Servicemen of Rosguardia (National Guard) guard an area near Red Square prior to celebrating the New Year’s Day, in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

The United States has imposed sanctions on two groups linked to Iranian and Russian efforts to target American voters with disinformation ahead of this year’s election.

Treasury officials announced the sanctions Tuesday, alleging that the two organizations sought to stoke divisions among Americans before November’s vote. U.S. intelligence has accused both governments of spreading disinformation, including fake videos, news stories and social media posts, designed to manipulate voters and undermine trust in U.S. elections.

“The governments of Iran and Russia have targeted our election processes and institutions and sought to divide the American people through targeted disinformation campaigns,” Bradley T. Smith, Treasury’s acting undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in a statement.

Authorities said the Russian group, the Moscow-based Center for Geopolitical Expertise, oversaw the creation, financing and dissemination of disinformation about American candidates, including deepfake videos created using artificial intelligence.

In addition to the group itself, the new sanctions apply to its director, who authorities say worked closely with Russian military intelligence agents also overseeing cyberattacks and sabotage against the West.

Authorities say the centre used AI to quickly manufacture fake videos about American candidates created scores of fake news websites designed to look legitimate and even paid U.S. web companies to create pro-Russian content.

The Iranian group, the Cognitive Design Production Center, is a subsidiary of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, U.S. officials said, which the United States has designated a foreign terrorist organization. Officials say the center worked since at least 2023 to incite political tensions in the United States.

U.S. intelligence agencies have blamed the Iranian government for seeking to encourage protests in the U.S. over Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. Iran also has been accused of hacking into the accounts of several top current and former U.S. officials, including senior members of Donald Trump’s campaign.

In the months ahead of the election, U.S. intelligence officials said Russia, Iran and China all sought to undermine confidence in U.S. democracy. They also concluded that Russia sought to prop up the ultimate victor Trump, who has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, suggested cutting funds to Ukraine and repeatedly criticized the NATO military alliance.

Iran, meanwhile, sought to oppose Trump’s candidacy, officials said. The president-elect’s first administration ended a nuclear deal with Iran, reimposed sanctions and ordered the killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, an act prompting Iran’s leaders to vow revenge.

Russian and Iranian officials have rejected claims that they sought to influence the outcome of the 2024 election.

“Russia has not and does not interfere with the internal affairs of other countries,” a spokesperson for Russia’s embassy in Washington wrote in an email Tuesday.

A message left with officials from Iran was not immediately returned Tuesday.

New dawn: A demonstrator protests at the San Ysidro crossing port on the
U.S.-Mexico border, during International Migrants Day on December 18. 
| Photo Credit: AFP

The story so far:

When U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is administered the oath of office on January 20, 2025, and officially kicks off his second term at the White House, it will be the onset of four years that herald the deepening of domestic and foreign policy priorities enacted in his first term as President. On the cards are a reimposition of punitive tariffs against nations exporting to the U.S., and India is likely to feature on that list; a tough stance on immigration; and changes in foreign policy, with America likely to see the continuing withdrawal from global, multilateral and regional engagement like in his first term.

What tariffs policies and tax cuts are likely to be tabled by the Trump administration?

The first Trump administration started a trade war with China when it hit Beijing in 2018 with a punitive net tariff coverage of nearly 15% of all U.S. imports. In that case, his administration had already imposed several tariffs prior to 2018 as well, with the result that there were overlapping tariffs on a number of products; for example, the 25% tariff that was imposed that year was over and above an antidumping tariff of approximately 66% that was already in place. Despite this somewhat chaotic approach to tariff imposition, one fact was clear — China was the main target on the global stage: at 11.1% import coverage by U.S. special tariffs in 2018, the rate slapped on Beijing dwarfed the rate for other exporters to the U.S., including India, at 0.2%. In terms of products, the U.S. special tariffs preponderantly targeted imports of intermediate goods, and to a much lesser extent capital goods and final products. This is likely to have impacted the final price of finished goods based on intermediate goods sourced within the U.S.

During his 2024 campaign, Mr. Trump had affirmed that he would impose an across-the-board tariff of somewhere between 10%-20% on the entire $3 trillion worth of U.S. goods imports and a China-specific additional tariff of 60%. Assuming that the focus on intermediate goods continues in this context, this would imply a significant jump from his first term in terms of the value of goods impacted, most likely additional tens of billions of dollars’ worth on commodities such as steel and aluminium and at least $300 billion worth of Chinese goods. Retaliation from China, the E.U., India, and other trading partners of the U.S. is sure to follow swiftly.

Regarding the high likelihood of a corporate tax cut, it could come in the form of renewing the lapsing cuts that Mr. Trump had introduced in 2017, through the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. This despite — or perhaps precisely because of — the fact that the policy did reduce taxes for most people, though it disproportionately benefitted the wealthy, according to the non-partisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Their analysis at the time noted this policy resulted in households with incomes in the top 1% receiving an average tax cut of more than $60,000 if the cuts were maintained, compared to an average tax cut of less than $500 for households in the bottom 60%. Additionally, the Trump tax cut “was expensive and eroded the U.S. revenue base… and failed to deliver promised economic benefits,” the CBPP noted.

Other economic policy actions that the Trump White House might advocate for include a carbon-border adjustment tax and quantitative restrictions on investments into U.S. assets such as infrastructure and essential medicine production capabilities, by China.

His administration would also likely seek the inputs of the Department of Government Efficiency — led by the “tech bros” Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy — to reduce wastage and inefficiencies within the purview of the federal government, including by rationalising the actions of bureaucrats and cutting down on regulations across sectors. While the duo have hinted at potentially finding $2 trillion in savings through this initiative, including via mass layoffs and the shutting down of some agencies entirely, critics have challenged the size of the potential gains that could be made here.

What action is expected on immigration?

Going by the Trump campaign’s policy promises in the lead-up to the 2024 election, there is a distinct possibility of a large-scale deportation of undocumented workers. However, there may be several obstacles that the White House might encounter as it carries out this possibly unprecedented action. Firstly, across several states, key urban hubs have vowed to be “sanctuary cities” and pass laws to limit local law enforcement cooperation with the federal government’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This is likely to make it politically complicated to carry out detention and deportation actions on a sizeable scale and in a short time frame. Secondly, the Trump campaign is yet to share details on the cost of such operations to the exchequer, but non-partisan analysts such as the American Immigration Council estimate that such an immigration proposal could potentially cost taxpayers considerably more than $300 billion. These estimates notwithstanding, there is little doubt that Mr. Trump will attempt to accelerate deportations to fulfil his campaign promises, especially as the first Trump administration deported close to 1.5 million people – almost the same number as outgoing President Joe Biden and far less than former President Barack Obama, who turned away nearly 3 million people over eight years in office.

What impact could be expected regarding U.S. foreign policy?

Mr. Trump has proclaimed publicly without explanation or details that he can and will end the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas conflict. On the former, he has said he would end the war even prior to Inauguration Day, even if he views the conflict through the lens of halting the “endless flow of American treasure to Ukraine” and demanding that NATO allies in Europe reimburse Washington for its war-related expenses if they expect military support from the U.S. against future Russian aggression.

Regarding Israel, the incoming President has followed in Mr. Biden’s footsteps and criticised the Israeli government’s aggression in Gaza, although Mr. Trump had tacitly expressed support for Israel by moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in his first term.

What bolsters Mr. Trump’s intentions?

While the Trump 2.0 administration is yet to spell out critical details regarding its policy plans on the domestic and international fronts, one thing is certain: Mr. Trump enjoys an overwhelming mandate expressed through the result of the 2024 election. Further, he will be fundamentally operating from a position of institutional strength given the federal government trifecta, which implies that the White House will enjoy the luxury of greater cooperation in getting policies sanctioned by Congress, and possibly important cases ruled in his administration’s favour by a sympathetic U.S. Supreme Court.

Elon Musk speaks with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump as they watch the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket in Brownsville, Texas, U.S., November 19, 2024. Brandon Bell/Pool via REUTERS
| Photo Credit: Brandon Bell

Billionaire businessman Elon Musk on Sunday (November 24, 2024) took a swipe at the U.S.’ electoral process with California yet to officially announce the results of the presidential polls, more than two weeks after it was held, and drew a contrast with the voting processes in India.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk praised India’s election process, highlighting that the country was able to count a staggering 640 million votes in just one day.

Sharing a post on X, the social media platform that he owns, Mr. Musk wrote, “India counted 640 million votes in 1 day. California is still counting votes.” He also posted a facepalm emoji with his post to express his resentment.

In contrast, Mr. Musk noted that California is still struggling to count its votes, which he termed as “tragic” in response to a meme posted by an X user.

Donald Trump won a second term as President of the United States after securing 295 electoral votes in the 2024 presidential election, defeating Democratic rival Kamala Harris, who garnered 226 votes.

Donald Trump sweeps the battleground States : Data

Following his victory, President-elect Donald Trump has moved swiftly with finalising his foreign policy and national security team ahead of his formal inauguration in January 2025.

Notably, California has the largest number of registered voters in the United States — over 22 million registered voters.

According to the website of the California Secretary of State, on election night, county elections officials must begin reporting results to the Secretary of State no more than two hours after they begin tallying votes after the polls close. County elections officials then continue to report results periodically throughout election night until all precinct vote totals have been reported.

First election results are typically ballots received before election day, which include vote-by-mail ballots and early voting location ballots.

County elections officials may begin opening and processing vote-by-mail ballot envelopes up to 29 days before election day, but those results cannot be accessed or shared with the public until all polls close on election day.

Election results posted on election night are semi-official results based on the in-person ballots cast at voting locations on Election Day, any early voted ballots cast in person prior to election day, and any vote-by-mail ballots received and processed prior to election day.

By law, California county elections officials have 30 days, also known as the canvass period, to count every valid ballot and conduct a required post-election audit.

During the official canvass, elections officials are required to conduct a public 1% manual tally of the ballots tabulated by the county’s voting system in order to verify the accuracy of the automated count.

During the 30-day canvass period, county elections officials process and count provisional ballots, ballots from voters who registered and voted conditionally (Same Day Voter Registration), and vote-by-mail ballots postmarked by election day and received within seven days of the election.

Decoding the mandate for Trump and his picks for the White House | In Focus podcast

This process includes a comparison of signatures on envelopes to the signatures on file.

If a signature is missing or does not compare to the signature on file, state law requires county elections officials to reach out to voters to verify their signature to ensure that their ballot can be counted. By law, voters are allowed to verify their signature up to two days before the county certifies their results.

These processes ensure that all valid votes cast by eligible voters can be counted, and hence, it takes longer for California to count ballots.

President Joe Biden speaks in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

U.S. President Joe Biden said on Thursday (November 7, 2024) that there would be a peaceful transition of power after Republican Donald Trump won the White House and urged Americans to “bring down” the temperature.

Also Read: Trump’s vow to ‘liberate’ U.S. resonated with voters

“You can’t love your country only when you win. You can’t love your neighbour only when you agree. Something to hope we can do, no matter who you voted for, is see each other not as adversaries, but as fellow Americans. Bring down the temperature,” he said in a Rose Garden address.

“I also hope we can lay to rest a question about the integrity of the American electoral system. It is honest, it is fair and it is transparent. It can be trusted, win or lose.”

The U.S. approached a historic Election Day on Tuesday (November 5, 2024), with U.S Vice President and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump making their final cases to voters across battleground states, especially Pennsylvania, in a election that is tight and where both candidates have a shot at winning.

This year is historic for several reasons, including that Ms Harris, 60, is the first Indian American and Black woman to seek the Presidency. Mr Trump, 78, is the first former President to be convicted of a felony and is seeking a second non-consecutive term, only the second is U.S. history. He has also recently survived two assassination attempts.

Ms Harris’s closing messages sought to strike an optimistic note. In Michigan on Sunday, she said the U.S. had an opportunity for a “fresh start” and could “turn the page on a decade of politics driven by fear and division.”

Mr Trump’s closing arguments have focused on security of the U.S.-Mexico border, attacking Democrats and saying he will improve the economy.

“The day I take office the migrant invasion ends and the restoration of our country begins,” Mr Trump said in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Monday.

Mr Trump, who in more than one instant, resorted to violent language in recent days , attacked the press on Sunday at a rally in Lititz, Pennsylvania.

Pointing to the ballistic glass around the podium Mr Trump pointed to a gap in the panels in front of hm and said ,

“And to get me, somebody would have to shoot through the fake news. And I don’t mind that so much, I don’t mind that,” he said.  

Mr Trump frequently points to the media space calling journalists ‘fake news’ during this campaign rallies.

His campaign denied that the remarks were about the media and that they were about the threats to him.

Mr Trump also said he should not have left the White House.

“We had the best economy ever, we had the wall, we had everything,” he said referring to the border being most secure on the day he left office.

“I shouldn’t have left, I mean, honestly…” Mr. Trump said, implying that he had a choice of whether to leave the White House after losing the 2020 elections, the results of which he sought to overturn.

Both candidates continue to get voters to vote.

“And if you don’t vote, you’re stupid,” Mr Trump said in Lititz.

“If we get everybody out and vote there’s not a thing they can do,” he said on Monday in Raleigh.

Mr Trump has also created doubt over the electoral process and its fairness. Over the last few days he appeared to be leaving the door open to challenging the outcome as he had done in 2020.

Mr Trump kicked off the last day of campaigning in Raliegh, North Carolina with scheduled stops in Pennsylvania and a final stop in Grand Rapids Michigan, where some  Arab and Muslim American voters have stepped back from the Democratic Party, because they have felt the Biden-Harris administration has condoned and supported Israel’s actions against in Gaza. Mr Trump has been courting Jewish and Muslim voters in the state.

In Michigan on Sunday, Ms Harris said the number of deaths of innocent Palestinians was “unconscionable” and that the war had to end and that hostages (taken from Israel) had to be freed.

Ms Harris is spending all day Monday in Pennsylvania, likely the most crucial state in the path to the White House. Starting in Joe Biden’s hometown Scranton and ending it in Philadelphia, where she will be joined by celebrities such as former talk-show host Oprah Winfrey and singers such as Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin, who is Peurto Rican.

Ms Harris is reaching out to the Puerto Ricans, who constitute the largest Hispanic group in Pennsylvania. Her campaign is hoping to capitalize on those turned off by remarks last week at Mr Trump’s New York rally, where a comedian called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage” and  he and others who spoke before Mr Trump made racist references.

In North Carolina, Mr Trump called Peurto Rico “great” as he continues to contain any  fallout with the community before November 5.

By Sunday more than 77 million Americans had already voted. Election officials called for patience as ballots are counted, warning that challenges could emerge but that they were prepared.

“Americans can have confidence the election is secure, and the results will be counted accurately,” the National Association of Secretaries of State and National Association of State Election Directors said.

Democratic presidential nominee and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris waves as she boards Air Force Two at Harry Reid International Airport on November 01, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

With the result all set to go down to the wire, the focus of Democrat Kamala Harris in the last week of the presidential polls campaign is on getting sceptics within the camp to get out and vote. Her key allies in this pursuit are former President Barack Obama and independent Senator Bernie Sanders who have made repeated pleas to social groups that traditionally supported the Democrats but are unenthused about voting for Ms. Harris. More than 60 million votes — about a fourth of the total — have already been cast as of Thursday (October 31, 2024). Voting concludes on November 5. Ms. Harris and her Republican opponent Donald J. Trump are urging the rest not to miss voting, but hesitant supporters may be more a concern for the former than the latter.

Ms. Harris has made an audacious attempt to stitch together a coalition of extremes — from socialists to neocons and sections of everyone in between, while maintaining a safe distance from the unpopular President Joe Biden, and seeking to redefine her own political profile in the process.

Proponents of many contradictory strands agree that a second presidency of Republican Donald Trump would be far worse for all of them than having Ms. Harris at the top. Key issues that confuse the Democratic base are the party’s, and specifically the candidate’s, approach towards Israel, the working class and corporate interests. Opinion polls have suggested discontent among African Americans and Latinos too — communities that Democratic strategists have traditionally taken for granted.

Independent Senator Bernie Sanders specially addressed young voters, the working class, Israel critics and Palestinian supporters who are sceptical about Ms. Harris in recent days with the specific warning —“Donald Trump and his right-wing friends are worse.”

In stump speeches, interviews, a video message and in an OpEd, Mr. Sanders had one message to his supporters — Ms. Harris may not be the best on the question of unrestrained support for Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s expanding war in West Asia and on working-class rights vis a vis corporation, but she is better than Mr. Trump.

Mr. Sanders counted himself among the critics of Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris on Israel, and promised to press for a change in U.S. policy, when she wins. Mr. Sanders is openly criticising the Democratic Party for its inadequate appreciation of the struggles of the working class and its linkages with big corporations, and the unqualified support for Mr. Netanyahu. Mr. Sanders was a popular candidate for the Democratic nomination in 2016 which finally went to Hillary Clinton, but he continues to have his finger on the pulse of people who find Mr. Trump appealing.

Democratic establishment has been largely dismissive of the Trump base and this surfaces to the party’s detriment, occasionally. This week, Mr. Biden termed Trump supporters “garbage.” He tried to explain it away later, and Ms. Harris strongly dissociated herself from the sentiment. By acknowledging the grievance of the party’s own base, Mr. Sanders is deviating from the official campaign tone of euphoria, to win over the the disgruntled sections back. Mr. Sanders did exactly the same thing in 2020 for Mr. Biden, and the question is whether he can repeat it, particularly in the midst of a raging war in West Asia.

Mr. Obama has emerged as a central figure in the Harris campaign, which is contrary to his liking, according to some reports. In his latest message, Mr. Obama addressed Black men yet again. “As we enter the final moments of the campaign, President Obama reminds us that you are the most credible messengers,” campaign group Win With Black Men posted along with a video message from the former President, on Thursday. Mr. Obama had publicly noted a lack of enthusiasm among African American men and linked that to Ms. Harris being a woman. His public comments drew backlash from several community leaders who found it patronising.

With various constituents breaking away from their traditional voting positions, neither Mr. Trump nor Ms. Harris has been able to sharply frame the contest around their most favourable question, immigration and abortion, respectively. Ms. Harris has a bevy of Republicans, particularly neocons, rooting for her, but their impact on the electorate is unlikely to be significant. What could be more consequential will be her ability to hold the Democratic camp together and active in the last lap, in swing States.

Many of Donald Trump’s supporters left a Michigan rally before he arrived Friday (October 25, 2024) night after the former President kept them waiting for three hours to tape a popular podcast interview.

Those who remained at the outdoor rally on an airport tarmac huddled in the cold as they waited for the former President to touch down in the battleground state.

Mr. Trump apologized to the crowd for the delay, which he blamed on an interview with Joe Rogan, the nation’s most listened-to podcaster and an influential voice with younger male voters Mr. Trump is aggressively courting.

The interview, taped in Austin, Texas, was released Friday (October 25, 2024) night and ran a whopping three hours, with Mr. Trump telling many familiar stories from his rallies and other interviews but also engaging with Mr. Rogan on topics like the existence of UFOs.

Democrat Kamala Harris was also in Texas Friday (October 25, 2024) for an appearance with superstar Beyoncé in Houston at an event highlighting the conservative state’s abortion ban, which was enacted after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Three of the justices who voted to overturn Roe were nominated by Mr. Trump.

Minutes before Mr. Trump’s Michigan rally was scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. Eastern, his spokesman posted on the social media platform X that Mr. Trump was just leaving Texas, more than two hours away by air. Mr. Trump recorded a video from his plane urging his supporters to stay, noting it was Friday (October 25, 2024) night and promising, “We’re going to have a good time tonight.”

Mr. Trump eventually took the stage at the Traverse City airport, where temperatures dipped to about 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius). The crowd erupted into cheers as video screens showed Mr. Trump’s plane arriving and then him walking off his plane and down the steps.

“I am so sorry,” he said. “We got so tied up, and I figured you wouldn’t mind too much because we’re trying to win.”

Attendees who hadn’t left bundled up, some covered by blankets, as they waited for him to land. The crowd sounded and looked disengaged as North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and former Republican gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon tried to kill time onstage. Hats were thrown to attendees.

Among those who stuck around at Mr. Trump’s rally were John and Cheryl Sowash, who live in Traverse City, and arrived at the airport at 4 p.m.

“Things happen,” said Mr. John. “He spoke to a lot more people talking to Joe Rogan than he did here.”

Indeed, Ms. Cheryl said she was worried about Mr. Trump, who had missed speaking to a larger crowd.

“He’s gonna be disappointed, because there were twice as many people here. He missed it,” she said.

His interview with Mr. Rogan created another opportunity for the Republican nominee to highlight the hypermasculine tone that has defined much of his 2024 White House bid. Mr. Trump has made masculinity a central theme of his campaign, appearing on podcasts targeting young male voters and tapping surrogates who sometimes use crude language.

Throughout the lengthy conversation, Mr. Trump told familiar stories but occasionally dropped new color and nuance.

Mr. Rogan pressed Mr. Trump on whether he’s “completely committed” to bringing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. into his administration.

“Oh, I completely am,” Mr. Trump responded, but added he and Mr. Kennedy disagree on environmental policies. He said he’ll tell Kennedy to “focus on health, do whatever you want.”

Mr. Kennedy has been instrumental in spreading scepticism about vaccines, rejecting the overwhelming consensus among scientists that the benefits of inoculation outweigh the rare risk of side effects.

Mr. Trump again seemed to entertain the idea of eliminating federal income taxes, telling Mr. Rogan, “Yeah, sure why not?” when asked by the podcast host if he was serious about it.

He also repeated at length his grievances about the 2020 election but said, “If I win, this will be my last election.”

Mr. Trump said he’s “never been a believer” in theories about extraterrestrial life visiting Earth. He said he is asked constantly about what the U.S. government knows about “the people coming from space.” He said as president he was told “a lot” but he dodged Mr. Rogan’s entreaties to discuss alien life in detail.

And he criticized federal subsidies aiming to significantly boost U.S. semiconductor manufacturing, one of President Joe Biden’s signature achievements. Chipmakers have credited the legislation for enabling billions of dollars in new factories, including in battleground state Arizona.

He also ripped Taiwan, the self-governing island democracy that has long been aligned with the U.S.

“You know, Taiwan, they stole our chip business,” Mr. Trump told Mr. Rogan. “OK. They want us to protect and they want protection. They don’t pay us money for the protection, you know? The mob makes you pay money, right?”

Mr. Trump called Chinese President Xi Jinping, whose Beijing government considers Taiwan a breakaway province, a “brilliant guy, whether you like it or not.”

The podcaster is known for his hours-long interviews on “The Joe Rogan Experience,” which is listed as No. 1 in the United States, according to Spotify’s charts. He calls women “chicks” and once laughed as a comedian friend described repeatedly coercing young female comics into sex.

Mr. Rogan and Mr. Trump have a complicated relationship. Mr. Rogan had previously said that he declined to host Mr. Trump on his podcast before because he did not want to help him.

Earlier this year, Mr. Trump criticized Mr. Rogan after the podcaster said that Mr. Kennedy, then a candidate, was the only person running for President who made sense to him. Mr. Kennedy has since suspended his bid, endorsed Mr. Trump and joined him on the campaign trail.

In Michigan and at an earlier press conference in Texas, Mr. Trump repeatedly mocked his opponent’s rally in Houston. “Kamala is at a dance party with Beyoncé,” he told the Michigan crowd.

He used his trip to Texas, his second stop in a border state in two days, to escalate his already dark and apocalyptic rhetoric against illegal immigration.

“We’re like a garbage can for the rest of the world to dump the people that they don’t want,” Mr. Trump told supporters Friday (October 25, 2024) in Austin. Mr. Trump has continued to push the unfounded idea that foreign governments actively send criminals to the U.S.

Ms. Harris said the remark is “just another example of how he really belittles our country.”

“The president of the United States should be someone who elevates discourse and talks about the best of who we are, and invests in the best of who we are, not someone like Donald Trump, who is constantly demeaning and belittling who the American people are,” Ms. Harris told reporters in Houston before her event.

As the temperature in Michigan dropped Friday (October 25, 2024) night and many in the crowd streamed out, Mr. Trump suggested that his campaign advisers have urged him not to repeat his past statements about being the “protector” of women.

The former President mimicked advice he said he was getting: “Sir, please don’t say you’re going to protect women.” But he said he planned to keep saying it. “I mean, that’s our job.”

That too was a response of sorts to the Harris event, which was focused on protecting reproductive rights and included a string of women talking about having their health threatened by strict abortion restrictions.

Mr. Trump’s rally was also interrupted twice by audience members needing medical attention. After the second incident, Mr. Trump asked organizers to play the song Ave Maria to fill the time.

That was reminiscent of a recent Trump rally in Pennsylvania when medical attention is required in the audience caused Mr. Trump to sway to that and other songs for nearly 40 minutes.

This time, though, he continued speaking after “Ave Maria” ended.

President Joe Biden on Friday (October 25, 2024) formally apologized to Native Americans for the “sin” of a government-run boarding school system that for decades forcibly separated children from their parents, calling it a “blot on American history” in his first Presidential visit to Indian Country.

“It’s a sin on our soul,” said Mr. Biden, his voice full of anger and emotion. “Quite frankly, there’s no excuse that this apology took 50 years to make.”

It was a moment of contrition and frustration as the President sought to recognize one of the “most horrific chapters” in the national story. Mr. Biden spoke of the abuses and deaths of Native children that resulted from the federal government’s policies, noting that “while darkness can hide much, it erases nothing” and that great nations “must know the good, the bad, the truth of who we are.”

“I formally apologize as President of United States of America for what we did,” Mr. Biden said. The government’s removal of children from their Native American community for boarding schools “will always be a significant mark of shame, a blot on American history. For too long, this all happened with virtually no public attention, not written about in our history books, not taught in our schools.”

Democrats hope Mr. Biden’s visit to the Gila River Indian Community’s land on the outskirts of Phoenix’s metro area will also boost Vice President Kamala Harris’ turnout effort in a key battleground state. The moment gave Mr. Biden a fuller chance to spotlight his and Ms. Harris’ support for tribal nations, a group that historically has favoured Democrats, in a state he won just by 10,000 votes in 2020.

The race between Ms. Harris and former President Donald Trump is expected to be similarly close, and both campaigns are doing whatever they can to improve turnout among bedrock supporters.

“The race is now a turnout grab,” said Mike O’Neil, a non-partisan pollster based in Arizona. “The trendlines throughout have been remarkably steady. The question is which candidate is going to be able to turn out their voters in a race that seems to be destined to be decided by narrow margins.”

Mr. Biden has been used sparingly on the campaign trail by Ms. Harris and other Democrats since he ended his reelection campaign in July.

But analysts say Mr. Biden could help Ms. Harris in her appeal to Native American voters — a group that has trailed others in turnout rates.

In 2020, voter turnout on some tribal land in Arizona surged as Mr. Biden beat Mr. Trump and became the first Democratic Presidential candidate to win the state since Bill Clinton in 1996.

Mr. Biden, whose presidency is winding down, had promised tribal leaders nearly two years ago that he would visit Indian Country.

For decades, federal boarding schools were used to assimilate children into white society, according to the White House. Not everyone saw the apology as sufficient.

“An apology is a nice start, but it is not a true reckoning, nor is it a sufficient remedy for the long history of colonial violence,” said Chase Iron Eyes, director of the Lakota People’s Law Project and Sacred Defense Fund.

At least 973 Native American children died in the U.S. government’s abusive boarding school system over a 150-year period that ended in 1969, according to an Interior Department investigation that called for a U.S. government apology.

At least 18,000 children, some as young as 4, were taken from their parents and forced to attend schools that sought to assimilate them.

“President Biden deserves credit for finally putting attention on the issue and other issues impacting the community,” said Ramona Charette Klein, 77, a boarding school survivor and an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa. “I do think that will reflect well on Vice President Harris, and I hope this momentum will continue.”

Democrats have stepped up outreach to Native American communities.

Both Ms. Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, met with tribal leaders in Arizona and Nevada this month. And Ms. Clinton, who has been serving as a surrogate for Ms. Harris, last week met in North Carolina with the chairman of the Lumbee Tribe.

The Democratic National Committee recently launched a six-figure ad campaign targeting Native American voters in Arizona, North Carolina, Montana and Alaska through digital, print and radio ads.

Democratic Representative Ruben Gallego, who is locked in a competitive race with Republican Kari Lake for Arizona’s open Senate seat, has visited all 22 of Arizona’s federally recognized tribes.

Ms. Harris started a recent campaign rally in Chandler, near where the Gila River reservation is located, with a shoutout to the tribe’s leader. Walz is scheduled to go to the Navajo Nation in Arizona on Saturday (October 26, 2024).

The White House says Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris have built a substantial track record with Native Americans over the last four years.

The President designated the sacred Avi Kwa Ame, a desert mountain in Nevada and Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni-Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon in Arizona as national monuments and restored the boundaries for Bears Ears National Monument in Utah.

In addition, the administration has directed nearly $46 billion in federal spending to tribal nations. The money has helped bring electricity to a reservation that never had electricity, expand access to high-speed internet, improve water sanitation, build roadways and more.

Mr. Biden picked former New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland to serve as his Interior secretary, the first Native American to be appointed to a Cabinet position. Haaland is a member of Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico.

She, in turn, ordered the comprehensive review in June 2021 of the troubled legacy of the federal government’s boarding school policies that led Mr. Biden to deliver the formal apology.

Thom Reilly, co-director of the Center for an Independent and Sustainable Democracy at Arizona State University, said both Ms. Harris’ and Mr. Trump’s campaigns — and their allies — have put a remarkable amount of effort into micro-targeting in Arizona.

“They are pulling out every stop just to see if they could wrangle a few more votes here and there,” Mr. Reilly said. “The Indian community is one of those groups that Ms. Harris is hoping will overperform and help make the difference.”

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump dances on stage after speaking during a campaign rally at Thomas & Mack Center, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, in Las Vegas.
| Photo Credit: AP

Donald Trump said Thursday (October 24, 2024) that China’s leader would handle Vice President Kamala Harris “like a baby” if she’s elected to the White House, as the former President and his top allies increasingly have moved to infantilise the Democratic nominee.

“If somehow Kamala wins, she’d have to deal with Xi Jinping,” conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt said of the Chinese President. “How would he handle her?”

Mr. Trump replied, “Like a baby.”

“He’d take all the candy away very quickly,” Mr. Trump continued. “She wouldn’t have any idea what happened. It would be like a grand chess master playing a beginner.”

Mr. Trump has built his political career around name-calling, inventing jeers for his opponents going back to his first run for President in 2016, when he slammed Republican primary rivals like “Low Energy” Jeb Bush, the former governor of Florida, and “Little” Marco Rubio, the Florida senator. The former President also has a long history of belittling women.

But Mr. Trump has unleashed a special array of personal — often condescending — attacks against Ms. Harris, from calling her “lazy” — a word long used to demean Black people in racist terms — to insisting she’s a “stupid person” and asking whether she is “on drugs.” He’s also called Ms. Harris, the first woman of colour to lead a major-party ticket, “slow” and has accused her of having a “low IQ.”

The latest line of attack, combining sexism and deeply personal jeers with referring to Ms. Harris as a child, comes with Election Day now barely a week off. His campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the remarks.

The former President, who has escalated his already dark and inflammatory rhetoric in the race’s final stretch, spoke at a rally later Thursday in Tempe, Arizona, where he criticised Ms. Harris’ handling of immigration. He accused Ms. Harris of perpetrating “a wicked betrayal of America” and having “orchestrated the most egregious betrayal that any leader in American history has ever inflicted upon our people,” even though crime is down.

During an evening event in Las Vegas, Mr. Trump compared Ms. Harris to “a vulture” in the way he characterised her approach to tax increases.

“Even after Kamala wrecked your economy with inflation, she came after you with tip income, like sort of like a vulture would do,” Mr. Trump said. “If she gets four more years, Kamala Harris will pick your pockets.”

Mr. Harris has offered her own share of insults against Mr. Trump, calling him “increasingly unhinged and unstable.” During a CNN town hall Wednesday she also called Mr. Trump a “fascist.” She was set to join a rally Thursday night in the Atlanta suburbs with former President Barack Obama and musician Bruce Springsteen.

In his Thursday morning interview with Mr. Hewitt, Mr. Trump said he watched Ms. Harris’ town hall on CNN and described her as coming off “like a child, almost.”

“She’s an empty vessel,” Mr. Trump said. “But she’s beautifully pushed around by a very smart, very powerful, very liberal, viciously liberal but very, very smart, powerful party called the Democrats.” Some of Mr. Trump’s allies have used similar attack lines. On Wednesday, former Fox News Channel host Tucker Carlson was warming up the crowd at a Trump rally in Georgia when he suggested that Mr. Trump was ready to punish the Vice President.

“Dad is pissed,” Mr. Carlson told the crowd. “And when dad gets home, you know what he says? You’ve been a bad girl. You’ve been a bad little girl, and you’re getting a vigorous spanking right now.’”

A woman fills out her mail-in ballot at a Montgomery County voter services mobile location in King of Prussia, Pa., Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

Two weeks before the U.S. Presidential elections, as many as 21 million Americans have already cast their vote in the middle of an intense election campaign between the two candidates: Vice President Kamala Harris from the Democratic Party and former President Donald Trump from the Republican Party.

According to data from the Election Lab at the University of Florida, about 7.8 million votes have come in through early in-person methods while the remaining over 13.3 million votes have been cast through mail ballots.

Unlike the Indian general elections, wherein campaigning stops 36 hours before the start of the voting, both campaigning and voting go parallel to each other at least for about four weeks.

The U.S. Presidential elections are scheduled to be held on November 5.

Political pundits say the winner would be decided on the results of the polls in seven battleground States: Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia.

Early voting is a unique provision for American voters wherein elector cast their vote by either asking for a mail-in-ballot, which in some ways could be compared with India’s postal ballots, or they go out and vote as designated polling booths which in many States open up a few weeks ahead of the actual polling day.

According to the Election Lab at the University of Florida, the early voting percentage is just 1.7% among Asian Americans.

However, in many places, several Indian Americans were seen standing in lines to cast their vote.

Chanchal Jhingan, 88, and her daughter Vandana Jhingan stood up in line on October 21 to exercise their right to vote in a suburb of Chicago, Illinois.

In a Democratic bastion, Ms. Vandana said she voted for someone who can “Make America Great Again.”

Jitendra R. Diganvkar encountered a huge line when he went to vote in Texas. “This is full parking. People are coming every minute. I recommend every U.S. citizen who re-registers to vote,” he said.

According to The New York Times, more Republicans are doing early voting than expected.

“They (the Republicans) have done a better job of turning out their voters to vote early,” Sam Almy, a Democratic political strategist who tracks early ballots in Arizona, told the daily.

“I think they realised that early voting is easy and convenient: It turns out your voters quickly, and they don’t have to gamble on turning out all their voters on Election Day,” he said.

“It’s a remarkable turnabout from four years ago when Mr. Trump had thoroughly demonised every method of voting that didn’t occur in person on Election Day,” the daily reported.

As per, Election Lab, among in-person early voters, 41.3% Republicans have voted so far as against 33.6% by the Democrats.

The two parties, Democrats (20.4%) and Republicans (21.%) are almost neck in neck when it comes to mail-in ballots.

“With early voting turnout breaking records in key battleground states, a large number of Republican voters are showing up, potentially paving the way for a win by former President Donald Trump, according to veteran political journalist Mark Halperin,” reported Newsweek.

One-fourth of the voters in the battleground State of Georgia have already voted. According to Georgia’s Secretary of State office, more than 1.84 million Georgians have cast their ballot.

“We are almost pushing 1.4 million who’ve already voted early or who we’ve accepted their absentee ballots. We’re probably gonna see a record turnout, early voting, probably 65 maybe 70% of all Georgians are going to vote that way, but they have a free will choice on how to vote,” Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger told CBS News in an interview.