Harris Makes Her Play for Persuadable Republicans

Harris Makes Her Play for Persuadable Republicans

Harris at her Pennsylvania event
USA Today Network
By Yuval Rosenberg and Michael Rainey
Wednesday, October 16, 2024

Happy Wednesday! Twenty days and counting! Here’s what’s happening.

Harris Makes Her Play for Persuadable Republicans

Vice President Kamala Harris continued her outreach to anti-Trump Republicans today. She held a campaign event in Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania, where she showcased her support from more than 100 former Republican officials and continued her attacks labeling former President Donald Trump as dangerous for American democracy. "It is clear, Donald Trump is increasingly unstable and unhinged — and he is seeking unchecked power," she said. Her remarks came hours before Fox News aired a pre-taped interview she gave to host Bret Baier, her first formal appearance on the Murdoch-owned network.

Earlier in the day, Fox News aired a town hall that former President Donald Trump had taped Tuesday night in front of an all-female audience of his supporters in Cumming, Georgia. Trump took questions on a range of issues, including the economy, immigration, reproductive rights and transgender rights. He made some news by doubling down on comments he made over the weekend calling some of his opponents "the enemy from within" and suggested he would use the military against them. "It is the enemy from within, and they’re very dangerous," he told the town hall.

CNN’s Daniel Dale reports that Trump made at least 19 false claims during the one-hour event — "most of them debunked earlier in the campaign but some of them new, notably including an absurd claim that he is ‘the father of IVF.’"

Trump also held a Univision town hall with Latino voters in Doral, Florida, where he refused to back off his debunked claims about Haitian immigrants eating pets in Springfield, Ohio. "I was just saying what was reported," he said.

Trump also defended the January 6, 2021, rioters, saying they descended on the Capitol because they thought the election was rigged. "That was a day of love from the standpoint of the millions," he said.

And he soft-pedaled his proposal for a mass deportation of undocumented immigrants. "We want workers, and we want them to come in, but they have to come in legally, and they have to love our country," Trump said.

The Univision town hall will air at 10 p.m. ET.

Quote of the Day

"With our patients and millions of Americans depending on the ACA, we need to ask, ‘Mr. Trump, what is your actual plan for the ACA?’"

– More than 1,500 doctors from around the country, in an open letter to former president Donald Trump asking him for details on how he would change the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare. Trump has said he would look to improve upon the law and during his September 10 debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, he famously claimed he had "concepts of a plan."

The doctors’ letter was organized by the Committee to Protect Health Care PAC, which has endorsed Harris.

"As physicians we know how life-changing, and life-saving, the ACA has been for our patients. From protecting patients with pre-existing conditions to helping millions of low-income Americans gain health care, the ACA has been transformational for health care in America. That’s why Donald Trump’s long history of attacking the law is so concerning to us," the letter says. "Our patients and Americans nationwide deserve to know what would be in store for their health care in a second Trump presidency so that they can make informed decisions on November 5."

More Than $1.8 Billion in Hurricane Relief Approved So Far: White House

With states in the Southeast still struggling to recover from two massive hurricanes that arrived in quick succession, the Biden administration said Wednesday that it has already approved more than $1.8 billion to help with recovery efforts in the region.

Hurricanes Helene and Milton caused billions of dollars in damages, and rebuilding is expected to take a significant amount of time. The federal government has provided assistance to residents and local officials, with funds for temporary housing, food and other supplies; debris removal; life-saving efforts; and restoration of roads, bridges and other public infrastructure.

In a fact sheet, the White House highlighted some of the assistance details:

* more than $1.8 billion already approved for disaster relief and recovery;

* nearly 8,000 federal personnel on the ground working on recovery;

* about $100 million in aid for 77,000 Hurricane Helene survivors in North Carolina;

* $213 million for 71,000 survivors in Florida;

* $132 million for 146,000 survivors in South Carolina;

* $119 million for 118,000 survivors in Georgia;

* $11.8 million for 2,400 survivors in Tennessee;

* $4.7 million for 1,500 survivors in Virginia;

* an additional $630 million for survivors of Hurricane Milton;

* $48 million in "tentatively approved disaster loan funding" from the Small Business Administration for survivors of both hurricanes. The SBA announced yesterday that it had exhausted its disaster loan fund following a surge of demand and will need Congress to act to provide more resources.

The White House also cited 33 disaster recovery centers that are operating in the affected states, with more expected to open in the coming weeks. Officials said more than 1 million people may be eligible for food assistance through the USDA’s Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as D-SNAP.

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