Election 2024 Latest: Trump on defense after race comments and Vance's rough launch

Donald Trump falsely suggested Vice President Kamala Harris had misled voters about her race as he appeared before the National Association of Black Journalists in Chicago.

The Republican former president wrongly claimed Wednesday at the group's annual convention that Harris, the first Black woman and Asian American to serve as vice president, had in the past promoted only her Indian heritage.

Trump’s interview, a source of controversy even before it even took place, was remarkably contentious, primarily because of his reaction to sharp questioning by ABC News’ Rachel Scott. The appearance split the group's membership.

Harris said Trump’s comments on her race were the “same old show” and stressed the need for Black women to organize for his defeat this November.

Trump did not repeat his claims at a rally later Wednesday in Pennsylvania. He also repeatedly mispronounced Harris' first name. Before he took the stage, Trump’s team displayed on a big screen what appeared to be years-old news headlines describing her as the “first Indian-American senator."

Harris and her Democratic allies are increasingly branding Trump and his running mate, U.S. Sen. JD Vance, as “weird.” As Vance’s rocky rollout continues, Trump is also in the position this week of having to defend someone else’s controversial comments.

About 8 in 10 Democrats say they would be somewhat or very satisfied if Harris became the Democratic nominee for president, according to a survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Follow the AP’s Election-2024 coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024.

Here's the Latest:

Trump-backed candidate wins crowded Arizona GOP congressional primary

Abraham Hamadeh has defeated Blake Masters in the Republican primary for a U.S. House seat that saw a rare dual endorsement from former President Donald Trump. Hamadeh has a good chance of winning the seat in November because the northwest Phoenix district leans conservative.

Elsewhere, a critic of Arizona’s voting operations in 2020 and 2022 has unseated an incumbent election official in Maricopa County in a GOP primary. And a Republican candidate vulnerable because of abortion politics has clenched her party’s bid in a state legislative race. In the U.S. Senate race, Kari Lake has secured the GOP nomination for an open seat. Primaries in two congressional races are still too early to call.

‘Tennessee Three’ Democrat wins primary

Tennessee state Rep. Gloria Johnson has won the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate and will face off against Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn in November, pitting a survivor of a Republican-led expulsion effort over a gun control protest against a close ally of former President Donald Trump.

Johnson defeated three primary opponents, including Marquita Bradshaw, a Memphis community activist and organizer who notably won the Democratic Senate nomination in 2020 then lost to Republican Bill Hagerty by a wide margin. Tennessee’s primary will also determine whether Republican Rep. Andy Ogles will be able to defeat a well-funded opponent, Nashville council member Courtney Johnston, as he pursues a second term in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District.

US recognizes Venezuelan opposition candidate

The U.S. government has announced that it is recognizing opposition candidate Edmundo González as the winner of Venezuelan’s presidential election, despite the country’s electoral authority giving the victory to President Nicolás Maduro. “Given the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to the United States and, most importantly, to the Venezuelan people that Edmundo González Urrutia won the most votes in Venezuela’s July 28 presidential election,” U.S. secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday.

The National Electoral Council declared Maduro the winner of the election, but González and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado have said that they obtained more than two-thirds of the tally sheets.

Appeals court upholds Trump's gag order

A New York appeals court has denied Donald Trump’s bid to end a gag order in his hush money criminal case. The court Thursday rejected the Republican former president’s argument that his May conviction “constitutes a change in circumstances” that warrants lifting the restrictions. A five-judge panel ruled that the trial judge was correct in extending parts of the gag order until Trump is sentenced.

The trial judge imposed the gag order in March after prosecutors raised concerns about Trump’s habit of attacking people involved in his cases. At the same time, Trump’s lawyers are again asking the trial judge to step aside from the case, citing his daughter’s past work as a political consultant for Vice President Kamala Harris.

Trump raises $138.7 million in July, trailing Harris' haul

Donald Trump’s campaign and its related affiliates say they raised $138.7 million last month. That’s less than what his new opponent in November’s election, Vice President Kamala Harris, took in during the opening week of her White House bid. Trump’s campaign says it has $327 million in cash on hand heading into August.

Harris’ campaign has yet to announce its July fundraising totals or say how much it has in campaign funds, but it says the vice president’s entry into the race has sparked a wave of new donations and volunteers.

Schumer introduces ‘No Kings Act’

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer introduced legislation Thursday reaffirming that presidents do not have immunity for criminal actions, an attempt to reverse the Supreme Court’s landmark decision last month.

Schumer’s No Kings Act would attempt to invalidate the decision by declaring that presidents are not immune from criminal law and clarifying that Congress, not the Supreme Court, determines to whom federal criminal law is applied.

The court’s conservative majority decided July 1 that presidents have broad immunity from criminal prosecution for actions taken within their official duties — a decision that threw into doubt the Justice Department’s case against Republican former President Donald Trump for his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss.

Schumer, of New York, said that Congress has an obligation and the constitutional authority to check the Supreme Court on its decision.

”Given the dangerous and consequential implications of the court’s ruling, legislation would be the fastest and most efficient method to correcting the grave precedent the Trump ruling presented,” he said.

Trump criticizes Russia-U.S. prisoner swap

Donald Trump disparaged the Biden administration’s prisoner exchange with Russia on Thursday, calling American negotiators “an embarrassment.”

Trump spoke out on Truth Social after the release of three American citizens and one American legal resident in a massive, multinational prisoner swap.

Trump prides himself on his successes as president in brokering the release of Americans held by other nations. Thursday, it was President Joe Biden congratulating the families of newly freed Americans headed home, thanks to his administration’s successful negotiations.

Trump asked in his post if the U.S. had paid cash for Thursday’s releases, something National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan specifically denied.

He also asked if the U.S. was handing over “murderers, killers, or thugs?’ The Russians freed by Western countries as part of the deal in fact included a convicted hitman who had been imprisoned in Germany.

“Our ‘negotiators’ are always an embarrassment to us!” Trump wrote.

“They’re calling the trade ‘complex’ — That’s so nobody can figure out how bad it is!” he wrote.

Harris celebrates late U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee

Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday eulogized longtime U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee as a “force of nature” as memorials for the longtime Democratic lawmaker drew to a close.

Harris took time away from her presidential campaign to describe Jackson Lee, who represented Houston in Congress, as a coalition builder and expert in the legislative process. Harris joked about hiding in the hall when Jackson Lee walked by because the lawmaker was so intense.

“She always expected in all of us that we would rise to a point of excellence, knowing that life was too short and there’s too much to be done,” Harris said. She said she called Jackson Lee, who died July 19 at age 74 after being treated for pancreatic cancer, a few days before then to express her gratitude for their friendship.

“To honor her memory, let us continue to fight,” Harris said.

Harris is poised to be the first Black woman to be a major party’s presidential candidate, and Jackson Lee was one of Congress’ most prominent Black women during her nearly three decades in Washington. Jackson Lee helped lead federal efforts to protect women from domestic violence and recognize Juneteenth as a national holiday.

More than 50 members of the U.S. House attended Thursday’s funeral service. New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic leader, said Jackson Lee was a “voice for the voiceless.”

Pennsylvania's Shapiro cancels attendance at weekend fundraisers

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, under consideration to be the running mate of Vice President Kamala Harris in this fall’s presidential election, is canceling his attendance at a suite of fundraisers Saturday in New York.

The Democratic governor's press secretary, Manuel Bonder, did not explain the reason for the change in plans.

“The Governor’s trip was planned several weeks ago and included several fundraisers for his own campaign committee. His schedule has changed and he is no longer traveling to the Hamptons this weekend,” Bonder said in a statement Thursday.

One fundraiser was going to be hosted by Michael Kempner, a member of President Joe Biden’s national finance team.

In a note sent to invitees, Kempner offered this explanation:

“Hi, as you may have seen in the press, the Governor Josh Shapiro event for Sunday at my house in the Hamptons has been postponed to a later date. Many are speculating that this is a sign he will be the Vice President. While this has not been confirmed, I continue to believe he is the best person for the job. And hope the speculation is true. As I learn more and get a new date for an event, I will keep you updated. There will also be many other events coming up to support Kamala, I will be sending out that information soon. I hope you will participate.”

Harris said this week that she had not yet decided on her No. 2. But she, and whomever she selects, will head out next week on a seven-state swing of key battlegrounds, including Pennsylvania, Arizona and North Carolina, next week.

Pro-Israel super PAC is going after Missouri's Cori Bush

A pro-Israel super PAC that helped defeat one member of the congressional group called the Squad is pushing to oust another — Missouri’s Cori Bush.

Bush has been a vocal critic of how Israel responded when attacked by Hamas in October, calling Israeli retaliation an “ethnic cleansing campaign.” The St. Louis Democrat was among the few House members who opposed a resolution supporting Israel.

Federal campaign records show the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s super political action committee, United Democracy Project, has spent $8.4 million to unseat Bush in next week’s primary against St. Louis County prosecutor Wesley Bell. Bush says the donors behind AIPAC support Donald Trump and other Republicans.

United Democracy Project spent nearly $15 million against progressive U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman, one of the most vocal critics of the Israeli government in the House, in a June primary election he lost to George Latimer, a pro-Israel centrist in New York.

Jean-Pierre says Biden believes American

s deserve better than Trump

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre says President Joe Biden is aware of Donald Trump’s comments questioning Kamala Harris' identification as a person of mixed race.

Jean-Pierre said during a White House press briefing Thursday that Biden believes the American people deserve better than Trump.

“Real leaders do not tear people down,” she said. “They don’t question someone’s identity. It’s just more of the same, more of a lack of respect.”

Trump said falsely Wednesday that Harris, the first Black woman and Asian American to serve as vice president, has misled voters about her race.

“You have a president who has spent the last four years talking about unity, more talking about respecting each other, talking about bringing people together,” Jean-Pierre said.

Harris reacts to news of prisoner swap with Russia

Vice President Kamala Harris reacted Thursday to the news of the biggest prisoner swap between the U.S. and Russia in post-Soviet history, saying in a statement that the United States is celebrating the release of those “unjustly held in Russia.”

Harris, the likely Democratic nominee for president, wrote: “It gives me great comfort to know that their horrible ordeal is over.” She said President Joe Biden's administration will not stop working until every American wrongfully detained has been brought home.

Virtual roll call to nominate Harris is underway

Delegates to the Democratic National Convention have begun to officially select their nominee for president.

The process kicked off Thursday morning, but it’s not like in past years when the selection was done in the raucous atmosphere of the convention floor or even during the convention itself.

Instead, they are filling out electronic ballots at their homes, offices or vacation spots more than two weeks before the first delegate steps foot inside Chicago’s United Center.

The virtual roll call will allow Vice President Kamala Harris to claim the nomination by Monday evening.

Court leaves Trump’s hush-money gag order in place

A New York appeals court denied Donald Trump’s bid to end a gag order in his hush money criminal case, rejecting the Republican former president’s argument that his May conviction “constitutes a change in circumstances” that warrants lifting the restrictions.

A five-judge panel in the state’s midlevel appellate court ruled Thursday that the trial judge, Juan M. Merchan, was correct in extending parts of the gag order until Trump is sentenced.

The ruling came a day after Trump’s lawyers tried to file papers asking the court to immediately lift the gag order. With its ruling imminent, the court rejected the filing, which called the restrictions an “unconstitutional, election-interfering” muzzle on Trump’s free speech.

In a copy of the prospective filing provided to the Associated Press, Trump’s lawyers wrote that Vice President Kamala Harris’ entry into the presidential race gives the matter new urgency as she pits herself as an ex-prosecutor taking on a “convicted felon.”

“It is unconscionable that Harris can speak freely about this case, but President Trump cannot,” Trump lawyer Todd Blanche wrote. Blanche declined to comment on Thursday’s ruling.

Trump, who has denied wrongdoing, was originally scheduled to be sentenced July 11, but Merchan postponed it until Sept. 18, if necessary, while he weighs a defense request to throw out his conviction in the wake of the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity ruling.

Washington state congressional races draw attention

Congressional primary races in Washington state are attracting outsize attention, including one that pits one of the few remaining U.S. House Republicans who voted to impeach Donald Trump against two conservative candidates whose platforms are in lockstep with the GOP presidential nominee.

Another race in the state’s moderate 8th Congressional District, held by centrist Democrat Rep. Kim Schrier, has been shaken up by an upstart campaign by the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Washington, who has made the Israel-Hamas war the centerpiece of his platform.

And in the 3rd District, Trump-endorsed Joe Kent is trying to unseat Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, who defeated him two years ago. That race is expected to see one of the tightest general elections in the country.

Recount to settle narrow Virginia GOP primary

A Republican primary recount is being held Thursday in Virginia to settle whether John McGuire, a state senator backed by former President Donald Trump, narrowly defeated U.S. Rep. Bob Good, a conservative who leads the hard-right House Freedom Caucus.

The recount of the election for the seat representing Virginia’s 5th Congressional District comes after officials certified that McGuire won by 374 votes out of nearly 63,000 ballots cast, or six-tenths of a percentage point.

Election officials have said they are confident in the result, but Good filed a recount petition, citing apparent voting irregularities in Lynchburg.

Good was able to seek a recount because McGuire’s victory margin was less than 1 percent. But his campaign must pay for it because the margin is greater than half a percentage point.

What polling shows about the top VP contenders for Harris

As Vice President Kamala Harris prepares to announce her running mate, a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that several of the top potential contenders for the role are largely unknown to voters.

The survey, which was conducted after President Joe Biden announced he was withdrawing from the race and Harris became the likely Democratic presidential nominee, highlights the strengths and weaknesses that different politicians could bring to the ticket.

Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly stands out as a prospect who has more name recognition — and higher favorability, particularly among Democrats. And others, like Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, while less known nationally, could draw on a deeper well of support in their home states and regions.

Member of ‘Tennessee 3’ hopes to survive Democratic primary for US Senate

Tennessee’s primary election Thursday will decide whether state Rep. Gloria Johnson, who rose to national fame after surviving a Republican-led expulsion effort for her participation in a gun control protest, will become the Democratic nominee in a fall matchup for the seat held by Republican U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, who must first clear her own primary contest.

Last year, days after a school shooting that killed three children and three adults, Johnson, who is white, followed two Black Democratic representatives, Justin Pearson and Justin Jones, to the front of the state House floor with a bullhorn. The trio joined the chants and cries for gun control legislation by protesters in the public galleries and outside the chamber.

They were dubbed the “Tennessee Three." Pearson and Jones were expelled and later returned to office. Johnson was spared expulsion by one vote and noted it was likely because she was white. Republicans denied race was a factor.

Whoever advances out of the Democratic primary will run in a state that for nearly two decades has elected only GOP candidates on a statewide level.

GOP primary voters in key Arizona county oust election official

A Republican election official lost his primary race this week in Arizona’s Maricopa County, an outcome that could significantly influence the way voting is run in one of the nation’s top battlegrounds.

County Recorder Stephen Richer lost to state lawmaker Justin Heap, who will face Democrat Tim Stringham in November. Richer had fought back against death threats, almost constant harassment and streams of misinformation during his nearly four years overseeing elections in Arizona's most populous county.

Richer will remain in office through the November election, but his exit early next year will end a term racked by controversy. His office splits election duties with the county board of supervisors and has had to fend off attacks over the results of the 2020 presidential election, as former President Donald Trump and his allies falsely claimed that widespread fraud cost him the race.

The outcry from a group of Republican lawmakers, local officials and grassroots activists spiraled into protests and threats that energized the campaign for his ouster.