In a protracted and, at instances, rambling information convention on Thursday, former President Donald Trump repeated quite a few falsehoods as he lashed out in opposition to Vice President Kamala Harris, his opponent within the presidential race.
Trump led the occasion, his first open information convention since Gov. Tim Walz was named Harris’ operating mate, by asserting he agreed to ABC Information’ Sept. 10 debate in opposition to Harris. Trump didn’t point out Walz by identify through the information convention at Mar-a-Lago, which went on for over an hour.
Trump responded to a number of questions from the press however went off-topic a number of instances to push false claims on a number of matters, together with the end result of the 2020 election. Listed here are among the main takeaways.
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks throughout a press convention at his Mar-a-Lago property, Aug. 8, 2024, in Palm Seaside, Fla.
Joe Raedle/Getty Pictures
Trump continues assaults on Harris’ race, gender, intelligence
Trump continued to push racist rhetoric about false claims that Harris solely not too long ago introduced up her Black heritage.
“Properly, you’ll should ask her that query as a result of she’s the one who stated it; I didn’t say it,” Trump falsely acknowledged. “So, you’ll should ask her.”
Earlier, Trump additionally appeared to attribute Harris’ success to her gender whereas questioning her intelligence.
“I am not a giant fan of his mind, however I feel that she’s really not as good as he’s,” he stated, citing his former opponent, President Joe Biden.
“Properly … uh, she’s a lady. She represents sure teams of individuals,” Trump added.
Harris was requested about Trump’s feedback later within the day.
“I used to be too busy speaking to voters. I didn’t hear them,” she instructed reporters.
Trump will get defensive when requested about Harris’ rallies
Trump grew more and more indignant when requested about Harris’ crowd measurement at her current rallies.
“Oh, give me a break,” he instructed a reporter.
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago property, Aug. 8, 2024, in Palm Seaside, Fla.
Alex Brandon/AP
“I’ve spoken to the most important crowds. No person’s spoken to crowds greater than me,” he stated.
Trump introduced again the difficulty of crowd measurement, particularly the group in Washington D.C., on Jan. 6. when requested if there was a peaceable switch of energy when he left workplace.
The previous president in contrast his speech that day, earlier than the riot, to that of Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1963 March on Washington, which the civil rights chief delivered to an estimated crowd of 200,000 individuals, in accordance with the U.S. Census.
“Should you take a look at Martin Luther King when he did his speech, his nice speech, and also you take a look at ours, similar actual property, similar every part, similar variety of individuals. If not, we had extra,” he stated.
An estimated 10,000 individuals got here onto Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, in accordance with information.
Trump seems to shift stance on abortion drugs
Trump additionally appeared to indicate a shift in his stance on abortion drugs, opening up the opportunity of directing the Meals and Drug Administration to revoke entry to mifepristone, a transfer supported by Challenge 2025.
“Completely. And people issues are fairly, open and humane,” he stated when requested if he would ask the FDA to ban the drug. “However you have got to have the ability to have a vote. And all I wish to do is give everyone a vote, and the votes are going down proper now as we communicate.”
The Trump marketing campaign later clarified the previous president’s perception that abortion legal guidelines ought to be left as much as the states.
“As President Trump stated, he needs ‘everyone to vote’ on points relating to abortion, which is constant along with his long-held place of supporting the rights of states to make selections on abortion,” Trump Marketing campaign Nationwide Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated in an announcement after the information convention.
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago property, Aug. 8, 2024, in Palm Seaside, Fla.
Alex Brandon/AP
Trump instructed reporters the abortion situation has “very a lot tempered down.”
“It is a very small,” he claimed “I feel it is really going to be a really small situation.”
An ABC Information/Washington Submit/Ipsos ballot launched final month discovered that 57% of People stated entry to abortion was a highly-important issue of their vote.
The previous president stated he helps abortion for exceptions however that he felt the matter ought to be left as much as the states.
He was requested particularly about Florida, which could have a poll measure in search of to determine a constitutional proper to abortion earlier than fetal viability. Trump stated he would maintain a press convention in regards to the subject “sooner or later within the close to future.”
“Florida does have a vote arising on that, and I feel most likely the vote will go in somewhat extra liberal means than individuals thought. However I will be asserting that on the applicable time,” he stated.
Trump says Harris’ ‘honeymoon’ will proceed by way of DNC
Harris and Walz are at present on a marketing campaign tour hitting seven battleground states.
Trump stated he was not doing the identical sort of tour as a result of he felt he was main in these states.
He additionally predicted that Harris’ “honeymoon interval” is not going to final lengthy.
“Oh, it will finish. The honeymoon interval goes to finish. Look, she’s obtained somewhat interval, she’s obtained a conference arising,” he stated.