The Latest: With just 5 days to go, Harris and Trump continue to battle for votes

Democrat Kamala Harris called Wednesday for Americans to “stop pointing fingers at each other” as she tried to push past comments made by President Joe Biden about Donald Trump’s supporters and “garbage ″ and keep the focus on her Republican opponent in the closing days of the race.

Donald Trump, meanwhile, showered former NFL star Brett Favre with praise on Wednesday at a rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where the former Packers quarterback campaigned for the Republican presidential nominee in the final week before Election Day.

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

Here's the latest:

Rapper Cardi B to speak at Harris rally in Wisconsin

Rapper Cardi B will speak at Vice President Kamala Harris’ rally in Milwaukee on Friday, the latest in a long line of celebrities who have stumped for the Democratic nominee in the closing days of the 2024 campaign.

The Harris campaign announced the addition on Thursday. The event will also feature performances by GloRilla, Flo Milli, MC Lyte, The Isley Brothers, DJ GEMINI GILLY.

This is not the first time Cardi B has jumped into the political fray. The rapper was close to Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign in 2020, including lauding his first run in 2016 and appearing in a video meant to appeal to young voters. She has also been an outspoken critic of Trump and supported President Joe Biden in 2020.

“I’m tired of getting upset every single time I see this man talk,” she said of Trump before Election Day in 2020.

Turning Point USA founder suggests Harris ad undermines the American family

Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk doesn't like a campaign ad for Harris that says a woman doesn't need to consult her husband when choosing who to vote for.

The ad shows a woman in a voting booth, casting a ballot for Harris. Then, as she leaves, her husband asks her if she made “the right choice” — strongly suggesting that the ‘right choice’ is Trump.

“Sure did honey," she responds.

Kirk, speaking on conservative Megyn Kelly’s podcast, labeled the ad “the embodiment of the downfall of the American family.”

The ad was by Vote Common Good, an outside organization that aims to target progressive, religious voters.

Harris debuts a new campaign ad in Spanish

Harris has a new campaign ad in Spanish that will air in battleground states that seizes on comments made about Puerto Ricans during a Trump rally.

The ad, in Spanish, questions why a comic at the rally in New York would call the U.S. territory a “floating island of garbage.”

The ad's announcer says: “This Nov. 5 Trump will understand that some people’s trash is others’ treasure.”

Since the rally, Latino celebrities and leaders have come out in support of the Democratic nominee.

The ad is part of a larger $370 million buy, and will air on Univision and Telemundo during high viewership telenovelas, and on digital platforms including El Nuevo Día, YouTube and Snapchat.

Spending shatters record in Senate race

Billions of dollars in ads are raining down on voters across the Rust Belt, Rocky Mountains and American Southwest as the two major political parties struggle for control of the U.S. Senate.

Republicans need to pick up two seats to capture a surefire majority, and one of those — West Virginia — is all but in the bag for the GOP.

Republican strategists say they’re targeting seven other states where Democrats are defending seats: Arizona, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Democrats, conversely, say they are forcing competitive contests in two red states, Texas and Nebraska.

Data from political ad tracking firm AdImpact projects that more than $2.5 billion will be spent on advertising in Senate races in this two-year campaign cycle, slightly more than the 2022 total.

Nicky Jam withdraws Trump endorsement over “garbage” comments

Puerto Rican reggaeton singer Nicky Jam has withdrawn his endorsement of Trump.

Tony Hinchcliffe — a comic who called Puerto Rico “garbage” before a packed Trump rally in New York — appears to be the catalyst.

In a video statement posted to his Instagram, Jam says he thought Trump would be good for the economy. But after Hinchcliffe’s comments, he says can no longer support the former president.

Other Puerto Rican superstars have backed Harris, including Bad Bunny and Ricky Martin.

Trump campaigns in states the GOP hasn't won in decades

Trump is traveling to New Mexico and Virginia in the campaign’s final days — choosing to stump for votes in states that Republicans haven't won in decades.

The former president will campaign in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Thursday during a swing that will also take him to the battleground states of Arizona and Nevada.

He’ll be in Salem, Virginia, on Saturday. The Trump team is projecting optimism and thinks he can be competitive against Harris in New Mexico and Virginia.

Judge to hear arguments on Elon Musk's $1 million-a-day giveaway to help Trump

A Philadelphia judge is set to hold a hearing in the city prosecutor’s bid to shut down Elon Musk’s $1 million-a-day sweepstakes in battleground states.

The giveaways come from Musk’s political organization, which aims to boost Donald Trump’s presidential campaign through Election Day.

Democratic District Attorney Larry Krasner hopes to stop the America PAC sweepstakes. Judge Angelo Foglietta will hear motions Thursday on the issue in a City Hall courtroom. Matthew Haverstick is one of several lawyers representing the defendants.

Lawyers for Musk filed a motion late Wednesday seeking to move the case to federal court. However, a spokesperson for Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said Thursday the initial hearing at City Hall was still scheduled.

Who's texting me? Oh, not again ...

Across the U.S., people’s phones are pinging with text messages from Donald Trump, Kamala Harris and their allies.

Both sides are working the texting pipeline aggressively in the presidential campaign’s last days. It’s a cheap and easy way to reach millions of potential donors and voters.

It’s also an aggravation for many. At recent Harris and Trump rallies, some of the attendees said enough already. But the texting torrent is not bound to let up before Election Day next week, if it even does then.

Anxiety, frustration characterize voter sentiment ahead of Election Day

A new poll from The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that about 7 in 10 Americans report feeling anxious or frustrated about the 2024 presidential campaign, and a similar share say they’re interested.

Only about one-third say they feel excited.

About 7 in 10 Americans say “anxious” describes how they are feeling ahead of Tuesday. For partisans, anxiety is dialed a little higher than before.

About 8 in 10 Democrats say “anxious” describes how they are feeling now, up slightly from the last election. About two-thirds of Republicans are anxious, a moderate uptick from 2020.

10/31/2024 10:55 -0400

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