Trump concludes MSG rally with anti-immigrant rhetoric

Trump was introduced to the stage by Melania in an unannounced appearance.

ByAlexandra Hutzler, Ivan Pereira, Tal Axelrod, Meredith Deliso, Emily Chang, David Brennan, and Julia Reinstein
Last Updated: October 28, 2024, 6:39 AM EDT

The race for the White House remained essentially a dead heat on Sunday -- with nine days to go until Election Day.

Former President Donald Trump delivered a speech Sunday afternoon at New York's Madison Square Garden. After making several stops in Philadelphia on Sunday, Vice President Kamala Harris held a rally there Sunday afternoon.

Key Headlines

Here's how the news developed:
Oct 28, 6:03 am

Almost 42 million voters have cast a vote

Almost 42 million Americans have cast a vote through early voting methods, as of Sunday afternoon, according to data from the University of Florida's Election Lab.

The about 41.9 million recorded mail and early in-person votes were evenly split with about 21 million mail ballots returned nationally and about the same cast at in-person early voting polling sites across the country, the data showed.

Early voting options are now open to voters in 50 states and the District of Columbia. Many early voting periods will last until the weekend before Election Day.

Oct 26, 2024, 1:31 AM EDT

Trump says judges 'didn’t have what it took' to overturn 2020 election

Former President Donald Trump sat down for the Joe Rogan podcast for three hours Friday evening for a freewheeling conversation about issues ranging from the economy to the environment to the stakes of the upcoming election as well taking the opportunity to relitigate the 2020 one, partially blaming judges for not overturning the 2020 election results.

Trump got combative with Rogan when Rogan asked why Trump didn’t publish comprehensive evidence of fraud he claims was going on in 2020. Trump said that he did, but falsely argued he lost because judges “didn’t have what it took.”

“The judges don't want to touch it. They would say, you don't have standing," Trump said. "They didn't rule on the merits. They ruled the merits never got there. The judges didn't have what it took to turn over an election.”

Trump once again pushed for single day voting and paper ballots, spreading fears about voting machines as people head to the polls.

“Right now, we have the sophisticated machine that goes up to heaven. It goes all over the place and down and around, and they say we'll need two weeks to figure out who the hell won the election," Trump said. "Unless you have paper ballots, it can never be an honest election. That's a big statement. We should go to paper ballots."

Trump also said that if Harris loses the election it’ll be because of the Democrats not holding a primary and choosing Gov. Tim Walz as vice president.

Oct 26, 2024, 1:14 AM EDT

Trump slams Harris for 'partying' with Beyoncé instead of campaigning

Former President Donald Trump bashed Vice President Kamala Harris for “partying” instead of campaigning at his rally on Friday evening.

“You know where she is tonight? She's out partying. So Israel is attacking, we got a war going on and she's out partying,” Trump claimed as Beyoncé walked on stage in Houston, Texas at Harris' rally. “At least we're working to make America great again. That's what we're doing.”

Later, Trump repeated a similar charge saying, “Nobody is in charge. Joe Biden is asleep, and Kamala is at a dance party with Beyoncé.”

“Can you believe that she's out celebrating? You know that? She's – How do you celebrate when you're down by like a lot. Do they realize it?” Trump asked the crowd.

Oct 25, 2024, 10:35 PM EDT

Beyoncé shows support for Harris: 'I'm here as a mother'

Beyoncé showed her support for Vice President Kamala Harris at the campaign's rally focused on abortion rights in Houston on Friday.

She was joined by fellow Destiny's Child alum Kelly Rowland on stage in introducing Harris to the crowd.

Singer Beyonce waves as she attends a campaign rally of Democratic presidential nominee U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, in Houston, Oct. 25, 2024.
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

"I'm not here as a celebrity. I'm not here as a politician. I'm here as a mother," Beyoncé said.

Click here to read more about the rally.

Oct 26, 2024, 10:08 PM EDT

Trump 3 hours late for Michigan rally

After a three-hour podcast interview with Joe Rogan, Trump is expected to start his rally in Traverse City, Michigan, at 10 p.m. ET -- three hours after he was scheduled to take the stage.

As several hundred supporters dispersed from the airport hangar, Trump appeared on the Jumbotron notifying the crowd of his tardiness.

"Traverse City, I'm not going to be there for a little while. Filming Joe Rogan," Trump said.

Former President Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump looks out from his plane window as he arrives more than 3 hours late to a campaign rally in Traverse City, Michigan, on Oct. 25, 2024.
Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

He continued, "It's a Friday night, so we can sit around and do an extra special job when we get there. ... It's all about winning, and we had to spend some extra time with some people, and lots of people, actually, but we are going to do a special performance, and we'll be there, and I think you'll see the plane land, and the whole thing."

Trump concluded his message by thanking his supporters for sticking around.

Many attendees did call it quits on the former president and headed home early.

-ABC News' Kelsey Walsh, Lalee Ibssa and Soo Rin Kim