With less than two weeks until the presidential election polls open, Donald Trump celebrated early voting in Georgia while Kamala Harris reinforced her claim that he is a fascist.
Nearly 25 million Americans have already cast their votes, setting records in several battleground states, a trend partially fueled by Republicans embracing early voting at Trump’s initiative. In Georgia alone, over 1.9 million voters have participated in early voting—a state where Trump lost by a narrow margin of 11,779 votes to Democrat Joe Biden four years ago. Meanwhile, North Carolina also broke its early voting record with more than 1.7 million ballots cast, despite disruptions from Hurricane Helene last month.
At a recent event in Georgia, Trump expressed his approval of the state’s record voter turnout and urged his supporters, “just vote—whichever way you want to do it.”
In other news from Wednesday, allegations emerged from a former model, Stacey Williams, who claims Trump groped and sexually touched her in a Trump Tower incident in 1993. Williams described the encounter as part of a “twisted game” involving Jeffrey Epstein. The Trump campaign responded by labeling her accusations as “unequivocally false,” alleging they were fabricated by Harris’s campaign.
Trump also made an appearance in Zebulon, Georgia, with Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, a known election denier from 2020, at an event his campaign labeled a “Believers and Ballots town hall.” He praised Elon Musk for providing hurricane relief, asserting that the federal government had not done enough.
Later, Trump held a rally in Duluth, joined by guests including Tucker Carlson, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard. During the event, Trump amplified his personal attacks against Kamala Harris, calling her “crazy” and inviting voters to tell her, “You’re the worst ever. There’s never been anybody like you. You can’t put two sentences together. The world is laughing at us because of you.”
In a noteworthy development, the U.S. Justice Department reportedly warned Musk’s Super PAC that his $1 million daily giveaways could violate federal law. Musk, who is a vocal supporter of Trump, announced he would donate $1 million each day until election day to someone who signs his online petition supporting the U.S. Constitution.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump criticized John Kelly, his former Chief of Staff, as “a bad general” suffering from “pure Trump Derangement Syndrome Hatred.” Kelly had recently characterized Trump as “certainly an authoritarian” and met the definition of a “fascist,” sentiments echoed by two retired army officers. Meanwhile, some Republicans, including the governor of New Hampshire, dismissed Kelly’s remarks.
On the other side, Kamala Harris denounced Trump as a “fascist” seeking “unchecked power” and a military loyal only to him. In a surprise address from her home in Washington, D.C., she backed Kelly’s claims. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated President Biden also agreed with those branding Trump a fascist.
During a televised town hall with undecided voters in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Harris was asked by CNN’s Anderson Cooper if she thinks Trump is a fascist; her response was a firm, “Yes, I do.” Although Trump was invited to attend the town hall, he declined the offer.
Harris’s campaign has announced that she will deliver a significant “closing argument” speech next week at the same location where Trump rallied January 6 rioters before the Capitol attack in 2021.
Democratic vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz voted early with his family in St. Paul, Minnesota. After casting his ballot, he described it as “an opportunity to turn the page on the chaos of Donald Trump and a new way forward.”
Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, who is Harris’s husband, rallied Democrats in Florida, shifting his focus from earlier campaign stops in more competitive states like Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. While both parties anticipate a swing towards Trump in Florida, Emhoff’s visit highlighted the key Senate race between the Republican incumbent and the Democratic challenger.
In other campaign-related updates, the Los Angeles Times’ opinion editor resigned after the paper’s owner restricted the editorial board from endorsing Kamala Harris for president. Mariel Garza reacted against the decision made by billionaire owner Patrick Soon-Shiong, who stated that the editorial board rejected a proposal for a more fact-based analysis of candidates’ policies.
Furthermore, new research from Microsoft revealed that China-linked social media bots are targeting Republican figures, including Marco Rubio, while a U.S. intelligence report indicated that Russian groups are spreading disinformation about Tim Walz.
Lastly, Pennsylvania’s highest court has permitted individuals whose mail ballots were rejected due to technicalities to cast provisional ballots, a decision that could impact thousands of early voters, marking another setback for the Republican National Committee’s legal efforts during the campaign.