged” at black men last week when he told them there is “no excuse” not to vote for Harris.He asks if white people will be told the same, reminding Harris that Trump had a majority of white women vote for him in 2020. They talk about claims that white women are voting against their interests if they support the Republican.”When are Liz Cheney and Hillary Clinton going to wave their finger at white women?” Charlamagne Tha God asks, referring to top Harris campaign surrogates.Harris responds by saying she’s proud of the support she has from dozens of Republicans, including Cheney, and that there’s a lot at stake in this election.Asked again if white people should be equally chided to vote for Harris, she takes a diplomatic tone.”What is happening is that we are working on reminding people what’s at stake, and it’s very important,” he says.Share
3. Harris pushes back on ‘border tsar’ nicknamepublished at 22:50 British Summer Time22:50 BSTThe next question to Harris comes from man who asks about Trump’s claims that he will use the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deal with illegal border crossings.The caller says he is very much afraid that Trump will use the law to imprison racial minorities, similar to the way Americans of Japanese descent were treated during World War Two.Harris says his campaign is about instilling fear, says she was part of a bipartisan group trying to pass a bill to deal with illegal immigration, and that Trump ensured that the bill was killed by his allies in CongressThe hosts asks Harris why she allows Trump to refer to her as the “border tsar”, given that this was never her role. She says she didn’t give him permission, adding that if she focuses on all the names the former president calls her she wouldn’t be able to get anything done.Share
4. Harris says her policy proposals will benefit black Americanspublished at 22:46 British Summer Time22:46 BSTWe’re hearing another question from a listener now, who says there are a lack of resources in black communities nationwide and wants to know what Harris will do to address that and past injustices.Harris says if she wins she will implement a $25,000 down payment assistance to help make it easier to own a home – something that she says is 30% less likely for black people.She says that she wants to ensure black men in particular are seen “as a whole person” – including by improving healthcare so access to treatment for illnesses such as sickle cell disease, which is more likely to affect black people.Harris adds “I am wanting to be president for everybody”.The caller had asked specifically about “reparations” – a controversial topic that proposes government payments for the descendants of Africans enslaved in the US. Harris said the issue needs to be “studied” but that there are some immediate policy plans she can commit to, including the homeownership aid above.Share
5. Nothing to run on without lies, VP says of Trump campaignpublished at 22:29 British Summer Time22:29 BSTIMAGE SOURCE,REUTERSHarris is next asked about claims that she doesn’t have a desire to help black Americans.She says that “isn’t true” and that without lies and mistruths, Trump’s campaign “has nothing to run on”.Turning the question around on Trump, Harris says the Project 2025 agenda – referencing the conservative plan for Republican presidency – wants to do things like “make police departments have stop and frisk policies” – and that policies like this will directly harm black Americans.She goes on to reference her work on the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and says she will continue to get it passed and into law.Share
6. Harris says she is involved in the black churchpublished at 22:24 British Summer Time22:24 BSTHarris is taking questions from listener, including one from a reverend in-studio who asks Harris to respond to claims that she’s not engaged with black churches.Harris says such claims have come from the Trump campaign – “because it’s full of mis- and disinformation” – and that she was raised in the black church.She names her pastor, based in San Francisco, and says she’s learned through church that true leadership is about “lifting people up”, but that Trump’s politics are about “putting people down”.She goes on to criticise Trump for “selling $60 Bibles”.Share
7. Radio host asks Harris about time as prosecutor and Covid pandemicpublished at 22:20 British Summer Time22:20 BSTThe radio host has now turned the conversation towards the Covid epidemic, asking Harris about the recent reports that Donald Trump secretly sent test kits to Russian President Vladimir Putin.Harris asks listeners to recall the pain they went through during that stage of the pandemic, and to remember the people who died.”Remember what that was like during the height of Covid, and a lot of people were scrambling for the resources and needed tests?” asks Harris.Trump has denied the allegation that he sent US test kits to Russia.Charlamagne Tha God goes on to suggest it’s not just Trump that Harris is fighting, but misinformation as well.He then asks Harris to address Republican claims that when she was a public prosecutor, she locked up black men on marijuana charges. Was this because of a hatred for black men, host asks.Harris denies the claim, saying she will fight for full legalisation of marijuana, but that the process will take some time due to federal bureaucracy.Share
8. ‘It’s called discipline’ – Harris defends campaign message repetitionpublished at 22:12 British Summer Time22:12 BSTIMAGE SOURCE,REUTERSKamala Harris’s interview on The Breakfast Club is getting going – and host Charlamagne Tha God launches straight into a question about the criticism that Harris has received about her “scripted” media appearances.He asks her to respond to the claim that she only sticks to her “talking points”.It’s “called discipline,” Harris says, adding that she repeats the same statements at her campaign stops because it’s important to get her message across.”There are certain things that must be repeated to ensure that everyone knows what I stand for… So it requires repetition,” she says.Harris goes on to say “I’m gonna win, but it’s tight”.Share
9. Gender gap among early voters at one Georgia polling placepublished at 21:55 British Summer Time21:55 BSTNada Tawfik
   Reporting from GeorgiaIMAGE SOURCE,NADA TAWFIK / BBCAs we’ve been saying, Georgia’s first day of early voting is already breaking turnout records. At the Southwest Chatham Library in Savannah, we saw a steady stream of voters cast their ballots.This is a heavily Democratic area, therefore it’s no surprise that many said they voted for Kamala Harris. One woman said she supports the vice-president because she wanted a change and because of the issue of women’s rights.Another older female voter told me she voted for Harris because she believed democracy and the rule of law were at stake in this election.We observed a bit of a gender gap, with men far more split than women on who they plan to vote for. Two gentlemen said Harris was far more qualified, but another said he plans to vote for Donald Trump because the former president stands behind what he says he’s going to do.Share
10. In Georgia, record numbers of people turn out to vote earlypublished at 21:52 British Summer Time21:52 BSTAn update from Georgia now, where officials earlier said they expected today – the first day of early voting in the swing state – to see record numbers of people turning out.Gabriel Sterling, chief operating officer to Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, says more than 250,000 have already had their say on who should be the next US president.”As of 4pm we have crossed the quarter million mark with 251,899 votes cast. Spectacular turnout. We are running out of adjectives for this,” he said on X.Raffensperger added that Georgia voters had “surpassed all daily records for any day of early voting in 2022”. He said: “We’ve had 234k voters as of 3:30pm. Our county election directors are outstanding, and Georgia voters are energized!”Share
11. Harris arrives in Detroit to court black voterspublished at 21:25 British Summer Time21:25 BSTKamala Harris is in Detroit on her fifth visit to the city since she became the Democratic presidential nominee this summer.As we’ve been reporting, she’s hoping to engage the city’s black voters – black men in particular – by taking part in a live radio conversation with Charlamagne Tha God at 17:00 ET (19:00 GMT).Charlamagne is the host of the radio show The Breakfast Club, which is popular with black male millennials. He told listeners on Friday the broadcast would allow “local voices from Detroit” to ask the vice-president questions about issues that are important to them.Ahead of the appearance, Harris has been visiting a local black-owned gallery (you can see a photo of that below) to discuss proposals her campaign has dubbed an “opportunity agenda for black men”.
    • Get up to speed with who Charlamagne is and what his programme is known for
    IMAGE SOURCE,REUTERSShare
12. Young Republican isn’t thrilled with Trump – but will likely still vote for himpublished at 20:38 British Summer Time20:38 BSTKayla Epstein
    US reporterI’ve been talking to Mitchell Nemeth, 30, who says he’ll likely vote for Donald Trump come November – but he wishes he had a younger Republican nominee to vote for, whose rhetoric was less incendiary.”Sometimes he says things that are hyperbolic, that border on what you guys would fact check as false. But when it comes to policy there’s plenty I can agree on,” Nemeth tells me.He believes Trump has sufficiently moderated his stance on abortion, saying laws should be left up to individual states. Nemeth is primarily concerned about the economy and crime, and thinks Trump is better on those policies.Bringing voters like Mitchell back onboard is critical for Trump, who will need every vote he can get in Georgia as polls show the state effectively tied between the former president and Kamala Harris.But that doesn’t mean Mitchell is thrilled with his choice, and he senses some of his fellow young Republicans aren’t either: “I think my closest friends have the same approach, I think they will vote Republican this election but I think they’ll have wished that there were some different options.”As you see my generation moving to politics, you’ll hopefully continue to see new policy positions … and people kind of being open minded, having a different approach to everything.”Share
13. Fact-checking Trump’s claim about criminals entering the US illegallypublished at 20:04 British Summer Time20:04 BSTBy Lucy GilderIn his wide-ranging Bloomberg interview in Chicago, Donald Trump spoke about migrants with criminal convictions entering the US illegally. He said “13,099 [criminals] were let in during their administration”, referring to President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris.He has mentioned this figure repeatedly – it comes from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The agency said that as of July 2024, there were this number of non-citizens convicted of homicide in its database, but not detained by them.But it is misleading to say the all of them were “let in” under the Biden administration.The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – which oversees ICE – has said the data “includes individuals who entered the country over the past 40 years or more, the vast majority of whose custody determination was made long before this [Biden] administration”.Share
14. Trump steers conversation towards forces he thinks are against himpublished at 19:41 British Summer Time19:41 BSTMike Wendling
    Reporting from ChicagoIMAGE SOURCE,REUTERSAfter an hour or so of taking questions, Trump’s event has wrapped up.John Micklethwait, editor-in-chief of Bloomberg News, did his best to stick to the questions he’d prepared, while Trump regularly steered the conversation towards the forces he believes are conspiring against him: the US government, Google, China, the American media, and the governor of California, among others.On Google, he claimed – without presenting evidence – that stories which portray him in a positive light are being suppressed in search results. “I think Google is rigged just like our government is rigged,” he said.The crowd of invited businesspeople was largely enthusiastic, with one of the biggest cheers coming when he took aim at the “fake news media”.At one point, Trump was asked what states he’d be watching on election night. Pennsylvania, he said, was at the top of his list. It’s one of the key battlegrounds in this election – and the one with the most electoral college votes up for grabs.Before leaving, the former president received a standing ovation.Share
15. Former president asked about peaceful transfer of power after Capitol riotspublished at 19:29 British Summer Time19:29 BSTMike Wendling
    Reporting from ChicagoI’m continuing to bring you some of the key lines from Donald Trump’s interview here in Chicago.Asked whether he will respect the results of the election and ensure a peaceful transfer of power, the former president says: “You had a peaceful transfer of power” in 2021.His answer demonstrates his campaign’s recent spin on the events of 6 January 2021 – when there were riots at the US Capitol – dismiss them as insignificant.It’s a line that his vice-presidential nominee JD Vance has also gone with several times recently.They insist the riot was a minor event and, in the former president’s words, most of the crowd that day was filled with “love and peace”.Share
16. Fact-checking Trump’s remarks about warpublished at 18:59 British Summer Time18:59 BSTBy Lucy GilderA little earlier, during his interview at The Economic Club of Chicago, Donald Trump spoke about his foreign policy record in the White House.He claimed: “I had no wars in the whole world … other than Isis which I inherited”.If he means there were no wars globally when he was president, this is false.In 2020, for example, there were eight wars around the world, including ones in Syria, Afghanistan and Yemen, according to the Peace Research Institute in Oslo., externalIf he means he didn’t start any wars involving the US as president, this is true.Share
17. ‘If I did, it’s a smart thing’ – Trump on whether he’s spoken to Putin recentlypublished at 18:48 British Summer Time18:48 BSTMike Wendling
    Reporting from ChicagoA bit more for you now from this Trump event.The former president is asked whether reports that he’s recently spoken on the phone to Russian President Vladimir Putin are true.He refuses to give a yes or no answer, instead saying: “If I did, it’s a smart thing.””He’s got 2,000 nuclear weapons and so do we. Russia has never had a president that they respect so much.”00:36Media caption,Watch: Trump sidesteps question on Putin phone callsShare
18. Trump goes big on tax in economy-focused interviewpublished at 18:35 British Summer Time18:35 BSTMike Wendling
    Reporting from ChicagoHere at Donald Trump’s event in Chicago, where he’s being interviewed by Bloomberg News editor-in-chief John Micklethwait, the former president is asked about an array of things – including his proposed tax cuts, if elected.They would add $7.5tr ($5.7tr) to the US national debt, Micklethwait says, so why should people trust Trump’s economic plan?”Because we’re all about growth,” Trump replies. “We’re going to bring companies back, we’re going to lower taxes.” But he also mentions another of his favourite plans – raising taxes on imports. “To me, the most beautiful word in the dictionary is ‘tariff’,” he says.The higher the tariff, Trump goes on, the greater the chance that foreign companies will set up factories within the US in order to avoid paying it. He also complains that Japan and Europe import few US cars or farm products.Micklethwait at this points asks whether tariffs will annoy those key allies.Trump sidesteps the question with a digression about China. In passing he calls the US a “developing nation”. He goes on: “Take a look at Detroit, take a look at our cities.”Share
19. Some voters are unimpressed with campaign offeringpublished at 18:30 British Summer Time18:30 BSTNada Tawfik
    Reporting from GeorgiaIMAGE SOURCE,NADA TAWFIK / BBCHere in Savannah, I’ve been talking to John Pierre and Ben Adams, who goes by DJ Pro2kall, at Str8 Fire Entertainment recording studios.Pierre is a father of three who works as a taxi driver on the side of his music career in order to pay his bills. His business is suffering as customers struggle to afford studio time.His family is voting for Kamala Harris, he tells me, but he isn’t going to vote at all. “I’m not just going to give my vote to someone if I’m not 100%,” Pierre says. He believes politicians rarely stick to their word and Americans most in need never get anything.”We’ve seen the economy under Biden/Kamala and we’ve seen the economy under Trump and right now I’m just not sold on anybody.”Last week, former president Barack Obama told black men to “stop making excuses” and support Harris – which did not sit well with DJ Pro2kall, a loyal supporter of Donald Trump.”Who are you to say you’re the holder of my black card and my experience, how high and mighty,” he says of Obama.DJ Pro2kall also works in construction with his father and he tells me he values the qualities in Trump that others might criticise as toxic masculinity: “To me, it’s just straight up masculinity, manhood, I’m going to go do what I need to do for my family.”Share
20. Georgia expecting record first day of early voting turnoutpublished at 18:11 British Summer Time18:11 BSTIn Georgia, where early voting began today, we’re hearing that huge numbers of people have been turning out.Gabriel Sterling, chief operating officer to Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, took to X to describe it as a “blowout”.”As of noon, we are at 122,049 voters so far today,” he said – suggesting that today would go on to see a new record for early voting turnout in the state.”The record first day was 2020, with 136,000 votes cast,” Sterling said. “We will be blowing past the previous First Day record. Great job counties, avg check in time is 55 seconds.”
    • For context: Absentee voting, voting by mail and early voting in the US are ways eligible voters can cast their ballots ahead of national polling day, should they be unable to attend when others are. There’s more information about this, and how it works, on the US government website, external.