Former Washington Post editor calls non-endorsement ‘cowardice’
Joanna Walters
Marty Baron, the distinguished former editor of the Washington Post, has excoriated his old employer’s decision not to endorse either Kamala Harris or Donald Trump in next month’s presidential election.
Baron, who was editor of the Boston Globe before he moved to the capital to run the Post in 2013 – both of which publications have won Pulitzer prizes under his leadership – has called the Post’s move to avoid picking a favored nominee for the White House “cowardice”.
He posted on X that it represented: “Disturbing spinelessness at an institution famed for courage.”
Baron retired from the Washington Post in 2021. You can read the Guardian’s profile of him then, here.
Key events
Donald Trump has taken the stage at a campaign rally in Austin, Texas.
Addressing the latest decision from a federal judge that Virginia must restore voter eligibility to more than 1,600 people after their eligibility was illegally removed, Trump said:
“The outrageous decision goes against the very bedrock of our democracy.”
Trump, who has also falsely claimed that the 2020 election was stolen from him, alled the decision “blatantly non-American, it’s election interference” and went on to baselessly accuse Kamala Harris of being “behind it.”
Harris slams Trump for comments that ‘belittle’ US
Joanna Walters
Kamala Harris is talking to reporters in Houston, in one of her new, impromptu quick comments on camera at short notice and willingness to take questions.
She has just criticized Donald Trump for his comments on the campaign trail last night when he called the country a “garbage can” because of immigration policies under the Biden administration.
“It’s just another example of how he really belittles our country,” Harris said. The Democratic nominee for president is standing against a backdrop of American flags, shortly after arriving in Houston, Texas, which, despite being a strongly Republican-voting state, is a place she can find a national soapbox.
Harris continued about Trump, the Republican nominee, that about his having a bully pulpit.
“And this is how he uses it? To tell the rest of the world that the United States is trash?” she said. She said it was not how the president of the United States should behave.
Asked whether she has voted yet, she said no, not yet. Asked if she could get pro-choice legislation through Congress to restore the rights of Roe v Wade – taken away by a US supreme court stacked by Trump to the right – she pointed out, revealingly, that if Democratic candidate Colin Allred can unseat GOP Senator Ted Cruz in Texas, it will boost her party’s hopes of keeping control of the US Senate, crucial to pass legislation.
Washington Post publisher reversed plan to endorse Harris – report
Joanna Walters
The new publisher of the Washington Post, controversial British journalist Will Lewis, squashed the paper’s plans to endorse Kamala Harris for the White House in this election, according to a report.
The Columbia Journalism Review has just published an article saying that senior figures at the Post, including in the opinion section and on the board, had been preparing to publish the announcement that the Post was endorsing Harris, the Democratic nominee for president – but there were delays.
Then earlier today, the publication announced it would not endorse either Harris or her Republican rival Donald Trump – and that the plan to back Harris had been reversed by Lewis.
It quoted a democracy expert, Ian Bassin, from a previous CJR article calling the decision by the Post – and also this week by the Los Angeles Times, which is also owned by a billionaire – not to endorse “anticipatory obedience” in trying to appease Donald Trump in case he wins. Trump has called the mainstream media “the enemy of the people”.
Susan Rice calls Washington Post refusal to endorse a nominee ‘chicken shit’
Joanna Walters
Senior Democratic figure Susan Rice, who was US ambassador to the United Nations and national security adviser under Barack Obama and then director of the US domestic policy council under Joe Biden, has made a blistering post on X about the Washington Post.
“So much for ‘Democracy Dies in Darkness’,” she said, referring to the newspaper’s slogan.
She continued: “This is the most hypocritical, chicken shit move from a publication that is supposed to hold people in power to account.”
So much for “Democracy Dies in Darkness”. This is the most hypocritical, chicken shit move from a publication that is supposed to hold people in power to account. https://t.co/xnQMuR4kIJ
— Susan Rice (@AmbassadorRice) October 25, 2024
Joanna Walters
There is welling disquiet over the Washington Post’s announcement that it will decline to endorse either Kamala Harris or Donald Trump in this election.
A former long-serving senior editor from the paper called it “appalling”, especially “given the choice this year”. Robert McCartney has previously speculated that the Post would endorse Harris and also had heard on the grapevine that they would dodge. Here’s his reaction on X now:
Omigod, it’s apparently true: NPR reports Washington Post will not endorse for president. First time since 1988. Given the choice this year, it’s appalling. https://t.co/HoDjKcKYnQ
— Robert McCartney (@McCartneyWP) October 25, 2024
McCartney had posted yesterday: “There’s speculation in newsroom that owner Jeff Bezos may want to avoid risk of endangering Amazon’s government contracts if Trump wins.”
Former Washington Post editor calls non-endorsement ‘cowardice’
Joanna Walters
Marty Baron, the distinguished former editor of the Washington Post, has excoriated his old employer’s decision not to endorse either Kamala Harris or Donald Trump in next month’s presidential election.
Baron, who was editor of the Boston Globe before he moved to the capital to run the Post in 2013 – both of which publications have won Pulitzer prizes under his leadership – has called the Post’s move to avoid picking a favored nominee for the White House “cowardice”.
He posted on X that it represented: “Disturbing spinelessness at an institution famed for courage.”
Baron retired from the Washington Post in 2021. You can read the Guardian’s profile of him then, here.
Interim summary
As Tim Walz prepares to take the stage in Philadephia for a campaign rally event, here’s a look at where things stand in the world of US politics:
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For the first time since the 1980s, the Washington Post has said it will not endorse any US presidential candidate this year nor in any future presidential elections. A note from publisher Will Lewis that was posted on X on Friday said: “We recognize that this will be read in a range of ways, including as a tacit endorsement of one candidate, or as a condemnation of another, or as an abdication of responsibility. That is inevitable. We don’t see it that way.”
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Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are tied at 48%, according to a new poll by the New York Times and Siena College. Published on Friday, the poll also revealed that 31% of registered voters view Trump as very favorable while 29% view Harris as very favorable.
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More young Americans favor Kamala Harris over Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential race, according to a new Harvard Youth Poll published today by the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School. The poll, which surveyed 2,001 voters under the age of 30 between 3 and 14 October, found that Harris leads Trump by 20 points among registered voters under 30 and by 28 points among likely voters.
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Joe Biden has issued a statement ahead of his presidential apology for the federal Indian boarding school era, calling it “one of the darkest chapters of American history”. In his statement, Biden said: “The Federal Indian Boarding School Era is one of the darkest chapters of American history. The trauma experienced in those institutions haunts our conscience to this very day.”
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Jill Biden is set to campaign alongside Gwen Walz in Michigan and Wisconsin next week. In a press release issued on Friday, the Harris-Walz campaign said that the two educators will campaign in Michigan and Wisconsin, marking the first time they campaign together.
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With just a few days away from the election, Kamala Harris’s campaign continues to raise significantly more funds than Donald Trump’s. In the first half of October, Harris’s campaign reported $97m raised, according to reports filed on Thursday with the Federal Election Commission, Politico reports. Meanwhile, Trump’s campaign raised $16m during this time period.
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Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are taking a detour from barnstorming the battleground states that will decide November’s election with Friday stops in Texas, a conservative state that was the first to implement a near-total abortion ban. Superstar singer Beyoncé is expected to join Harris at her Houston stop and perform, two sources told Reuters. Harris has made Beyoncé’s song Freedom her campaign anthem.
Washington Post won’t make presidential endorsement for first time since 1980s
For the first time since the 1980s, the Washington Post has said it will not endorse any US presidential candidate this year nor in any future presidential elections.
A note from publisher Will Lewis that was posted on X on Friday said:
We recognize that this will be read in a range of ways, including as a tacit endorsement of one candidate, or as a condemnation of another, or as an abdication of responsibility. That is inevitable. We don’t see it that way. We see it as consistent with the values The Post has always stood for and what we hope for in a leader: character and courage in service to the American ethic, veneration for the rule of law, and respect for human freedom in all its aspects. We also see it as a statement in support of our readers’ ability to make up their own minds on this, the most consequential of American decisions – whom to vote for as the next president.
Our job at The Washington Post is to provide through the newsroom non-partisan news for all Americans, and thought-provoking, reported views from our opinion team to help our readers make up their own minds. Most of all, our job as the newspaper of the capital city of the most important country in the world is to be independent.
And that is what we are and will be.
Kamala Harris has released the following statement to mark one year since the Lewiston shootings in Maine when 18 people were killed and another 13 were injured by a gunman who stormed a bowling alley and a restaurant:
One year ago, an act of senseless violence carried out with a weapon of war took the lives of 18 loved ones and injured 13 others in Lewiston, Maine. Doug and I join all Mainers in remembering those who lost their lives on that fall night, standing with their families, and thinking of the survivors of this horrific mass shooting.
In the 12 months since this tragedy took place at a local restaurant and a bowling alley, the Lewiston community has shown incredible unity, resilience and strength. They have responded by reminding the nation of the unacceptable fact that far too many families have experienced the tremendous pain and trauma caused by the epidemic of gun violence. This is exactly why I have worked to take action to address this issue with the urgency it demands and keep our loved ones safe …
I continue to call on Congress to pass universal background checks, red flag and safe storage laws, a ban on bump stocks, and a renewal of the assault weapons ban.
In a new tweet on Friday, Kamala Harris warned of Donald Trump’s threats of using the justice department against his enemies, saying:
Donald Trump has been very clear that he would weaponize the Department of Justice against his political enemies. You know who does that?
Dictators do that.
Donald Trump has been very clear that he would weaponize the Department of Justice against his political enemies. You know who does that?
Dictators do that.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) October 25, 2024
Anna Betts
More young Americans favor Kamala Harris over Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential race, according to a new Harvard Youth Poll published today by the Institute of Politics (IOP) at Harvard Kennedy School.
The poll, which surveyed 2,001 voters under the age of 30 between 3 and 14 October, found that Harris leads Trump by 20 points among registered voters under 30 and by 28 points among likely voters.
In the seven key swing states, Harris’s lead narrows to 9 points among registered voters under 30.
Interestingly, the survey found that peer influence might play a crucial role in voter turnout for those under 30. When young Americans believe their friends will vote, 79% say they plan to vote as well, per the survey, compared with just 35% for those who think peers will not participate.
“The social dynamic of youth voting has never been more clear: when young Americans believe their friends will vote, they’re nearly two and a half times more likely to cast a ballot themselves,” John Della Volpe, the polling director of the Institute of Politics, said in a statement. “It’s peer influence, not just politics, that could determine youth turnout this year – and ultimately who becomes the next president.”
Here is the live stream of Tim Walz’s campaign event in Philadelphia:
Stay tuned as we bring you the latest updates.
Tim Walz to hold campaign event in Philadelphia
Tim Walz is scheduled to attend a campaign rally in Philadephia later this morning.
The vice-presidential candidate’s visit to the City of Brotherly Love comes as part of his campaign stops across Pennsylvania, which will also include Allentown and Scranton.
Ahead of his Philadelphia rally, Walz spoke to Philadephia-based radio station WHYY on which he said:
Donald Trump’s tendencies now are fascist tendencies, he has a long history of his racial comments. His running mate, JD Vance, said voters just don’t like the racist part of Donald Trump.
Walz’s comments about Trump follow a slew of similar comments made by Democrats and former Trump allies in recent days who have likened the former president to a fascist.
The ongoing elections in Ohio could decide control of the US Senate.
Stephen Starr reports for the Guardian:
When the Democrat Sherrod Brown was first elected to the US Senate in 2006, Ohio, with its large urban populations and manufacturing industries, was fairly reliable territory for Democrats.
Barack Obama claimed the state in 2008 and 2012 on his way to the White House. Democrats boasted strong representation in Ohio’s politics. Analysts zealously watched its voting patterns, such was its prominence as a bellwether state.
In the years since, the state has become older, whiter and more conservative. Manufacturing has shrunk and population has stagnated.
Brown is now the only Democrat holding a statewide seat in Ohio. And he is weeks out from a crucial Senate election against former luxury car dealer Bernie Moreno, a contest that could reshape US politics for years to come,
For one, keeping Brown’s seat is crucial if Democrats hope to maintain their control of the US Senate.
For the full story, click here:
Joe Biden has issued a statement ahead of his presidential apology for the federal Indian boarding school era, calling it “one of the darkest chapters of American history”.
In his statement, Biden said:
The Federal Indian Boarding School Era is one of the darkest chapters of American history. The trauma experienced in those institutions haunts our conscience to this very day.
Today, I’m in Arizona to issue a long overdue presidential apology for this era – and speak to how my Administration has worked to invest in Indian Country and our relationships with Tribal Nations, advance Tribal sovereignty and self-determination, respect Native cultures, and protect Indigenous sacred sites.
On my watch, we’ll remain committed to ushering in a new era between our government and nation-to-nation relationships – one that is grounded in dignity and respect. We must remember our full history, even when it’s painful. That’s what great nations do. And we are a great nation.
The Federal Indian Boarding School Era is one of the darkest chapters of American history. The trauma experienced in those institutions haunts our conscience to this very day.
Today, I’m in Arizona to issue a long overdue presidential apology for this era – and speak to how my…
— President Biden (@POTUS) October 25, 2024
Jill Biden is set to campaign alongside Gwen Walz in Michigan and Wisconsin next week.
In a press release issued on Friday, the Harris-Walz campaign said that the two educators will campaign in Michigan and Wisconsin, marking the first time they campaign together.
In Bay City, Michigan, they will attend a Women for Harris-Walz event which will focus on reproductive freedoms. In Traverse City, Michigan, the two women will join Harris-Walz campaign supporters for a volunteer mobilization event.
In La Crosse, Wisconsin, they will attend an Educators for Harris-Walz event.
Former model Stacey Williams says Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein ‘coordinated’ the groping incident at Trump Towers in 1993.
The Guardian’s Jessica Glenza reports:
Former model Stacey Williams said she thought Donald Trump groped her to show off to her then boyfriend, the late financier and sexual abuser Jeffrey Epstein, when the couple dropped by to visit him in Trump Tower in New York in 1993.
In her first detailed, on-camera interview since discussing assault allegations with the Guardian, Williams late on Thursday told CNN that she recalled the former president and Epstein smiled at each other as the property mogul was feeling her up, which gave her the impression the entire incident was a “coordinated” game between the two men.
Her account comes just weeks before the presidential election, in which Trump and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris are essentially tied, according to polls. Trump has denied Williams’s accounts.
“The second he was in front of me, he pulled me into him and his hands were just on me and didn’t come off,” Williams told CNN, echoing her account to the Guardian.
“Then the hands started moving on the side of my breasts, on my hips, back down to my butt, back up, sort of – they were just on me the whole time, and I froze,” she said.
For the full story, click here:
Harris raises $97m in first half of October, compared with Trump’s $16m
With just a few days away from election day, Kamala Harris’s campaign continues to raise significantly more funds than Donald Trump’s campaign.
In the first half of October, Harris’s campaign reported $97m raised, according to reports filed on Thursday with the Federal Election Commission, Politico reports. Meanwhile, Trump’s campaign raised $16m during this time period.
The outlet reports:
The picture looked slightly better for Trump when looking at his overall political operation, including money raised through joint fundraising committees, but Harris still maintained a significant advantage, with $176 million raised across her network compared to $97 million for Trump when including his affiliated fundraising groups.”
It also added that in the first 16 days of October, Harris’s campaign outspent Trump’s campaign significantly – $166m compared with $99m. For both candidates, paid media was the largest category, with Harris’s campaign spending $127m and Trump’s campaign spending $88m.