Highlights from Election 2024: RFK Jr. says he is suspending, not ending his campaign. His campaign says he ‘has not endorsed Trump’

At the Phoenix event after Kennedy suspended his presidential bid, longtime RFK Jr. supporter Bruce Brimacombe said he is now an undecided voter.

The 64-year-old said what he heard was not Kennedy throwing his support behind Trump but rather an idea.

“It’s not going to Trump,” Brimacombe said. “It’s going to a unity idea of bringing things together. That’s a big difference.”

At his campaign stop Friday in Las Vegas, Trump sought to reclaim his vow to eliminate taxes on tips for service industry workers.

It’s a promise that Trump shared in June at a Las Vegas rally that Harris later echoed when speaking to her own supporters at a rally earlier this month on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

“In our case, we mean it,” Trump said. “Somebody I know just copied it. You know that’s not going to happen.”

The Culinary Workers Union, a political powerhouse in Nevada representing 60,000 service-industry employees at hotels and casinos, has endorsed Harris. But on Friday, Trump said, “Can we get the Culinary Union to maybe vote for Trump?”

The union did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trump’s campaign has released a new memo from pollster Tony Fabrizio that argues Kennedy’s decision to suspend his campaign and endorse Trump will benefit the former president across battleground states.

“This is good news for President Trump and his campaign – plain and simple,” he writes.

Trump, who is campaigning in Las Vegas, said he’d just got a “very nice” endorsement from RFK Jr. that he’ll be talking about in Arizona.

“That was very nice,” he said. “That’s big.”

Dozens of his supporters packed inside a Mexican and Italian fusion restaurant cheered.

As Kennedy shared what he called an “agonizing” and “heart-wrenching decision to suspend my campaign and to support President Trump,” it evoked another decision he had described as difficult for himself and his family — when he left the Democratic Party to run as an independent.

When he announced that move last fall, he said it was “very painful to let go of the party of my uncles, my father, my grandfather and both of my great-grandfathers.”

During Friday’s announcement, he noted that joining the Trump campaign would be a “difficult sacrifice for my wife and children.”

Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, are greeting supporters at Chicago’s Soldier Field before the vice president returns to Washington.

Harris accepted her party’s presidential nomination in a speech Thursday night to close out the Democratic National Convention.

Several dozen supporters and community leaders awaited Harris’ arrival in the parking lot of Soldier Field.Some are wearing “Harris for President” T-shirts as the vice president goes down the line shaking hands, greeting people and posing for photos.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Friday he’s suspending his independent presidential bid and will seek to remove his name from the ballot in battleground states because he believes his presence in the race would help Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.

He said his supporters can continue to back him in the majority of states where they are unlikely to sway the outcome. Kennedy took steps to withdraw his candidacy in at least two states late this week, Arizona and Pennsylvania.

Kennedy said the move followed conversations with Donald Trump over the past few weeks.

Before the speech, his campaign had said in a Pennsylvania court filing Friday that he would be endorsing Trump for president. However, a spokesperson for Kennedy said the court filing had been made in error.

“Mr. Kennedy has not endorsed President Trump,” said spokesperson Stefanie Spear. “The filing was made by an attorney and not reviewed by the campaign.” She said the filing would be updated.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign said in a Pennsylvania court filing Friday that he’s endorsing Donald Trump for president.

The campaign also requested that he be removed from the Pennsylvania ballot, though it wasn’t immediately clear that he was officially dropping out of the race. It came a day after he sought to be removed from Arizona’s ballot. He is running as an independent.

Kennedy is set to speak in Arizona shortly “about the present historical moment and his path forward,” according to his campaign. Hours later, Trump will hold a rally in neighboring Glendale. Trump’s campaign has teased that he’ll be joined by “a special guest,” though neither campaign responded to messages about whether Kennedy would be that guest.

Victor Marani, a 64-year-old retiree from Rio Del Mar, California, said he flew to Phoenix for Kennedy’s news conference after receiving an invitation from the independent candidate’s campaign.

“I learned a long time ago, don’t speculate until you hear what he has to say,” Marani said.

Marani, who identified himself as state chairman of the American Independent Party, said he would continue to support Kennedy.

“He’s not dropping out of California,” Marani said. “He’s on the ballot.”

In a close election campaign with both sides looking for an edge, the party with more people watching their midsummer convention would seem to have an important sign of success.

Yet historically speaking, that measurement means next to nothing.

Eight times over the past 16 presidential election cycles dating back to 1960, the party with the most popular convention among television viewers won in November. Eight times they lost.

Through the first three nights of each convention this summer, the Democrats averaged 20.6 million viewers, the Nielsen company said. Republicans averaged 17 million in July. The estimate for Thursday night, highlighted by Vice President Kamala Harris’ acceptance speech, is due later Friday.

“It’s one of those interesting things about covering politics is that you see these indicators about what really matters, and a lot of times it doesn’t,” said veteran journalist Jeff Greenfield, who covered the Democrats this week for Politico.

▶ Read more about convention viewership

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Donald Trump are set to appear miles apart in Arizona on Friday as speculation grows that Kennedy could drop his independent presidential bid and endorse the Republican nominee.

Kennedy is scheduled to speak at 2 p.m. Eastern time in Phoenix “about the present historical moment and his path forward,” according to his campaign. Hours later, Trump will hold a rally in neighboring Glendale. Trump’s campaign has teased that he’ll be joined by “a special guest,” though neither campaign responded to messages about whether Kennedy would be that guest.

Kennedy withdrew from the ballot in Arizona late Thursday, less than a week after he submitted well more than the required number of signatures to appear on the ballot. But his critics raised questions about the validity of some of the signatures, and the involvement of a pro-Kennedy super PAC to collect them risked potentially running afoul of rules against coordination between candidates and independent political groups.

▶ Read more about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

This comes as the vulnerable three-term lawmaker seeks to distance himself from his party’s leaders ahead of the November election.

Tester said he was focused on his own race and it shouldn’t be about national politics. He faces a stiff challenge in November from Republican Tim Sheehy in a contest that could help decide control of the closely-divided Senate.

Tester made the remarks Thursday just hours before Harris accepted the Democratic nomination in Chicago, following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race last month. The moderate lawmaker didn’t attend the convention and was the sole Democratic delegate from Montana to withhold a vote backing Harris for president.

“It’s about making sure we have a Montanan back in Washington, D.C., representing Montana values,” Tester told reporters during a news conference in Hamilton, Montana, about prescription drug costs, the Missoulian reported.

Tester supported Biden in 2020 but called for him to drop out of this year’s election following the president’s stumbling performance in a June debate against Trump.

Trump visited Montana two weeks ago seeking to boost Sheehy, a former U.S. Navy SEAL who moved to Montana a decade ago and founded an aerial firefighting company.

With anger over the war in Gaza simmering, Vice President Kamala Harris tried to defuse one of the most divisive issues within the Democratic Party on the biggest political stage of her life.

Her remarks Thursday night in her speech accepting the party’s presidential nomination hewed closely to previous statements on the conflict, which began when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7.

Harris said she “will always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself and I will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself.” She’s opposed restrictions on arms sales to Israel.

Then Harris pivoted to the destruction Israel has caused in Gaza, where 40,000 Palestinians have been killed.

“So many innocent lives lost,” she said. “Desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety, over and over again. The scale of suffering is heartbreaking.”

Harris said she was working with President Joe Biden on a cease-fire deal that would also release hostages held by Hamas, a step toward helping Palestinians “realize their right to dignity, security, freedom, and self-determination.”

▶ Read more about Harris and war in Gaza

Comey writes in a social media post that the Democratic nominee has “made me feel like it’s finally morning in America.”

Comey was fired by Trump in 2017 as the FBI was investigating potential ties between Russia and the Republican president’s 2016 campaign. He’s since become a public critic of Trump, writing frequently about what he says is Trump’s disdain for the rule of law and democratic norms.

Comey was a senior Justice Department official during the administration of Republican President George W. Bush. But in the last several years, he’s encouraged others to vote for Democrats.

In a post Friday on X, Comey wrote: “Everyone who cares about the rule of law and America’s indispensable role in the world should vote for Harris and Walz. I will.”

Donald Trump is changing his tune on Georgia’s Republican governor after delivering a series of blistering attacks at a rally just weeks ago.

In a social media post, Trump thanked Gov. Brian Kemp “for all of your help and support in Georgia, where a win is so important to the success of our Party and, most importantly, our Country.”

“I look forward to working with you, your team, and all of my friends in Georgia to help MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” he wrote.

Trump’s words marked a major departure from his comments at a rally earlier this month, where Trump tore into the governor in an Atlanta arena that is only blocks from the Georgia Capitol, blaming him for his narrow 2020 loss in the state.

▶ Read more about Trump and Gov. Kemp

Pro-Palestinian protests during the final hours of the Democratic National Convention began Thursday night much like they had earlier this week — largely peaceful with a family-friendly atmosphere.

The crowd of thousands slowly snaked through residential areas surrounding the United Center. Some wore red T-shirts that said “Not In Our Name” while others held signs that said “End U.S. Aid to Israel.” Pausing at the edge of a park to turn toward the convention center, they chanted: “DNC, you will see. Palestine will be free.”

There was heavy police presence as protesters walked the blocks by the United Center, including at a park where a small group of activists breached an outer perimeter fence earlier in the week. In addition to police on bikes along the route, about 100 officers in riot gear and more than 20 law enforcement vehicles followed the marchers.

At Union Park ahead of the march, the grassy field teemed with Palestinian flags, and a speaker system played Palestinian dance songs. The gathering was organized by the Coalition to March on the DNC, a group of more than 200 organizations that also ran a similar event on Monday night.

Read more about Thursday night’s demonstrations outside of the DNC

Vice President Kamala Harris, on the night she became the first woman of Black and South Asian heritage to be a major party’s presidential nominee, didn’t explicitly mention the racial and gender firsts she would set if elected to the White House.

Instead, she opted for direct mentions of her multiracial background and upbringing. She paid tribute to her roots as the daughter of a brown woman and Caribbean man. She honored the multicultural village of “aunties” and “uncles” in California’s Bay Area. And following her speech, the relatives who joined her onstage for the traditional balloon drop included people of different and often multiple, overlapping races, like Harris herself. Western attire and saris were worn side by side.

It was a way for Harris and others at the convention to display her personal story while offering a visual political message that could appeal to a broad swath of people who see themselves in families like hers. Around 12.5% of U.S. residents identified as two or more races in 2022, up from 3% a decade earlier, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s most comprehensive survey of American life.

▶ Read more about Harris’ racial and cultural identity

Harris’ nominating convention has been a four-day romp imbued with a party-like atmosphere and a sense of optimism. It’s safe to say that it would have been a much different gathering were Biden the party’s nominee.

Democrats have been through emotional whiplash since Biden bowed out of the race last month, clearing the path for Harris.

For months Democrats had been despondent about Biden’s polling and his underwhelming speaking appearances. And many Democrats were convinced that Trump could run away with the election.

Contrast that with the convention being held to nominate Harris in Chicago: Laughter filled the air, the mood was electric and searing jokes at Trump’s expense flowed freely. The event has also drawn an A-list slate of talent, from John Legend to Pink.

Not to be forgotten: There also have been words of caution about the hard work ahead.

Pro-Palestinian delegates never got the chance to take the stage and address the convention. It was a reflection of how the party has tried to avoid one of the more divisive issues of this election season as the U.S. alliance with Israel has become a political flashpoint.

Israel’s response to the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas has spurred outrage over mass casualties and human rights violations in Gaza, and pro-Palestinian demonstrators have marched outside the arena each day.

“Uncommitted” delegate Abbas Alawieh had been in talks with DNC officials about speaking to the hall. After being rejected, he and other delegates chose to spend Wednesday night on the sidewalk outside the convention hall in protest.

Harris and Biden have both called for a cease-fire and the release of hostages taken in the October raid. On Wednesday, the parents of one of the young men being held hostage in Gaza addressed the convention.

The convention didn’t just formally mark the exit of 81-year-old Biden from the campaign. It served as a showcase for the younger Democrats in the political talent pool.

Speakers included swing state up-and-comers like Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who was scheduled for prime-time slot Thursday. Others featured during the week: Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, both of whom made the short list when Harris was searching for a running mate.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel brought down the house with her address earlier in the week when she warned Republicans and the U.S. Supreme Court, “You can pry this wedding band from my cold, dead, gay hand!”

There were also rising blue-state celebrities like California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Angela Alsobrooks, Maryland’s Democratic nominee for an open Senate seat, and 34-year-old New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, seen as representing a new generation of Democrats.

It was only a few years ago that Democrats worried they had too little talent in the pipeline, after scores of officeholders were wiped out in the off-year elections under President Barack Obama. But they’ve seen a resurgence in the Trump era.

Polling shows voters have consistently felt Republicans are better on the economy — a perception that Democrats are trying to fix.

High inflation hounded Biden’s popularity. Now Trump is trying to assign the blame to Harris as well, going so far as to call her a communist by nicknaming her “Comrade Kamala” and misleadingly claiming a relatively healthy economy is actually in tatters.

It’s not clear how well Trump’s criticism will stick to Harris, but Democrats tried to show her economic credentials on Thursday.

The Democrats’ argument is that Harris can do more for the middle class and entrepreneurs as the party tries to reframe social issues as economic ones.

Harris wants to provide $25,000 in down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers. “She knows housing is a human right and a pathway to the middle class,” Marcia Fudge, the former secretary of Housing and Urban Development, told the convention.

Inflation has been a persistent challenge for Democrats and the message Thursday was that greedy companies are to blame.

The Democratic National Convention wraps up Thursday with Vice President Kamala Harris accepting her party’s presidential nomination. She is the first Black woman and first person of South Asian descent to be nominated, and supporters turned out in white to mark the moment.

Ahead of Harris’ appearance in the convention hall, rising Democratic stars were to address the crowd, along with survivors of mass shootings and others who were showcasing different issues. Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who voted to impeach Donald Trump and sat on the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attacks, also was scheduled to speak.

The crowded lineup reflects the immense work Democrats have before them as they’ve stood up a fresh presidential campaign in just under a month since President Joe Biden bowed out of the race.

▶ Read more about some of the takeaways from the Democrats’ final night

Some protestors jeered at a crowd of convention attendees as they left the arena.

One woman folded her Harris-Walz sign over her head as the group chanted “cease-fire now” and “shame on you.”

After her speech, Harris went to another part of the United Center and briefly addressed a group of staffers and supporters at a postconvention speech party.

“We just decided that we would celebrate our anniversary with all of you,” said Harris who accepted the Democratic presidential nomination on her and her husband Doug Emhoff’s 10th wedding anniversary.

The party included former Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin and a former co-host of The View, Desirée Rogers.

“Our fight is deeply and truly borne out of love of country,” Harris said, adding, “celebrate tonight” and “it’s been a wonderful convention.”

As much as her campaign is about joy, Harris devoted a considerable chunk of her speech to what she said were the risks of another Trump term, calling the election “one of the most important in the life of our nation.”

Her focus on Trump showed that fear remains a powerful motivator for many voters and she wants to tap into that.

Harris described how Trump inspired the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol and his fraud conviction. She talked about his willingness to deploy the military against U.S. citizens — and the ability to do so with immunity from criminal consequences due to a recent Supreme Court ruling.

“Just imagine: Donald Trump with no guardrails,” she warned.

A few dozen protesters fought briefly with Chicago police on the edge of Union Park.

The small group, leftover from the earlier demonstration, planned to march toward the convention center, but they were blocked by rows of police in riot gear who pushed into the group, shouting, “Move back.”

Several of the protesters surged forward, with some swinging wooden signs down on the officers. The group has since retreated to the park, where an organizer said they plan to regroup. Police have ordered all media to leave the area, warning over a loudspeaker, “If you fail to comply, you will be in violation of the law and we will place you into custody.”

Within moments of Harris finishing her speech, the Trump campaign sent out a fundraising email titled “Worst speech ever!”

“Farewell to America if we have President Kamala!” it proclaimed.

In a letter to anti-abortion leaders during his 2016 campaign, Trump expressed his commitment to this view by vowing to sign the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. The then-Republican president advocated for the bill again in 2018, at that year’s annual March for Life festival in Washington, saying he “strongly supported the House of Representatives Pain-Capable bill, which would end painful, late-term abortions nationwide.”

Trump said that he would “call upon the Senate to pass this important law and send it to my desk for signing.” The bill, which included exceptions for saving the life of a pregnant woman, as well as rape or incest, was passed by the House in 2017 but failed to move forward in the Senate.

During her DNC acceptance speech, Harris said of Trump that the former president would “ban medication abortion and enact a nationwide abortion ban with or without Congress.”

While Trump has said in the past that he would support a national ban on abortion, he made clear his changed position on Thursday’s Fox & Friends: “I would never. There will not be a federal ban. This is now back in the states where it belongs.”

In April, he said that he would leave the issue up to the states in a video on his Truth Social platform.

Days later, asked by a reporter upon arriving in Atlanta whether he would sign a national abortion ban, Trump shook his head and said, “No.”

But just a month earlier Trump suggested that he’d support a national ban on abortion around 15 weeks of pregnancy. He also often brags about appointing the Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade.

Trump has previously supported a federal ban on abortion at 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Trump told CBS News on Monday that he would not enforce the Comstock Act to restrict the sale of abortion medication by mail. The act, originally passed in 1873, was revived in an effort to block the mailing of mifepristone, the pill used in more than half of U.S. abortions.

The image of a mixed-race family joining the candidate on stage as she accepts the nomination to potentially be the first Black and Asian American female president is a political first in many ways.

“I do not limit access to birth control or I.V.F. - THAT IS A LIE, these are all false stories that she’s making up, that I’ve never even heard of,” wrote Trump, who appointed the judges who overturned Roe V. Wade. “I TRUST WOMEN, ALSO, AND I WILL KEEP WOMEN SAFE!” he wrote.

Trump has been offering commentary on the speech on his social media network.

He has repeatedly questioned why she didn’t implement the policies she’s proposing while serving as vice president.

“Why didn’t she do something about the things of which she complains?” he asked.

After speaking for about 37 minutes, Harris wrapped up her speech and was joined on stage by her husband, Doug Emhoff, along with running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and his wife, Gwen.

Family members began to play with some of the 100,000 red, white and blue balloons that began to cascade from netting where they’d been held in the ceiling all week.

Harris made a forceful defense of Ukraine and NATO in her speech as she lambasted Trump’s past comments on the war in Ukraine.

“As President, I will stand strong with Ukraine and our NATO allies,” Harris said.

Harris touted that five days before Russia invaded Ukraine, “I warned President Zelenskyy” and helped lead the U.S. diplomatic response in rallying “more than 50 countries.”

The DNC has restricted access to the United Center, which is at capacity, in the final hours of the convention, according to the Chicago Fire Department.

A fire department spokesperson said on X that the decision was made by the DNC in consultation with Chicago fire officials. He said both city fire and DNC officials would continue to monitor the situation.

Crowds of credentialed journalists were photographed outside the United Center, where they were not allowed entry into the stadium. The United Center can hold about 23,500 people.

In a stunning departure from the Biden campaign, Harris made the U.S.'s most forceful message yet on the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.

The vice president said that she would “always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself,” while pushing for the release of the hostages and the implementation of a cease-fire deal.

“At the same time, what has happened in Gaza in the last 10 months is devastating, so many innocent lives lost,” Harris said. “Desperate, hungry people fleeing to safety over and over again. The scale of suffering is heartbreaking.”

Border security has been a major point of GOP criticism for Harris and her campaign, but the Democrat is drawing big cheers from her arena of delegates for her border plans.

Harris said, “I know we can live up to our proud heritage as a nation of immigrants and reform our broken immigration system.”

She also criticized Trump for his own actions, saying he “ordered his allies in Congress to kill” a border bill.

“Well, I refuse to play politics with our security,” she said, pledging to “bring back the bipartisan border security bill” and saying she’d sign it into law.

Guests sitting in the vice president’s box for her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention include her vice-presidential running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and his wife, Gwen; her in-laws, Barb and Mike Emhoff; Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly and his wife, Gabby Giffords; and childhood friends Wanda Kagan and Stacey Johnson-Batiste; the mayors of Philadelphia and Madison, Wisconsin; and several members of the House of Representatives, according to Harris’ campaign.

While Harris is in the middle of her nomination acceptance speech inside the Democratic National Convention, protestors outside have staged an impromptu sit-in on Chicago’s Ashland Avenue.

The man leading it, who declined to be identified, said he initially sat because he was exhausted from hours of marching. Before long, about 100 others had joined him, singing “Which Side Are You On?” over bongo players and an electric guitar. While police initially called on the group to disburse, they retreated after the request was ignored.

The loudest reaction came when Harris pledged to help shepherd voting-rights legislation through Congress despite several failed attempts in the last few years.

For Harris’ key moment, there are many color-coordinated options around the United Center.

Delegates have vertical blue signs with “Kamala” written out. Many people have added American flags handed out earlier in the night atop the post holding those blue signs, hoisting the flags further aloft.

Delegates in the seats directly in front of Harris — between the stage and the platform that holds a number of cameras broadcasting the convention — have smaller rectangular signs reading “Harris-Walz.”

In her speech, Harris touched on what has become the central policy issue of her vice presidency and now her campaign: the risk to reproductive rights.

“Tonight in America, too many women are not able to make those decisions,” she said.

“And let’s be clear about how we got here: Donald Trump handpicked members of the United States Supreme Court to take away reproductive rights.” She added, “One must ask why exactly is it that they don’t trust women? Well, we trust women.”

“The middle class is where I come from,” Harris said, describing for delegates how her late mother kept a “strict budget” and “we lived within our means.”

She said her mother taught her and her sister, Maya, that opportunity is not available to everyone.

But now Harris promises to create an “opportunity economy,” where she said, “everyone has the chance to compete and a chance to succeed.”

She also promised a “middle-class tax cut.”

“We are not going back” chants broke out in the venue as Harris criticized Trump’s record and began outlining her vision for the nation.

“We are charting a new way forward, forward to a future with a strong middle class,” Harris said. “And building that middle class will be a defining goal of my presidency.”

Harris is issuing warnings about how Trump’s prior willingness to violate the law indicates a willingness for a reckless second term if he’s elected to the White House again.

The former prosecutor listed off Trump’s conviction in the New York fraud case, as well as the judgment against him in the E. Jean Carroll case.

“Just imagine Donald Trump with no guardrails and how he would use the immense powers of the presidency of the United States, not to improve your life, not to strengthen our national security but to serve the only client that he has ever had: himself,” Harris warned.

The prosecutor in Harris surfaced during the speech when, in referring to Trump, she referred several times to “his explicit intent.”