Trump doubles down on calling Kamala Harris ‘stupid’ without evidence as George Santos pleads guilty: Live

A prominent former appeals court judge and conservative legal scholar has endorsed Kamala Harris, while branding Donald Trump a unique threat to American democracy.

In a statement obtained by CNN, J Michael Luttig, who was appointed to the federal bench by the Republican George H.W. Bush administration, described Donald Trump’s support for the January 6 rioters and continued lies about winning the 2020 election as a stake being “driven through the heart of America’s Democracy.”

Josh Marcus reports.

A new poll shows some baby boomers and members of the Silent Generation are switching allegiances from former President Donald Trump to Vice President Kamala Harris.

The Emerson College poll released Thursday shows voters over 70 backing Harris over Trump 51 to 48 percent. That’s a small but positive shift for Harris, as last month, 50 percent of the group supported Trump while 48 percent backed President Joe Biden, who dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris last month.

The group includes some baby boomers, who were born between 1946 and 1964, and the Silent Generation, born between 1925 and 1945.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

Senator and Army National Guard veteran Tammy Duckworth has slammed Donald Trump, calling him “despicable” for his degrading comments about military veterans and for suggesting the highest civilian award is more prestigious than the Medal of Honor awarded to service members who have demonstrated “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity.”

Myriam Page has the story.

Donald Trump has taken a last-minute swipe at Kamala Harris ahead of the first day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, as he posted an AI-generated image of the vice president speaking to a jam-packed crowd of Communists.

Harris has been on the receiving end of a barrage of personal attacks from the former president as she pulls ahead in the national polls – including all seven battleground states, bar Nevada.

James Liddell has the story.

Elon Musk says he is “willing to serve”, hours after former president Donald Trump said he was considering the Tesla CEO for an adviser role in his cabinet if elected to power.

“He’s a very smart guy. I certainly would, if he would do it, I certainly would. He’s a brilliant guy,” Trump said after a campaign event in Pennsylvania.

In a post on X, Musk wrote: “I am willing to serve”.

It was accompanied with a picture of him standing in front of a podium emblazoned with the words “Department of Government Efficiency” along with the acronym DOGE, a reference to a popular cryptocurrency that Musk has often backed in the past.

Musk last month publicly endorsed Trump in the US presidential race.

A number of fake electors who attempted to overturn the 2020 presidential election have donated to Donald Trump as recently as this year, financial records show.

Fake electors have continued to donate thousands to Trump, his running mate JD Vance and other Republicans despite some of them facing criminal charges for their role in the 2020 election.

Rhian Lubin has the story.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social late on Monday that vice president Kamala Harris will not do a Fox News debate that was under consideration for 4 September.

Trump said that he instead agreed to do a televised town hall, anchored by Sean Hannity, on Fox News in Pennsylvania.

Donald Trump said he would accept the presidential election result only if they are “free and fair”, as he claimed that if he loses, the US “will go into a tailspin” like the great depression of 1929.

By “fair” he means “that votes are counted”, explained the former president.

“It means that votes are fair. It means that they don’t cheat on the election, they don’t drop ballots, they don’t install new rules and regulations that they don’t have the power to do.”

“If I see that we had a fair and free election, which I hope to be able to say, but if I see that, I will be — you will never see anybody more honorable than me.”

Former president Donald Trump has doubled down on calling Kamala Harris “stupid” without offering any evidence as to why.

“I think that the message is what a bad job they’ve done,” he told CBS News, on being asked if the use of personal insults like this was the way to win over moderate voters.

“I mean, if you look at this economy, if you look at inflation, and you know, I love this country,” said Trump. “I have to do what it takes to win. I have to get this country going, because we’re going to lose our country.”

On being probed about the evidence to support his characterisation of Ms Harris as stupid, he said: “Our country needs a very smart person, and I don’t think she’s a very smart person.

“So, I’m not looking to — I don’t consider that an insult — that’s just a fact.”

“What evidence do you have for that?” CBS News’ Caitlin Huey-Burns asked.

“I looked at the things that she’s said, I looked at the way she deals, I looked at her record — her crazy record — I look at her policies. I just don’t happen to think so,” the one-time president responded. “Now, I could say she is [smart] and I know that would be very nice. And the other thing, we have to win this election.”

Former president Donald Trump said he would “gladly” release his medical record, as he denied suffering from post-traumatic stress following the attempt on his life.

The GOP presidential nominee told CBS News that in his medical exams, he received a “perfect score,” and two cognitive tests, which he said he “aced.”

“I got everything right,” Trump said. “And one of the doctors said, ‘I’ve never seen that before, where you get everything right.’ No, I have no problem [in releasing medical records]. I’d go a step further, I think anybody that runs for president, whether they’re 75 or 65 or 45, I think should take a cognitive test.”