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Kamala Harris calls for another debate against Donald Trump

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Donald Trump is now insisting that geese are also being eaten by Haitian immigrants in smalltown Springfield, Ohio, not just domestic pets, saying as much at his first post-debate campaign rally in Tucson, Arizona, on Thursday.

The former president also repeated a number of other preposterous falsehoods at the event, including that children are being forced to undergo unwanted sex-change operations in America’s schools and that Democrats are in favor of abortions after birth, also wrongly claiming that opponent Kamala Harris has lied about working at McDonald’s as a young woman.

That came after the first major nationwide poll of voting intentions was published in the wake of Tuesday’s debate in Philadelphia, which revealed that Harris has taken an impressive five-point lead over the Republican.

The Vice President is currently on 47 per cent of the vote to the Republican’s 42 per cent, according to the latest Reuters/Ipsos survey, which last had her four points up in its August 21-28 poll.

Trump announced on Thursday evening that he will not take part in any further debates against Harris, continuing to insist that he “won” their encounter earlier this week despite widespread opinion to the contrary.

Key Points

  • Donald Trump now insisting immigrants eating Ohio’s geese as he repeats false claims at Arizona rally
  • Harris leads Trump by five points in first major post-debate poll
  • ‘Chicken Man’ Trump announces he’s ducking out of second debate with Harris
  • Tim Walz’s crowd chants ‘Do not eat cats!’ in Michigan
  • Lindsey Graham and Marjorie Taylor Greene lead GOP condemnation of Laura Loomer
1726229411

Smartmatic’s defamation lawsuit against Newsmax over 2020 election heading to trial

A lawsuit pitting an electronic voting machine manufacturer that was targeted by allies of Donald Trump against a conservative news outlet that aired accusations of vote manipulation in the 2020 election appears headed to trial, following a Delaware judge’s ruling on Thursday, the Associated Press reports.

Florida-based Smartmatic is suing Newsmax, claiming the cable network’s hosts and guests made false and defamatory statements after the election implying that Smartmatic participated in rigging the results and that its software was used to switch votes.

Newsmax, also based in Florida, argues that it was simply reporting on serious and newsworthy allegations being made by Trump and his supporters, including former New York City mayor Rudy Guiliani and conservative attorney Sidney Powell.

Attorneys for both sides asked Superior Court Judge Eric Davis to rule in their favor without holding a trial, which is scheduled to start on September 30.

On Thursday, Davis granted partial summary judgment to each side but said a jury must decide several key issues.

“Statements regarding Smartmatic software or voting machines altering the results of the election are factually false,” wrote Davis, who noted that Smartmatic did not provide any election machines or software used in the 2020 election outside of Los Angeles.

However, the judge said that not every allegedly defamatory statement published by Newsmax, including statements about Smartmatic’s ties to Venezuela and its late president Hugo Chavez, has been shown to be materially false.

“Therefore, the court will allow Newsmax to contest falsity as to Smartmatic’s connections with Venezuela,” he wrote.

In court papers, Newsmax has described Smartmatic as “a struggling election technology company with a checkered history” that is using a legally baseless and unconstitutional theory of liability to try to obtain a massive windfall.

A Smartmatic representative demonstrates his company’s system (AP)
Joe Sommerlad13 September 2024 13:10 1726228211

Buttigieg accuses Trump of ‘amplifying urban legends’ rather than talking about his own record

Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg was on CNN last night doing what he does best – ridiculing the right.

Joe Sommerlad13 September 2024 12:50 1726227011

The origin of Trump and Vance’s lies about Haitian immigrants eating pets

Here’s James Liddell on the Facebook post that started all of this absurdity.

Origin of Trump and JD Vance’s lies about Haitian immigrants eating pets revealed

Local Ohio woman posted the wild tale after hearing it from a neighbor, who heard it from a friend, who heard it from their daughter

Joe Sommerlad13 September 2024 12:30 1726225811

Trump defended by Kristi Noem and RFK Jr after debate meltdown about eating pets

I can’t help feeling that the South Dakota Governor, a renowned dog-killer, should be lying low right now (RIP Cricket).

Myriam Page has this on another person who should probably sit this one out, given recent animal-related headlines.

Seth Meyers jokes RFK Jr isn’t best person to defend Trump’s eating pets claim

‘Is RFK Jr really who the Trump campaign wants to elevate right now during a national conversation about eating unusual animals?’ asked Meyers

Joe Sommerlad13 September 2024 12:10 1726224611

Harris campaign raises $47m in 24 hours after debate

That’s according to The New York Times, which reports that more than 600,000 people were moved to donate after being impressed by the Vice President’s careful baiting of Donald Trump and presidential demeanour.

The total is hugely impressive but still some way short of her record, the $81m she took in on the day she first announced her candidacy.

“Ms Harris already had a significant financial edge over Mr Trump entering September,” The NYT wrote.

“Her operation said it had $404m cash on hand, while Mr Trump had $295m.”

Trump’s best day came when he raised $53m in the immediate aftermath of his conviction at his New York hush money trial in late May.

Kamala Harris on the ABC debate stage in Philadelphia on Tuesday (AP)

Joe Sommerlad13 September 2024 11:50 1726223411

Truth Social: Trump calls for investigation into whether ABC gave Harris questions prior to debate

Rather than take even a fraction of responsibility for his own conduct on the debate stage, the Republican nominee continues to blame the ABC moderators, calling David Muir and Linsey Davis “a disgrace to Modern Day Journalism”.

“They have proven NOT WORTHY, and hopefully an investigation will be done as to whether or not they gave the Debate questions to Comrade Kamala, whose best friend is a top ABC Executive,” Trump fumed on Truth Social.

“If she did give the questions to Kamala, ABC’s license should be TERMINATED.”

There is no evidence that that happened, of course, with Trump seemingly leaning into the Kamala’s earbud earrings conspiracy theory, implying she was secretly fed lines by advisers off-stage.

He also mocked Muir’s hair and alleged that Davis looked at him with “hate in her eyes” during last night’s appearance in Tucson last night, by the way.

He has also been insisting on his platform that he was right about crime statistics all along.

This was what happened when that subject was raised in Philadelphia, for the record.

Joe Sommerlad13 September 2024 11:30 1726222211

Harris attacks Trump for having only ‘concepts of a plan’

The Vice President was on roaring form at her own rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, yesterday as she ridiculed Trump over one of his most pathetic lines of the debate.

Joe Sommerlad13 September 2024 11:10 1726221011

Watch: Trump repeats claim Harris lied about working at McDonald's

Also in Tuscson, the candidate again insisted that Kamala Harris has never worked at the fast-food franchise in a desperate attempt to portray her as a liar by, er, lying.

Trump claims Kamala Harris lied about working at McDonald's
Joe Sommerlad13 September 2024 10:50 1726219811

Campaign appearances today: Where the candidates are headed

Here’s where the key players in the election race will be spending their time on Friday.

  • Donald Trump will be delivering another of his turgid press conferences, raving about the injustice of it all, at his golf club in Los Angeles, California, at 9am local time.
  • Kamala Harris will take her “New Way Forward” tour to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, where she will deliver a rally address at 7pm local time.
  • Tim Walz will be in Lansing, Michigan, at noon before taking himself off to Mosinee, Wisconsin, for a 3pm arrival before “taking part in political events” in Wausau later.
  • Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff will be in Oxford, Mississippi, at 1.20pm local time and then The Villages in Florida at 6.55pm to spread his wife’s message.
  • Vivek Ramaswamy, Alina Habba and others will be stumping for Trump in Farmington Hills, Michigan, at 6pm.

And, over at the White House, President Joe Biden will be meeting with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer at 4.30pm DC time.

Joe Sommerlad13 September 2024 10:30 1726218611

Lindsey Graham and Marjorie Taylor Greene lead GOP condemnation of Laura Loomer

Republicans are beginning to question Trump’s inclusion of far-right agitator and conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer in his inner circle, particularly after unfounded gibberish like the dog-eating scandal found its way into his mouth during Tuesday’s debate.

Loomer engaged in a nasty personal row with MAGA Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene on X this week after the latter condemned one of her posts about Kamala Harris as “extremely racist and appalling” and now South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham has come forward to warn against her further involvement in the Republican campaign.

“We have policy disagreements but the history of this person is just really toxic,” Graham told The Huffington Post on Thursday.

“I mean, she actually called for Kellyanne Conway’s daughter to hang herself. I don’t know how this all happened, but, no, I don’t think it’s helpful. I don’t think it’s helpful at all.

“I think what [Loomer] said about Kamala Harris and the White House is abhorrent, but it’s deeper than that.

“I mean, you know, some of the things she’s said about Republicans and others is disturbing. I mean, to call for someone’s daughter to hang themselves. Yeah, no, I think that the [former] president would serve himself well to make sure this doesn’t become a bigger story.”

Here’s more from Gustaf Kilander on the growing GOP unease.

GOP concerned Laura Loomer had ‘something to do with’ Trump’s poor debate performance

Far-right activist has been known to push former president’s most inflammatory buttons

Joe Sommerlad13 September 2024 10:10 Newer1 / 5Older

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