Trump concludes MSG rally with anti-immigrant rhetoric

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

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.

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 27, 2024, 5:09 AM EDT

Harris, Walz announce 7-state battleground blitz

Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will visit all seven battleground states from Monday through Thursday, their campaign announced.

The campaign said the ticket will be rallying voters in the final days of the campaign, with a focus on "getting out the vote" and mobilizing supporters to head to the polls.

PHOTO: This combination of file photos shows Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaking at a rally on Aug. 16, 2024, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaking at an event on Oct. 22, 2024.
This combination of file photos shows Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaking at a campaign event in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Aug. 16, 2024, and Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaking at an event in Madison, Wisconsin, on Oct. 22, 2024.
AP

The blitz will begin Monday with Harris and Walz campaigning together in Michigan. Walz will appear solo in Wisconsin before joining the vice president in Ann Arbor.

Walz will head to Georgia on Tuesday, while Harris will deliver an address to the American people from The Ellipse close to the White House in Washington, D.C.

Harris will campaign in North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin on Wednesday, with Walz also making two stops in North Carolina.

Thursday will see Harris head to Nevada and Arizona, while Walz will campaign in Pennsylvania and Michigan.

-ABC News' Will McDuffie, Fritz Farrow and Gabriela Abdul-Hakim

Oct 27, 2024, 3:16 AM EDT

Walz on importance of Senate race: 'We don't have John McCain'

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz told Arizonans on Saturday night it was time for the "final push" until Election Day.

"Ten days, folks, ten days," Walz told a rally in Phoenix. "Tie game, fourth quarter, clock's ticking."

"But here's the good news, we got the better team," he added. "We got a better quarterback in Kamala Harris, and we are ready to do it, one inch at a time, one yard at a time, one call at a time, one door knock at a time, $1 at a time."

Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks during a campaign event at Trevor Browne High School on Oct. 26, 2024, in Phoenix, Arizona.
Ross D. Franklin/AP

"This is our time," he added. "One vote. One or two votes for precincts in the state of Arizona can make Kamala Harris president."

Walz again invoked late Arizona Sen. John McCain as a rare example of a Republican willing to work across the aisle.

"We need to keep the Senate, because we don't have John McCain right now," Walz said, suggesting no current Republican senators "have the courage John McCain had."

"That's why we need to keep the Senate, because they will try it again," Walz said, claiming the GOP would attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

-ABC News' Isabella Murray

Oct 26, 2024, 10:16 PM EDT

Vance asked by pastor to keep things 'respectful' when talking about Harris during town hall

Vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance was invited to a town hall by Harrisburg pastor Rev. Joshua C. Robertson, who wrote an op-ed titled "I’m a black pastor. Here’s why I’m not endorsing Kamala Harris."

Speaking at the "Black Pastors United for Education" town hall, Vance engaged in an in-depth conversation about education issues and how Black children are particularly impacted.

Although the conversation focused mostly on education, and Vance mentioned the use of school vouchers and choice, he did not provide any other specific policy on how to better address the academic gaps that are being seen in schools and impacting Black children.

"The evidence that I've seen, again, I'm not an expert, but the evidence that I've seen suggests that school choice actually improves the quality of both the private schools and the public schools," Vance said to a room of mostly Black voters.

"I think school choice is part of but not the whole solution, but I think the rest of the solution is going to come from a combination of, hopefully, federal, state and local policymakers trying to solve this problem."

Vance said it’s important for people to remember not to take the Black vote for granted.

"And again, I know I'm speaking to a lot of Black voters in the room, I think it's important for people to know that they can't take your vote for granted," Vance said. "And that is the way I think that we're going to get school choice, is the people who support school choice start withholding their votes from politicians who refuse to do what the people want to do."

Toward the end of the town hall, Rev. Robertson and Vance exchanged awkward words when the Ohio senator criticized President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Vance’s comments led Robertson to check him.

Vance falsely claimed that under the Biden administration, a federal program emerged where if school districts didn’t allow transgender females to participate in girls' sports, the school would see a reduction of their free and reduced lunch money.

“But even if you disagree with me, I think that it is such a terrible thing to take food out of the mouths of poor children because they don't do what the Biden-Harris administration wants them to do. We got to do better. We've got to be willing to say, you live your conscience,” Vance said.

This led Rev. Robertson to ask Vance to keep things "respectful."

"I live my conscience, but can we all agree that poor kids ought to go to school with full bellies? That is simple, common sense that I'd like to get back to. But here's the here's one thing I will say, though, Senator Vance, with all due respect, please, Harris and Biden are striving to make America the best country that they possibly can,” Robertson said.

“And up until this point, we haven't said anything about the opposing. And I think we should keep it respectful because I believe that those people are doing the very best they can to serve the American people."

-ABC News' Hannah Demissie

Oct 26, 2024, 8:53 PM EDT

Trump reminisces about campaign era during Pennsylvania rally, 'I will never forget it'

A subdued former President Donald Trump acknowledged the end of an era as he closed his hourlong remarks to hundreds of students at Penn State University on Saturday — after the rally kicked off nearly two hours late.

"It's coming to an end in one way. It's sad," Trump said. "In another way, it's beautiful. I think it's going to come to a very successful end. And then a new period begins. And that's the next four years where we're going to make our country so incredible, and we're going to do it so fast."

PHOTO: Republican President Nominee Donald Trump Campaigns In Battleground States Of Michigan And Pennsylvania
STATE COLLEGE, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 26: Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump during a campaign rally at Bryce Jordan Center on October 26, 2024 in State College, Pennsylvania. Trump is scheduled to hold rallies in Michigan and Pennsylvania on Saturday before closing out the weekend with a rally on Sunday at New York’s Madison Square Garden. on October 26, 2024 in State College, PA. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Trump added, "But there'll never be rallies like this. They'll never be -- in four years, there'll be somebody coming in and they'll call for a rally, and they'll have 200 or 300 people."

In an apparent approach to court young men, Trump invited the Nittany Lion wrestling team on stage to celebrate their recent championship.

In his remarks, Trump also continued to bash Beyoncé’s appearance at a rally for Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday evening.

“Beyoncé got out and said, 'Hello ladies and gentlemen. I would like to endorse her, what's her name? What’s her name? What is her name again? Oh, I'm going to endorse her.' They just don't get it,” Trump said.

-ABC News' Kelsey Walsh, Lalee Ibssa and Soorin Kim