Harris goes to church while Trump muses about reporters being shot

LITITZ, Pa. (AP) — Donald Trump gave a profane and conspiracy-laden reside 2 days earlier nan statesmanlike election, talking astir reporters being changeable and suggesting he “shouldn’t person left” nan White House aft his 2020 nonaccomplishment to Democrat Joe Biden.

In remarks Sunday that bore nary resemblance to his modular reside successful nan campaign’s closing stretch, nan erstwhile president many times formed uncertainty connected nan integrity of nan ballot and resurrected aged grievances astir being prosecuted aft trying to overturn his conclusion 4 years ago. Trump intensified his verbal attacks against a “grossly incompetent” nationalist activity and nan American media, steering his Pennsylvania rally astatine 1 constituent connected to nan taxable of unit against members of nan press.

The GOP nominee for nan White House noted nan ballistic solid placed successful beforehand of him astatine events aft a gunman’s assassination effort successful July astatine a rally successful Butler, Pennsylvania, and Trump talked astir places wherever he saw openings successful that protection.

“I person this portion of solid here,” he said. “But each we person really complete present is nan clone news. And to get me, personification would person to sprout done nan clone news. And I don’t mind that truthful much.”

It was nan 2nd clip successful caller days that Trump has talked astir guns being pointed astatine group he considers enemies aft he suggested erstwhile Rep. Liz Cheney, a salient Republican critic, wouldn’t beryllium consenting to support overseas wars if she had “nine barrels shooting astatine her.”

His remarks besides bespeak that pinch little than 48 hours earlier Election Day, Trump continues to beforehand falsehoods astir elections and reason that he tin only suffer to Democrat Kamala Harris if he is cheated, moreover though polls propose a tight race.

Some of his allies, notably erstwhile main strategist Steve Bannon, person encouraged him to prematurely state triumph connected Tuesday moreover if nan title is excessively early to call. That’s what Trump did 4 years ago, kicking disconnected a process of fighting nan predetermination results that culminated successful nan Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection astatine nan U.S. Capitol.

His run later sought to explain his meaning successful talking astir nan media.

“President Trump was brilliantly talking astir nan 2 assassination attempts connected his ain life, including 1 that came wrong 1/4 of an inch from sidesplitting him, thing that nan Media perpetually talks and jokes about,” run spokesperson Steven Cheung said successful a statement. “The President’s connection astir protective solid placement has thing to do pinch nan Media being harmed, aliases thing else.”

Harris, meanwhile, told a Michigan religion congregation connected Sunday that God offers America a “divine scheme beardown capable to heal division,”

The 2 awesome candidates offered starkly different tones pinch nan run almost astatine an end, arsenic Harris said voters tin cull “chaos, fearfulness and hate.”

She was concentrating connected Michigan, opening nan time pinch a fewer 100 parishioners astatine Detroit’s Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God successful Christ. It marked nan 4th consecutive Sunday that Harris, who is Baptist, has spoken to a Black congregation, a reflection of really captious Black voters are crossed aggregate battleground states.

“I spot religion successful action successful singular ways,” she said successful remarks that quoted nan Old Testament prophet Jeremiah. “I spot a federation wished to move nan page connected dislike and section and floor plan a caller measurement forward. As I travel, I spot Americans from alleged reddish states and alleged bluish states who are fresh to crook nan arc of history toward justice.”

She ne'er mentioned Trump, though she’s definite to return to her much accepted partisan reside successful stops later Sunday. But Harris did show her friends assemblage that “there are those who activity to deepen division, sow hate, dispersed fearfulness and origin chaos.” The predetermination and “this infinitesimal successful our nation,” she continued, “has to beryllium astir truthful overmuch much than partisan politics. It must beryllium astir nan bully activity we tin do together.”

Harris vanished her remarks successful astir 11 minutes — starting and ending during Trump’s astir 90-minute reside astatine a chilly outdoor rally successful Pennsylvania.

Trump usually veers from taxable to subject, a discursive style he has branded “the weave.” But extracurricular nan Lancaster airport, he went connected agelong tangents and hardly mentioned his accustomed points connected nan economy, migration and rote criticisms of Harris.

Trump besides referred to John Bolton, his erstwhile nationalist information advisor and now a strident critic, arsenic a “dumb boy of a b—.” And he repeated acquainted and debunked theories astir elector fraud, alleging that Democrats could only triumph by cheating. Public polls bespeak a tight and competitory title crossed nan battleground states that will find nan Electoral College outcome.

“It’s a crooked country,” Trump said. “And we’re going to make it straight. We’re going to make it straight.”

Harris pushed backmost astatine Trump’s characterizations of U.S. elections, telling reporters aft nan religion work that Trump’s comments are “meant to distract from nan truth that we person and support free and adjacent elections successful our country.” Those “good systems” were successful spot successful 2020, Harris said, and “he lost.”

The vice president said she trusts nan upcoming ballot tally and urged voters, “in peculiar group who person not yet voted to not autumn for this tactic, which I deliberation includes, suggesting to group that if they vote, their ballot won’t matter.”

Separately, nan vice president tacitly acknowledged nan important organization of Arab Americans successful Michigan, and that community’s voters who are angry astatine nan Biden management for its continuation of nan U.S. confederation pinch Israel amid nan Netanyahu government’s warfare against Hamas successful Gaza.

“I person been very clear that nan level of decease of guiltless Palestinians is unconscionable,” Harris told reporters Sunday aft nan religion service. “We request to extremity nan war, and we request to get nan hostages out. And arsenic president of nan United States, I will do everything successful my powerfulness to execute that end.”

Trump, for his part, acknowledged that he was sidestepping his accustomed attack pinch his conspiratorial speech. He many times mentioned really he disregarded nan proposal of his aides, telling their broadside of nan communicative successful a mocking sound and insisting that he had to talk astir predetermination fraud.

Co-campaign head Susie Wiles, agelong credited pinch bringing bid to Trump’s often-chaotic governmental operation, watched nan erstwhile president silently from disconnected stage.

Trump astatine 1 constituent suggested that he wouldn’t present this type of his reside again: “I dream you’ve enjoyed this,” he said, “because I’m only doing this 1 time.”

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Superville reported from Detroit, Barrow from Washington and Cooper from Phoenix.