Biden angers GOP associating 'garbage' with Trump supporters

The remark is being compared to Hillary Clinton's 2016 "deplorables" comment.

ByAlexandra Hutzler, Ivan Pereira, Meredith Deliso, Tal Axelrod, Emily Chang, and David Brennan
Last Updated: October 30, 2024, 7:45 AM EDT

As the race reaches one week until Election Day, Kamala Harris delivered her "closing argument" on The Ellipse -- in the same spot where Donald Trump rallied his supporters on Jan. 6, 2021, to march on the U.S. Capitol nearby.

Trump tried to preempt Harris's remarks, speaking to reporters Tuesday morning at Mar-a-Lago after declaring he's "the opposite of a Nazi" on Monday night in Georgia. He holds a rally later in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where there is a large population of Puerto Rican Americans.

Key Headlines

Here's how the news developed:
Oct 30, 3:03 am

More than 53 million Americans have voted early

As of 11:59 p.m. ET on Tuesday, more than 53 million Americans have voted early, according to the Election Lab at the University of Florida.

Of the total number of early votes, 27,765,237 were cast in person and 25,686,627 were returned by mail

There is now just one week until Election Day.

Voters make selections at their voting booths inside an early voting site on Oct. 17, 2024 in Hendersonville, N.C.
Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images

Oct 29, 2024, 3:14 PM EDT

North Carolina sees above-average turnout in counties impacted by Helene

Nearly 3.2 million North Carolinians -- more than 40% of the state’s registered voters -- have voted in the 2024 general election.

Notably, voter turnout in the 25 western North Carolina counties hardest hit by Hurricane Helene is outpacing the overall state turnout rate. The high turnout rate comes as Republican state legislators have raised concerns about voting access in western North Carolina.

A large line of potential voters wait outside an early voting site on Oct. 17, 2024 in Asheville, N.C.
Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images

Following Helene, the North Carolina State Board of Elections passed a series of measures to expand voting access in the counties impacted by the storm.

Early in-person voting in the state has increased by 2% compared to 2020.

-ABC News' Peter Charalambous

Oct 29, 2024, 3:04 PM EDT

Harris' closing argument has been years in the making, former staffers say

Three people who worked with Harris for more than a decade believe there will be threads in her speech tonight to the type of argument Harris has been building since Trump won in 2016.

It's not just a 100-day campaign, they said.

Kamala Harris merchandise is displayed ahead of Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris's speech on the Ellipse, in Washington, Oct. 29, 2024.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

While they have not seen her remarks, they say several previous speeches and moments best represent the case she's built.

Those include the first big speech she gave the night Trump won the presidency in 2016, which was the same night she was elected to the U.S. Senate. In it, she vowed to fight for reproductive rights and said she believed the nation was at an inflection point.

“Let’s remember what Corretta Scott King told us so long ago, she famously said the fight for civil rights, the fight for justice, the fight for equality must be fought and won -- sí se puede! -- must be fought and won, that fight for civil rights must be fought and won with each generation," Harris said in those remarks.

-ABC News' Zohreen Shah

Oct 29, 2024, 2:48 PM EDT

Preparations underway for Harris' speech in DC

Fencing has been installed ahead of Harris' speech at the Ellipse in Washington.

A view shows the White House between panels of a non-scalable fence around the perimeter of the Ellipse where Democratic presidential nominee U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to hold an event in Washington, Oct. 28, 2024.
Kaylee Greenlee Beal/Reuters

Metropolitan police estimate up to 52,000 people may attend the rally.

The event, for which gates open at 3 p.m. ET, has been advertised to Harris supporters with push alerts, emails and online ads.

People wait in line for Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris's speech on the Ellipse just south of the White House in Washington, Oct. 29, 2024.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

The Secret Service said in a statement to ABC News that it is “working closely with our federal and local partners to ensure the safety and security of Vice President Harris and all attendees at the campaign event on Tuesday at the White House Ellipse.

Several protest groups have announced plans to protest Harris’ speech, including a large group of anti-war and pro-Palestinian protesters from several well known Washington-based groups.

-ABC News' Beatrice Peterson

Oct 29, 2024, 2:25 PM EDT

In Michigan, Vance says Trump wouldn't give Musk's Tesla preferential treatment

Campaigning in Michigan, Sen. JD Vance was asked if, given Elon Musk's involvement in Trump's campaign, a Trump administration would give preferential treatment to Musk's Tesla over Detroit's Big Three automakers -- General Motors, Ford Motor Company and Stellantis.

Vance said no.

Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio arrives to speak at Center Courts during a campaign rally, Oct. 29, 2024, in Saginaw, Mich.
Paul Sancya/AP

Since 2008, Saginaw County and Michigan have voted for the person who would win the presidential election. Asked by local reporters how important carrying Saginaw County and Michigan is for a path to 270 electoral votes, Vance said it was "extremely important."

"Michigan is one of, if not the very most important battleground state," Vance said.

Michigan is home to thousands of Big Three employees.

-ABC News' Hannah Demissie

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