Friday Briefing: Trump and Harris Agreed to Debate

🇺🇸 U.S. ELECTION 2024

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Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida yesterday. Credit…Doug Mills/The New York Times

Trump and Harris agreed to debate in September

Donald Trump suggested that he was eager to face off with Vice President Kamala Harris yesterday during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago, and he proposed three dates for debates. The ABC network confirmed that it would host the two candidates for a debate on Sept. 10.

The conference was the former president’s first public appearance since Harris became the Democratic nominee, and it signified an effort to recapture political momentum. His points were familiar: that Harris was weak on the issues of crime and protecting the U.S. border with Mexico, and he described her as “a radical left person” who was “very, very bad to Israel and very bad to Jewish people.”

Trump also took personal shots, saying that Harris wasn’t “smart enough” to do a news conference and repeatedly mispronouncing her first name.

Here’s what else to know:

• Harris does not support an arms embargo on Israel, her national security adviser said.

• Supporters of Trump say that Harris’s rise has unsettled the former president, and that he is struggling to focus.

• Pro-Palestinian protesters heckled Harris during a rally on Wednesday, resurfacing party divisions over the war in Gaza. She turned the interruption to her advantage.

• Taylor Swift’s coveted endorsement went to President Biden in 2020. Swift fans are craving similar support for Harris.

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