Trump, Harris work to expand their coalitions in final weeks of election

By Associated Press

The lines that have long defined each party’s policy priorities are blurring as Kamala Harris and Donald Trump seek to expand their coalitions in the final weeks of a highly competitive presidential election. The contest could hinge on how many disaffected suburban Republicans vote for Harris and how much of the Democrats’ traditional base — African Americans, Latinos, young people and union members — shifts to Trump.

This has led both candidates to take positions that would once have been unacceptable to their electorate, challenging long-held assumptions about what each party stands for.

Trump is expected to travel to swing state Pennsylvania on Monday to discuss his plans to counter U.S. dependence on China with a group led by a loyalist who was his top intelligence official. Monday’s event is set to focus on proposals to boost America’s food supply and protect U.S. farmers. Harris will visit Pennsylvania on Wednesday.

Trump is expected to hold a rally late Monday at 7 p.m. ET in Indiana, Pennsylvania, a city east of Pittsburgh where he hopes conservative, white working-class voters will help him overtake Harris.

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

Here’s the latest information:

Harris Reaches Agreement with Biden Administration on Transition Planning

Vice President Kamala Harris’ transition team has reached an agreement with the General Services Administration to receive pre-election support from the federal government to prepare for her potential presidency.

The agency, which by law must offer office space, technology support and other resources to major-party candidates, posted the agreement on its website Monday. The signed memorandum, which outlines IT, recordkeeping and ethics rules, is dated Sept. 19.

There was no word on whether former President Donald Trump’s team would reach an agreement before Election Day. However, the agency said it was willing to provide services to Trump’s transition team once an agreement is signed and services are accepted.

Across the federal government, planning is underway for the transition of power to either Trump or Harris, which is expected to occur on January 20, 2025.

Last week, Chief of Staff Jeffrey Zients hosted a meeting of the White House Transition Coordinating Committee — the highest-ranking group planning the government’s transition — that included Harris and Trump representatives for the first time this year. And agencies are preparing detailed briefing notes on their actions to share with the eventual winner’s team.

Trump plans trip to Pennsylvania where he will focus on fighting China

Donald Trump returns to the campaign trail on Monday. He is expected to travel to the key swing state of Pennsylvania to discuss his plans to combat U.S. reliance on China with a group led by a loyalist who was his top intelligence official.

The former president and Republican presidential candidate will attend the event, which will take place at 3 p.m. ET in rural Pittsburgh. The event is organized by the Protecting America Initiative, led by Richard Grenell, Trump’s former acting director of national intelligence, and former New York congressman Lee Zeldin.

Trump has embraced the tariffs in an attempt to appeal to working-class voters who oppose free trade deals and outsourcing factories and jobs. Monday’s event focuses on proposals to boost America’s food supply and protect American farmers.

The National Agricultural Law Center estimates that 24 states prohibit or restrict nonresident aliens and foreign companies or governments from owning private farmland. The problem arose after a Chinese billionaire bought more than 130,000 acres near a U.S. Air Force base in Texas, and another Chinese company wanted to build a corn plantation near an Air Force base in North Dakota.

Later Monday, Trump is scheduled to rally voters at 7 p.m. ET in Indiana, Pennsylvania, a city east of Pittsburgh where he hopes conservative, white, working-class voters will help him overtake Vice President Kamala Harris, his opponent. Harris is also visiting Pennsylvania on Wednesday.

Man accused of attempted assassination left note saying he intended to kill Trump

The man accused of trying to assassinate Donald Trump at a Florida golf course left a note saying he intended to kill the former president and had a handwritten list of dates and places Trump was supposed to appear in his car, the Justice Department said Monday.

The new charges were included in a detention memo filed by the Justice Department. During Monday’s hearing, U.S. Judge Ryon McCabe agreed with the Justice Department that Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, should remain locked up while the case continues, saying the “weight of the evidence against the defendant is strong.”

The note, addressed to “Dear World,” was delivered to the home of an unidentified person who contacted federal authorities after Ryan Wesley Routh was arrested last Sunday. The box, which also contained ammunition, a metal pipe and other items, was not opened by that person until after Routh’s arrest.

Originally published: September 23, 2024 at 11:10 AM