Summary

  1. Candidates hit the road as Milton threatenspublished at 13:26 British Summer Time 8 October

    Caitlin Wilson
    US live editor

    Hello, and welcome back to our live coverage of the 2024 US election. It's Tuesday morning here in Washington DC, and much of the news this morning is focused on the threat Hurricane Milton poses to Florida - which is also having an effect on the political campaigning calendar.

    A town hall scheduled for Tuesday between Donald Trump and Latino leaders in Miami has been postponed to next week due to the storm.

    Elsewhere, Kamala Harris is pressing on with her media blitz, with several visits to TV and radio talk shows scheduled throughout the day. Today's interviews come after her appearances on CBS's news programme 60 Minutes on Monday night and the popular podcast Call Her Daddy on Sunday, which sparked much discussion online. The ramp-up in media appearances follows months of criticism from Republicans and others that Harris had been too reluctant to face questioning from the press.

    We'll also be following as President Joe Biden hits the campaign trail for his vice-president in swing states Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, and as the Republican VP candidate JD Vance heads to Michigan. Democratic VP candidate Tim Walz is set to be attending fundraisers on the West Coast.

    Plus, former first lady Melania Trump's memoir is out today - we'll bring you all the top lines from that as well.

    Stick with us, it's going to be a busy day.

  2. Harris takes questions on key issues, while Trump addresses Florida crowdpublished at 03:00 British Summer Time 8 October

    Sam Hancock
    Live page editor, in Washington DC

    On a day that saw Kamala Harris ramp up her media appearances, the vice-president sat down for a prime-time interview with CBS and was pushed on issues including the Middle East, immigration and inflation.

    She largely stuck to talking points we've heard throughout the election campaign, though not completely.

    Asked if - should she win the White House - she would meet Russian leader Vladimir Putin to try to end the war, Harris said only if Ukraine was present: "Ukraine must have a say on the future of Ukraine."

    Elsewhere this evening, Donald Trump appeared in Florida, telling a crowd at his golf club that Americans should "never forget the nightmare" of 7 October 2023 - the day Hamas launched attacks in Israel. He was speaking at an event commemorating the past 12 months.

    Earlier, claims the Republican presidential nominee made about the government re-distributing hurricane relief money to housing for migrants were described by the White House as "wrong" and "dangerous". Our BBC Verify colleagues have looked into the row, which is well worth getting up to speed with.

    We're going to pause our live US politics coverage there, but we'll be back tomorrow. Join us for more as the race for 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue continues.

  3. In Florida, Trump speaks at event marking year since Hamas attacked Israelpublished at 02:38 British Summer Time 8 October

    While Kamala Harris's interview with 60 Minutes was airing on CBS News, Donald Trump appeared at an event in Florida, hosted to commemorate Hamas's attacks in Israel on this date last year.

    "We can never forget the nightmare of that day," he told a crowd at his Trump National Doral Golf Club in southern Florida.

    Trump called a moment's silence before saying he knows "so many" families who lost a loved one "on that terrible day". Turning to the election, he said the US's "bond" with Israel would only strengthen with him as president.

    As we've reported, Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff earlier planted a pomegranate tree outside their official residence to mark the date. "A symbol of hope and righteousness," is how the VP described the gesture.

    • For context: Today marks a year since Hamas crossed into Israel, killed 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage. Since then, nearly 42,000 people have been killed during Israel's offensive in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
  4. BBC Verify

    Is US unemployment at an 'historic low'?published at 02:15 British Summer Time 8 October

    By Jake Horton

    During her interview on 60 Minutes, Kamala Harris said: "We now have historic low unemployment in America."

    Unemployment is not currently at its lowest level in US history.

    The jobless rate is 4.1% , external- relatively low but higher than the lowest point on record, which was 2.5% in 1953.

    It is also higher than its lowest point under former president Donald Trump - 3.5%.

    Under the Biden administration unemployment hit a low of 3.4% in January 2023.

    This was the lowest rate in more than 50 years - but it has since ticked up.

  5. Harris sticks to talking points in 60 Minutes interviewpublished at 02:07 British Summer Time 8 October

    Kayla Epstein
    US reporter

    Tonight's 60 Minutes interview posed tough questions to Vice-President Kamala Harris, but might not drastically move the needle in this election.

    Candidates often treat interviews like this one as an opportunity to show they can take tough questions from veteran journalists, and also tout their policy positions to an audience of millions of voters.

    Harris stuck to her tried and tested talking points, though CBS News' Bill Whitaker asked her probing questions about her positions on Ukraine, the economy, immigration and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

    We've heard most of these positions before, in stump speeches and other interviews. One revelation we did get, though, was Harris revealing the detail that she owns a Glock pistol and has fired it at a shooting range, after she previously touted her gun ownership in a September interview.

  6. 'Folks know who I am' - Walz pressed on Tiananmen Square remarkspublished at 01:50 British Summer Time 8 October

    Kamala Harris's CBS interview is coming to an end - before then it's the turn of her running mate Tim Walz to speak.

    He's asked about criticism he's faced for embellishing past events such as his military record and travels to Asia - including saying he was in Hong Kong during the Tiananmen Square massacre.

    He called himself a "knucklehead" for those remarks during his VP debate with Republican pick JD Vance - but he's now asked if it's a little more serious than that.

    "Folks know who I am and I think they know the difference between someone expressing emotion, telling a story, getting a date wrong, rather than a pathological liar like Donald Trump," Walz tells the 60 Minutes programme.

  7. Would Harris meet Putin? Not without Ukraine presentpublished at 01:40 British Summer Time 8 October

    Asked what success looks like when it comes to ending the war in Ukraine, the vice-president says any talks must involve the besieged country.

    “There will be no success in ending that war without Ukraine and the UN charter participating in what that success looks like," she says.

    Would she meet with Russian president Vladimir Putin to negotiate a solution to the war?

    "Not bilaterally without Ukraine, no," Harris says. "Ukraine must have a say on the future of Ukraine."

    She does not directly answer whether she would support the effort to expand Nato to include Ukraine: "Those are all issues that we will deal with if and when it arrives at that point."

    Media caption,

    Harris: ‘Ukraine must have a say on the future of Ukraine’

  8. On immigration, Harris accuses Trump of working to kill bipartisan billpublished at 01:36 British Summer Time 8 October

    Harris recently visited the US southern border, where she took a harder tone on immigration.

    She's asked about that change in tone - and policy - and says Congress has failed to pass bills to help fix the US immigration system, including the recent failure of a bipartisan border bill.

    Harris accuses Donald Trump - the Republican nominee and former president - of working to kill that bill by lobbying Republicans in Congress.

    Trump has previously denounced the bill as "bad".

    • For context: This is a frequent line of attack from Harris on her opponent. The issue of immigration is also a major vulnerability for the Democratic presidential nominee after encounters at the border reached record levels under the Biden administration - they've dropped in recent months.
    Media caption,

    Watch: Harris defends immigration policies in 60 Minutes interview

  9. Harris pushed on economypublished at 01:27 British Summer Time 8 October

    Next up, the economy.

    CBS News's Bill Whitaker points out that Americans are frustrated with the economy despite some positive economic indicators.

    Are they wrong to blame the Biden administration? he asks Harris.

    She begins by pointing out the administration's wins: "We now have historic low unemployment in America among all groups of people," she says, but acknowledges "prices are still too high".

    The VP tells CBS she will press Congress to ban price gouging by companies, which she blames for high grocery prices.

    Media caption,

    Harris: ‘I’m going to make the richest pay their fair share of taxes’

  10. 'How Israel defends itself matters' - vice-presidentpublished at 01:25 British Summer Time 8 October

    Off the bat, Harris is asked what the Middle East can do to prevent the war there from "spinning out of control", to which she mentions the victims of the attacks by Hamas on Israel.

    "Israel has a right to defend itself," she says. "And how it does so matters. Far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed. This war has to end."

    She is pressed on how the US had asked Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire, to not go into Lebanon - but both requests have been ignored.

    Harris says the US "will not stop pursuing what is necessary for the United States to be clear about where we stand for this war to end". She adds that the Israel-US alliance remains strong.

    • Remember: The interview is airing a year on from Hamas's 7 October attacks in Israel
  11. Harris's CBS interview starts soon - follow livepublished at 01:06 British Summer Time 8 October

    For the next hour, we're going to bring you updates from Vice-President Kamala Harris's sit-down with CBS's 60 Minutes.

    It's due to begin any minute, so stick with us.

    As a side note, the network says Donald Trump had accepted an invite to do a similar interview, but later pulled out.

  12. 'A lot of bad genes in US,' Trump says about certain migrantspublished at 00:42 British Summer Time 8 October

    Donald Trump has suggested that people living illegally in the US who commit murder have "bad genes".

    In a radio interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, the Republican presidential nominee repeated claims he's made before that the Biden-Harris administration has allowed murderers to enter the country.

    "How about allowing people to come through an open border, 13,000 of which were murderers," Trump told Hewitt.

    He continued: "You know, now, a murderer, I believe this - it’s in their genes. And we got bad, a lot of bad genes in our country right now."

    Responding to the comments, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has been quoted by reporters as saying: "That type of language is hateful, it’s disgusting, it’s inappropriate and has no place in our country."

    • For context: This is a claim Trump has made repeatedly during the election campaign, and it's one our BBC Verify colleagues have looked into and determined is misleading. You can read more about their findings here.
  13. Watch: Snippet of Harris's upcoming prime-time interviewpublished at 23:50 British Summer Time 7 October

    As we mentioned in our last post, Vice-President Kamala Harris is set to appear on CBC’s 60 Minutes news programme for a one-on-one interview this evening.

    In a preview clip that's been shared by the network, Harris is asked about her economic plan and how her administration will fund some of its promises if she is elected.

    Harris replies by taking aim at her opponent Donald Trump: "My economic plan would strengthen America’s economy. He would weaken it." She's then pushed for an answer: "The question was, how are you going to pay for it?"

    The full interview will air at 20:00 ET (01:00 BST) on CBS News and we'll bring you key updates in this page - you can watch the snippet we've just mentioned here:

  14. A busy day on the campaign trail as politicians commemorate 7 Octoberpublished at 23:27 British Summer Time 7 October

    If you're just joining us, or need a recap of the day's action, here's the latest:

    • Donald Trump and his Republican allies have been attacking the Biden-Harris administration over its response to Hurricane Helene, which tore through the US's south-east less than two weeks ago and killed more than 230 people
    • The former president has repeatedly claimed relief money's been diverted to help with housing for migrants; Deanne Criswell, who leads the US government's Fema agency, blasted it as "ridiculous" and "demoralising" to aid workers on the ground
    • Fema has a Disaster Relief Fund (worth more than $20bn for the last financial year) and a dedicated budget from Congress to be spent on food and shelter for people released from Department of Homeland Security (DHS) custody - they are two separate pots of money which Trump appears to be conflating, as our BBC Verify colleagues explain
    • Elsewhere, both presidential candidates participated in events to commemorate the year since Hamas's 7 October attack on Israel: Harris and her Jewish spouse Doug Emhoff planted a fruit tree while Trump - donning a kippah - visited a Jewish burial site in New York
    • After facing criticism for her sparse engagement with the press, Harris will be interviewed on CBS News' 60 Minutes programme later - which we'll bring you key updates from
    • Monday also marked two separate court rulings that tightened abortion restrictions in Texas and Georgia
  15. BBC Verify

    Has government money for hurricane victims been spent on illegal migrants?published at 22:55 British Summer Time 7 October

    By Jake Horton & Lucy Gilder

    At multiple campaign events since Hurricane Helene struck, Trump and his allies have claimed that government money earmarked for disaster victims has been spent on illegal migrants.

    “Kamala spent all her Fema money—billions of dollars—on housing for illegal migrants", Trump said in Michigan last week.

    But Fema, the US government agency providing disaster response, has called these claims "false" saying, "no money is being diverted from disaster response needs”.

    Fema has a Disaster Relief Fund (worth more than $20bn for the last financial year) which is ring-fenced to spend on responding to hurricanes and other natural disasters.

    It also has a dedicated budget from Congress to be spent on food, shelter, transportation, and other support services for immigrants released from Department of Homeland Security (DHS) custody.

    These are two separate pots of money - administered by the agency - which Trump appears to be conflating.

  16. BBC Verify

    Are hurricane victims only getting $750?published at 22:34 British Summer Time 7 October

    By Lucy Gilder

    The Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) - a US government body which responds to disasters - has described misinformation about its response to Hurricane Helene as "extremely damaging".

    It highlighted claims about the financial support, external it has offered to hurricane survivors.

    At the Butler rally on Saturday, JD Vance said: “They promised $750 to American citizens who have lost everything”.

    He is right that they’re being offered this amount, but his claim is missing important context.

    The $750 is what people can get as an upfront payment to help cover the costs of food, water, medication, and other emergency supplies.

  17. 'We're doing everything possible for ceasefire,' Harris says after planting honorary 7 October treepublished at 22:04 British Summer Time 7 October

    Rebecca Hartmann
    Reporting from the Naval Observatory garden

    Doug Emhoff and Kamala Harris plant a pomegranate treeImage source, None

    Vice-President Harris, alongside her husband Doug Emhoff, planted a pomegranate tree in the garden of the Vice-President’s residence, the Naval Observatory.

    “A symbol of hope and righteousness… to remind future vice-presidents of the United States not only of the horror of October 7th but the strength and endurance of the Jewish people,” Harris said.

    The Vice-President pledged she will “always ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself and will always work to ensure the safety of the Jewish people here and around the world.”

    Harris called for the release of all American hostages both living and deceased before reciting the names of American hostages. "We're doing everything possible to get a ceasefire."

    Before planting the tree with his wife, the Second Gentleman said he is “still filled with pain and despair. This is an incredibly challenging day for Jews around the world myself included.”

    He said October 7th is “seared into our souls”.

    After planting the tree, the vice-president answered a question from a journalist.

    “The most important thing is we will be able to end this war and to bring any semblance of stability to this region”

  18. Watch: Trump visits Jewish burial site year after Hamas attacks in Israelpublished at 21:59 British Summer Time 7 October

    A little earlier, Donald Trump was filmed visiting Ohel Chabad Lubavitch, the final resting place of Rabbi Schneerson in New York.

    The Republican presidential nominee was commemorating the 7 October Hamas attacks in Israel, a year after they happened. He's due to make a speech at a remembrance event in Florida - where he lives - later.

    His Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris, has been out making similar appearances.

    Media caption,

    Donald Trump visits Jewish burial site in New York

  19. Analysis

    An 'October surprise' could still change the gamepublished at 21:42 British Summer Time 7 October

    Anthony Zurcher
    BBC North America correspondent

    With less than a month until election day, the contest between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris is the electoral equivalent of a bare-knuckle brawl.

    The race for the White House still appears deadlocked, both nationally and in battleground states, so victory will be decided by the slimmest of margins - every new voter engaged, every undecided voter swayed, could help land a knock-out punch.

    While party strategists are focused on how to earn that decisive edge, it could just as easily be an event out of their control, an unexpected twist, that upends the campaign in the final weeks.

    The term “October surprise” has been a fixture in American political lexicon for nearly 50 years. Campaigns dread the unexpected headline or crisis that pushes their candidates off message and changes the trajectory of a race.

    Even the smallest ripple in public opinion might deliver the White House in a year when the electoral margins in the swing states could be measured in only tens of thousands of votes.

    From the political fallout from Hurricane Helene to an escalation of conflict in the Middle East, there are already a few new rumbles that could turn into political storms.

  20. Two major court rulings on abortionpublished at 20:58 British Summer Time 7 October

    The US Supreme Court began its new term on Monday and immediately waded back into abortion politics.

    The conservative-leaning court left in place a lower court's ruling that said hospitals in Texas cannot be required to terminate pregnancies that would violate state law.

    In doing so, the nation's top court declined to take up an appeal from the Biden administration, which argued that hospitals must perform emergency abortions as per federal law.

    Also on Monday, the Supreme Court restored a six-week abortion ban in the critical swing state of Georgia. It halted a judge's ruling that said the ban was unconstitutional.

    The fall of Roe v Wade, which guaranteed a nationwide right to abortion, is "creating chaos and confusion for women and doctors", said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre earlier today.

    "The stories we hear of women being denied care they need in emergency situations is completely unacceptable."