US election latest: Harris warns election is a choice between ‘country rooted in freedom or chaos’ in closing pitch to voters

With only a week to go until the election, Kamala Harris has delivered her “closing argument” to voters, warning that Donald Trump will have an “enemies list” if he is elected. Meanwhile, a Grammy-winning rapper has said he rejected $3m by the Trump campaign to join him on stage.

That’s all our coverage on the US election for now, but we’ll be back later with all the latest updates.

It has been a big day for Kamala Harris, who delivered her closing pitch to voters in Washington DC.

She warned that the election was a choice between having a “country rooted in freedom for every American, or ruled by chaos and division”.

Taking aim at Donald Trump, she called him a “petty tyrant” and said he would enter the White House with an “enemies list”.

“Each of you has the power to turn the page and start writing the next chapter in the most extraordinary story ever told,” she told the nation.

Here’s what else has happened in the last 24 hours:

  • Joe Biden caused a stir after suggesting Trump supporters were “garbage”;
  • It prompted a backlash from Trump officials, including his running mate JD Vance who accused the US president of “attacking half of the country”;
  • Donald Trump accused Ms Harris of being “heartless and cold-blooded” during a news conference in Mar-a-Lago;
  • He also announced a new fund for “victims of migrant crime”;
  • Harris’s campaign became the first to advertise on the Las Vegas sphere;
  • Rapper 50 Cent claimed he turned down $3m to perform at Donald Trump’s rally in New York this past weekend;
  • Puerto Rico’s largest newspaper endorsed Ms Harris for president;
  • Robert F Kennedy Jr lost his bid to have his name removed from the ballot in two key swing states.

Hollywood actor jailed for role in January 6 US Capitol riots

A Hollywood actor best known for roles in Anchorman and Mr. Show has been sentenced over his role in the January 6 US Capitol riots.

Jay Johnston, who also had supporting roles in Arrested Development and Bob’s Burgers, was sentenced to 12 months and a day in federal prison on Monday.

The 56-year-old from Chicago was arrested in June 2023 and pleaded guilty in July to a felony offence of obstructing officers during a civil disorder.

He was dropped as a featured voice in Bob’s Burgers long before the legal repercussions of his involvement.

In their sentencing memo, federal prosecutors, who had sought a sentence of 18 months, included a photo of him “dressing up as Jacob Chansley, known as the ‘QAnon Shaman'” at a Halloween party two years after the attack.

Prosecutors said Johnston spent about 10 minutes in the lower west tunnel that leads into the Capitol on 6 January 2021.

During that time, he was accused of having helped “at least four other rioters” wash their eyes out after being sprayed with pepper spray.

The cardinal rule surely is – say what you like about the candidate but don’t be seen to insult those who chose to vote for that candidate?

Hillary Clinton learnt that lesson when she dismissed Donald Trump supporters as a “basket of deplorables”.

She had sought, with remarkable clumsiness, to place Trump supporters into “baskets” – those she thought she could win over, and the “deplorables”.

Well, we all know how that went for her.

The question now is whether President Biden has fumbled his way into a “deplorables redux” moment but worse. Not “deplorables” but “garbage”.

Reacting to the comments by a comedian speaking at Mr Trump’s Madison Square Garden Rally, Mr Biden said: “A speaker at his rally called Puerto Rico a floating island of garbage…”

“Well, let me tell you something…. They’re good, decent, honourable people.

“The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters…. his… his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American. It’s totally contrary to everything we’ve done, everything we’ve been.”

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