FBI investigating apparent assassination attempt of Trump in Florida

Donald Trump’s campaign office in West Palm Beach, Florida, went into lockdown after shots were fired at his golf course Sunday. There were several staffers in the building at the time, a source familiar told CNN.

The lockdown has since lifted. 

A man taken into custody after gunshots were fired near former President Donald Trump at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, was “relatively calm” when detained, Martin County Sheriff William D. Snyder said Sunday. 

“He was not displaying a lot of emotions. Never asked, ‘What is this about?’” the sheriff said. 

Snyder said the unnamed suspect was not armed when law enforcement officials took him out of the car. Snyder said the sheriff’s office would take the vehicle to FBI custody, which will take over the investigation, along with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and the US Secret Service.

Snyder said his agency “flooded” Interstate 95 and closed a large swatch of the highway before eventually safely stopping the suspect vehicle. 

“I have a clear understanding from investigators that we actually do have the suspect that they’re looking for in Palm Beach County,” Snyder said.

An FBI representative asked the public to submit any helpful information regarding the security incident investigation via a tip line, 1-800-CALLFBI, or on the FBI’s website.

“What we need right now is for the public to avoid the area around the golf course. We will continue support this investigation with the full resources of the FBI,” said Special Agent Jeffrey Veltri of the Miami field office at Sunday’s news conference.

A witness saw the suspect later detained in the security incident near former President Donald Trump run from the bushes and took a picture of his vehicle that led to the suspect’s apprehension, according to the Palm Beach County sheriff.

Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said Sunday that his office was alerted at 1:30 p.m. ET of shots fired by the US Secret Service.

Authorities were able to get a hit on the vehicle and alerted the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, which detained the suspect. The witness was able to then identify the man.

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said that a Secret Service agent was able to spot a rifle barrel with a scope sticking out of a fence at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach and “engaged” with the suspect.

The shooter was 300 to 500 yards away from former President Donald Trump, an official said.

The FBI said Sunday it is responding to West Palm Beach, Florida, and “is investigating what appears to be an attempted assassination” of former President Donald Trump.

A suspect has been detained by local police after shots were fired at Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach. 

Florida Republican Rep. Michael Waltz called for the US Secret Service to brief Congress this week after the security incident near former President Donald Trump.

“As I’ve said before, the July 13th assassination attempt was not an isolated incident that we can take our time investigating as domestic and foreign threats are ongoing. As a member of the Assassination Task Force, I expect the Secret Service to brief us this week,” he wrote on X.

Waltz is a member of a bipartisan congressional task force made up of six Democrats and seven Republicans established to investigate the attempted assassination of Trump at a Pennsylvania rally on July 13.

Former President Donald Trump was moving between holes five and six at his South Florida golf course when the security incident happened Sunday, a source briefed on the matter told CNN.  

The suspect, who the Secret Service engaged with, was a number of holes ahead of the former president, according to two law enforcement sources.  

The Secret Service fired at the suspect as a protective measure, that source said.

Trump was golfing with donor Steve Witkoff when the incident happened, a source familiar with the matter told CNN.

Former President Donald Trump is in “good spirits” after the security incident that occurred at his golf course earlier Sunday, according to Trump ally Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham. of South Carolina.

“Just spoke with President Trump. He is one of the strongest people I’ve ever known. He’s in good spirits and he is more resolved than ever to save our country,” Graham wrote on social media platform X.

Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance did not address reporters as he boarded his campaign plane Sunday following a security incident involving former President Donald Trump in South Florida.

Vance, Trump’s running mate, was boarding the plane at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport to return to Washington, DC.

One reporter yelled out to ask whether Vance had talked to Trump or heard anything about the shots fired near the former president while he was playing golf.

Former President Donald Trump said in a fundraising email that he is “safe and well” following the security incident at his golf course in South Florida earlier Sunday.

A suspect who authorities believe is connected to Sunday’s incident at Trump International Golf Course has been taken into custody, according to a Facebook post from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office in Florida.

The sheriff’s office “has stopped a vehicle and taken a suspect into custody,” the post said. A section of Interstate 95 near State Route 714 in Martin County is shut down, the office said.

“We will update this information as it becomes available,” the post continued.

Martin County is north of Palm Beach County, where Sunday’s incident at Trump International took place.

Attorney General Merrick Garland has been briefed on the security incident involving former President Donald Trump in Florida Sunday, according to the Department of Justice.

DOJ spokesperson Dena Iverson said Garland is monitoring the situation and is receiving regular updates following the security incident at the Trump International Golf Club.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are both “relieved to know” that Donald Trump is safe and have been briefed on the security incident involving the former president while he was golfing earlier Sunday, according to the White House.

Biden and Harris, both of whom are in Washington, DC, with no public events today, will be kept updated by their team.

“The President and Vice President have been briefed about the security incident at the Trump International Golf Course, where former President Trump was golfing. They are relieved to know that he is safe. They will be kept regularly updated by their team,” according to a statement from the White House.

In her own statement posted on social media Sunday, Harris said, “I have been briefed on reports of gunshots fired near former President Trump and his property in Florida, and I am glad he is safe. Violence has no place in America.” 

This post has been updated with additional information.

A person has been detained in connection to the incident at Trump International Golf Club on Sunday, according to a law enforcement source.

Secret Service fired at the suspect, according to multiple sources.

A long gun has been recovered, according to the source.

Officials believe an armed individual intended to target former President Donald Trump at his golf club, according to sources briefed on the matter.

Officials believe an armed individual intended to target former President Donald Trump at Trump International Golf Club, according to sources briefed on the matter.

A car has been stopped in relation to the incident nearby, according to a law enforcement official.

The Secret Service said on X that it is working with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office to investigate a protective incident involving former President Donald Trump. The Secret Service said the incident occurred shortly before 2 p.m. ET.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office is planning to speak at 3:15 p.m. ET to share more information, spokesperson Teri Barbera told CNN.

Former President Donald Trump is safe “following gunshots in his vicinity,” his campaign said Sunday.

Trump was playing golf at Trump international Golf Club in West Palm Beach when shots were fired. The course was immediately locked down, according to a source familiar. 

As the 2024 campaign enters its final sprint, the candidates are hitting the trail this week, with Vice President Kamala Harris visiting key swing states and former President Donald Trump holding events in the Midwest.

Here’s what the campaigns are up to:

Monday: Trump will introduce a new cryptocurrency business at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. His running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, will deliver remarks at the Georgia Faith & Freedom Coalition’s annual dinner. Harris, meanwhile, will attend a roundtable with the Teamsters at the union’s headquarters in Washington, DC, as she seeks to win over support from organized labor.

Tuesday: Harris will participate in a “fireside chat” hosted by the National Association of Black Journalists in Philadelphia. Trump will host a town hall in Flint, Michigan, while Vance will deliver remarks at events in Michigan and Wisconsin.

Wednesday: Trump will host a rally in Uniondale, New York, while Vance will speak at a rally in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Thursday: Trump will address the Israeli American Council’s summit in Washington, DC, as a featured speaker. Harris, meanwhile, will be in Michigan, where she will join Oprah Winfrey for a livestreamed event with grassroots groups.

Friday: Harris will campaign in Wisconsin.

Saturday: Trump will hold a rally in Wilmington, North Carolina, while Vance will join Tucker Carlson in Hershey, Pennsylvania, as part of the former Fox News host’s tour across the country.

The city of Springfield, Ohio, is going through “a very difficult time,” the mayor said Sunday, adding that it would be helpful if politicians who amplified false rumors about immigrants eating pets in his city “understood the weight of their words.” 

Springfield Mayor Rob Rue said city officials, including city commissioners, have received threats for the past three days.

Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance reiterated the false claims about Haitian immigrants eating the pets of Springfield residents in an interview with Bash earlier Sunday. But he rejected the notion that his rhetoric has led to the bomb threats against city officials, schools, hospitals and universities in Springfield.

Rue said he has not heard from Vance directly, “and that’s fine,” but said that he and others propagating the rumors should know that authorities in Springfield are telling the truth.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on Sunday criticized GOP vice presidential nominee JD Vance for his lack of “partnerships” with local officials, after the Ohio senator continued to spread baseless rumors about migrants eating pets in the state.

Moore said Vance emphasizing a handful of constituents and dismissing the mayor of Springfield, Ohio, shows he does not understand the importance local politicians play. 

“It just gives a sense about how he views partnership and how he views the intelligence that’s coming from us.”

Springfield Mayor Rob Rue said Thursday the false claims are “hurting our citizens and hurting our community,” adding it’s “frustrating” that some of the rhetoric is coming from Vance, a Republican from Ohio.

Rue on Thursday night urged national candidates — a clear reference to Trump and Vance — to “pay attention to what their words are doing to cities like ours.”

“We need help, not hate,” Rue said.

Kamala Harris’ campaign on Sunday slammed Donald Trump in a statement filled with Taylor Swift song references after the former president expressed hatred for the singer.

Trump had posted to his Truth Social platform earlier Sunday, “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!”

The music superstar endorsed Harris after the ABC presidential debate on Tuesday, ending speculation about whether she would share her political views ahead of November’s election.

On an August afternoon last year in Washington, Kamala Harris appeared at a retail village to promote the Biden administration’s economic record.

“Bidenomics is working,” the vice president announced, touting the latest round of job numbers. “That is called Bidenomics, and we are very proud of Bidenomics.”

The Trump campaign and its allies have spent more than $38 million replaying that soundbite almost 70,000 times in campaign advertisements since Harris became the Democratic nominee, looking to capitalize on persistent voter concerns about the economy and blunt Harris’ turn-the-page messaging by yoking her to President Joe Biden’s record.

Throughout the campaign, Trump and his allies have taken a two-track approach to their attacks against Harris — on the one hand linking immigration and crime, and amplifying public safety concerns; while on the other, slamming the Biden-Harris economic record, with a particular focus on inflation.

The spree of ads replaying Harris’ endorsement of “Bidenomics” reflects the latter approach, and that share of the pro-Trump messaging has been increasing as the campaign fine-tunes its advertising strategy for the final weeks of the race.

Democrats — including Biden and Harris — ditched the “Bidenomics” branding long ago as part of their messaging on the economy. For the vice president, her approach to the issue since ascending to the top of the Democratic ticket speaks to the balancing act she has faced when it comes to embracing the administration’s record.

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Federal Reserve officials won’t say how former President Donald Trump winning a second term could impact the economy, striving to stay apolitical. But transcripts of closed-door Fed meetings from Trump’s first term, now publicly available, give some clues about top economists’ true feelings about the former president’s economic agenda.

“So it seems to me that we may be trading a greater likelihood of a sustained expansion over the next year or two for a greater likelihood of a hard landing later,” Dudley added. A hard landing refers to when the Fed is unable to bring inflation down without causing the economy to enter a recession.

Dudley, who is now president of Washington and Lee University, did not respond to CNN’s request for a comment.

If voted into office in the November presidential election, Trump has promised to impose sweeping tariffs of at least 10% on all foreign imports, up to 60% for some Chinese products, and levies as high as 100% for countries that abandon the dollar as their reserve currency.

If enacted, those policies could have wide-reaching effects on the US economy as well as economies across the globe.

The Fed declined to comment to CNN.

Read more here

Former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Saturday claimed that he’s under investigation for collecting a whale’s specimen nearly two decades ago.

Kennedy likely misspoke about the name of the investigating agency, as the National Marine Fisheries Services is an organization that falls under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. CNN has reached out to the agencies for comment.

On Saturday, Kennedy claimed he wrote a letter in response, accusing the investigators of killing whales and marine wildlife with “giant offshore wind farms off the East Coast.”

A story resurfaced last month that Kennedy once used a chainsaw to cut off the head of a dead whale carcass that washed onshore of his Cape Cod family home and then drove the whale head back to New York. The story was recounted by Kennedy’s daughter Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy in a 2012 interview with Town & Country Magazine.

An environmental group, the Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund, had called for Kennedy to be investigated over the incident, arguing in a letter to NOAA that his actions could have jeopardized scientific research .

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro on Sunday condemned Republican vice presidential nominee and Ohio Sen. JD Vance for refusing to walk back his baseless claims that migrants are eating pets in Springfield, Ohio.  

Shapiro’s comments came after Vance defended false claims about Haitian immigrants eating pets earlier Sunday in an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash. Officials at the city and state level have repeatedly tried to end the rumor. Springfield officials have told press and city commission meetings that there are no credible reports of animal abuse by immigrants in the area.

Shapiro also told CNN that he anticipates a close race between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris in Pennsylvania but noted that he’s optimistic his state will show up for Harris. 

“I think what I’m seeing more and more of is not just the folks who are lining up to vote for her, but those who are enthusiastic about her candidacy in communities that oftentimes are not enthusiastic about Democratic candidates — and encouraging their neighbors to be for them as well,” Shapiro said. “So I’m really hopeful.” 

Former President Donald Trump on Sunday continued raising doubts about election integrity and claimed, without evidence, that it was “not possible” for the US Postal Service to properly “run the 2024 Presidential Election.”

“The United States Postal Service has admitted that it is a poorly run mess that is experiencing mail loss and delays at a level never seen before. With this being the FACT, how can we possibly be expected to allow or trust the U.S. Postal Service to run the 2024 Presidential Election? It is not possible for them to do so. HELP!” Trump posted on Truth Social. 

While election officials have warned that the US Postal Service may delay mail-in voting, citing systemic issues in the postal service as more Americans prepare to cast their ballots by mail, there is no evidence that its “not possible” for the postal service to handle mail-in ballots.

Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Sunday flatly denied the false rumor spread by Donald Trump that Haitian immigrants are eating pets in Ohio and praised immigrants for their positive influence on the community.

“No. Absolutely not,” DeWine said when asked if he’d seen any evidence of the pet-eating rumor, a tale many Republicans, including Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, have promoted.

“Let me tell you what we do know, though. What we know is that the Haitians who are in Springfield are legal,” the governor said on ABC’s “This Week.”

“They came to Springfield to work.”

DeWine acknowledged the city was having some issues adjusting to the influx of mostly Haitian immigrants through a federal immigration program, but he said they were working to deal with the issues.

“When you go from a population of 58,000 and add 15,000 people onto that, you’re going to have some challenges and some problems,” the governor said. “And we’re addressing those. We’re working on those every single day.”

But the governor said the Haitian immigrants in Springfield are “positive influences” on the community and “any comment about that otherwise, I think is hurtful and is not helpful to the city of Springfield and the people of Springfield.”

Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance on Sunday said he learned his lesson about speaking for Donald Trump after previously stating the former president would veto a national abortion ban. 

“I think that I’ve learned my lesson on speaking for the president before he and I have actually talked about an issue. What he has said at the debate, which is quite explicit, is he doesn’t support a national ban. He thinks it’s ridiculous to talk about vetoing a piece of legislation that isn’t going to come before the president in the first place,” Vance said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

On the debate stage, Trump said that he doesn’t support a national abortion ban, but wouldn’t explicitly say he would veto one, rather that it wouldn’t make it through Congress.

“We hadn’t discussed it,” Vance said. “We still haven’t discussed it, by the way, because it’s not realistic.”

Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance on Sunday sought to distance the Trump campaign from far-right agitator Laura Loomer, stating that while he doesn’t agree with her comments about Vice President Kamala Harris, it is not “an issue of national import” or insulting to talk about “dietary preferences.” 

Two days before the ABC presidential debate, Loomer said if Harris, whose mother was from India, wins the 2024 election, “the White House will smell like curry & White House speeches will be facilitated via a call center.”

Pressed on whether he disavows those comments, especially considering his wife is the daughter of Indian immigrants, Vance said, “I just told you I don’t like those comments, and I think that we ought to focus on Kamala Harris’ policy failures.”

When Trump landed in Philadelphia on Tuesday before his debate against Vice Kamala Harris, Loomer was among the close allies seen deboarding his private plane. He said Friday that he doesn’t control Loomer, whom he described as a “free spirit” and “supporter.”

Former President Donald Trump on Sunday said he hates Taylor Swift, days after the pop megastar endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.

“I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform

Swift endorsed Harris after the ABC presidential debate on Tuesday, ending speculation about whether she would share her political views ahead of November’s election.

“Recently I was made aware that AI of ‘me’ falsely endorsing Donald Trump’s presidential run was posted to his site. It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation,” Swift posted on Instagram.

“It brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter,” Swift continued. “The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth. I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election.”

Asked about the endorsement on Fox News Wednesday morning, Trump cast Swift as a “very liberal person” and said she will “probably pay a price for it in the marketplace.”

Former President Donald Trump has conjured up an inflammatory false claim about Vice President Kamala Harris’ policy positions — baselessly saying Friday that Harris is talking about forcing Americans to serve in the military.

Trump claimed at a rally in Las Vegas that voting for Harris means voting for war with Russia and voting to bring back the draft, a system in which some men are conscripted into involuntary service in the armed forces.

Trump continued: “Would anybody like to be drafted, in the audience? Because that’s what they’re doing. She’s already talking about bringing back the draft. She wants to bring back the draft, and draft your child, and put them in a war that should never have happened.”

Facts First: Trump’s claim is false. Harris is not talking about bringing back the draft and has not put forward any proposals to bring back the draft.

Trump’s campaign did not respond Saturday to CNN’s requests for any evidence for his claim. A Harris campaign aide said, “We have no idea what he’s talking about.”

The US has not had a draft since 1973, the year it completed its military withdrawal from Vietnam. (Trump received five draft deferments during the Vietnam War draft, four because he was a college student and a fifth on account of a doctor’s diagnosis of bone spurs in his heels.) Since 1973, the country has used an all-volunteer force.

Regardless of the wishes of any president, launching a new draft would require Congress to pass legislation.

Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance on Sunday defended false claims about Haitian immigrants eating the pets of residents in Springfield, Ohio in an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union.”

Asked to support his claims, Vance pointed to what he said are firsthand accounts from constituents who have told him this is happening, though he didn’t provide the evidence. 

Bash replied, “You just said that this is a story that you created.”

Vance said, “It comes from firsthand accounts from my constituents. I say that we’re creating a story, meaning we’re creating the American media focusing on it. I didn’t create 20,000 illegal migrants coming into Springfield thanks to Kamala Harris’ policies. Her policies did that. But yes, we created the actual focus that allowed the American media to talk about this story and the suffering caused by Kamala Harris’ policies.”

The city of Springfield notes on its website that approximately 12,000 to 15,000 immigrants live in Clark County, and that Haitian immigrants are there legally as part of a parole program that allows citizens and lawful residents to apply to have their family members from Haiti come to the United States.

Local officials at the city and state level have repeatedly tried to end the rumor about immigrants eating pets. Springfield officials have told press and city commission meetings that there are no credible reports of animal abuse by immigrants in the area.

On Tuesday, Vance said it’s possible the false claim might not be true, but he encouraged his followers to continue posting “cat memes.”

As CNN reported, Springfield Mayor Rob Rue said Thursday that the claims are “hurting our citizens and hurting our community,” adding it’s “frustrating” that some of the rhetoric is coming from Vance. 

US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Sunday swiped at former President Donald Trump over the baseless claims he’s pushed that immigrants in Springfield, Ohio are eating pets.

Local officials at the city and state level have repeatedly tried to end the rumor. Springfield officials have told press and city commission meetings that there are no credible reports of animal abuse by immigrants in the area.

Buttigieg continued, “They go for something that is so outrageous that you actually can’t ignore it. The media can’t ignore what’s going on, because very real pain has been inflicted on and fear, by the way, on people in this community and other communities around the country.”

Sen. Joe Manchin, the conservative Democrat-turned-independent who had toyed with a presidential run and has long been a thorn in the side of the left, has been mum about the candidate he’s backing in November.

But that could soon change, as Manchin signaled he may get off the sidelines and plans to speak to Vice President Kamala Harris soon.

Sen. Mitt Romney, the Republican Party’s 2012 presidential nominee who voted twice to convict former President Donald Trump in his impeachment trials, reiterated his disdain for Trump – and objected to the former president’s refusal to say at last week’s debate that he wanted Ukraine to win its war against Russia.

Asked twice if he could endorse Harris, Romney pointedly refused to say.

The comments by Manchin and Romney – two retiring senators who have been on the outs with their respective party’s base – underscore how Trump has turned off some more moderate voters but also how Harris herself has yet to close the deal with right-leaning voters turned off by the former president.

A third Trump detractor, GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, doesn’t plan to vote for Harris, even as she said of the former president’s debate performance, “I don’t think it was Donald Trump’s best evening.”

Read more here.

Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, is taking “extreme precautions” in response to an email that threatened an on-campus shooting targeting Haitians on Sunday, according to university officials.

The threat comes as several prominent Republicans, including former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, have promoted false claims that Haitian migrants in Ohio are killing and eating family pets.

Local officials at the city and state level have repeatedly tried to end the rumor. Springfield officials have told press and city commission meetings that there are no credible reports of animal abuse by immigrants in the area.

The threat to Wittenberg University “targeted Haitian members of our community,” a statement released Saturday said. “Wittenberg Police are cooperating with the Springfield Police Division and the FBI to investigate this threat.”  

All activities have been canceled on Sunday, and the Springfield Police Division will increase patrols on campus, the university’s statement said, adding that those who are on or near campus should “prepare for additional instructions or a lockdown if we learn more from the ongoing investigation.”

Wittenberg University had 1,288 undergraduate students enrolled in the fall 2023 term, according to its website.

CNN has reached out to the Wittenberg Police Department for additional information. 

Donald Trump wanted to spend this week attacking one of Democratic rival Kamala Harris’ biggest political vulnerabilities. Instead, he spent most of the week falsely claiming that migrants are eating pets in a small town in Ohio and defending his embrace of a far-right agitator whose presence is causing concern among his allies.

Trump’s repeated parroting of unfounded social media rumors about Haitian migrants in Ohio eating pets stole headlines during a trip West, including stops in Arizona and Nevada, late this week. The promotion of the claims overshadowed a series of speeches aimed at the economy and blaming Harris for border security failures.

Trump, in a news conference in California on Friday, promised “large deportations” from Springfield, Ohio — the town that has become a political flashpoint as Republicans, including Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, spread false claims about Haitian immigrants eating pets.

The city of Springfield notes on its website that approximately 12,000 to 15,000 immigrants live in Clark County, and that Haitian immigrants are there legally as part of a parole program that allows citizens and lawful residents to apply to have their family members from Haiti come to the United States.

Read more here.

New polling post-debate from ABC News and Ipsos finds Vice President Kamala Harris leading former President Donald Trump among likely voters, with the margin in the race unchanged from ABC News polling conducted in late August. 

Overall, 52% of likely voters back Harris, 46% Trump in the poll, the same margin the pollsters found among likely voters in an August 23 through 27 poll.

Among adults, the survey suggests little change in the dynamic between the candidates on the campaign’s central issues. Trump continues to be more widely trusted to handle the economy (46% Trump to 39% Harris) and immigration (47% Trump to 37% Harris), while Harris is broadly more trusted on abortion (48% Harris to 34% Trump) and protecting American democracy (45% Harris to 38% Trump).

The ABC News poll was conducted online Sept. 11-13 among a random national sample of 3,276 adults and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2 points. For results among the 2,196 likely voters, the error margin is plus or minus 2 points.

Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign and Nebraska Democratic officials are keeping a close eye on any last-minute efforts to change the election law that awards the state’s electoral votes by congressional district, rather than statewide winner.

Nebraska’s unique law presents an opportunity for Democrats to secure one of the state’s votes by winning the district surrounding Omaha — a critical blue dot in a sea of red.

The state’s Republican Gov. Jim Pillen made it clear Friday that he is willing to call a special legislative session on changing the state to a “winner takes all” model before the November election — but said in a statement that he doesn’t yet have “concrete and public indication” that enough lawmakers would back the move.

Nebraska Democratic chairwoman Jane Kleeb said Saturday that Pillen’s statement signals Republicans “do not have the votes to change the fair electoral system we have in Nebraska.”

When the matter of changing the law came up for a vote in the state legislature earlier this year, it was 17 votes shy of passing. Kleeb said Saturday that those 17 votes remain “very solid.”

Bottom line: If Vice President Kamala Harris can win the “blue wall” states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, plus the blue dot vote in Nebraska, she can likely reach 270 electoral votes without winning a single other contested battleground state.

That means a potential change to the law — which would be a shocking development so close to the election — could have serious implications for each presidential campaign.

Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz made a direct pitch to Muslim and Arab American voters in Michigan, addressing those concerned about the Biden administration’s handling of the war in Gaza.

The Minnesota governor used an interview Friday to reiterate Vice President Kamala Harris’ support for a ceasefire-hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, and argued Trump’s record of targeting Muslim Americans is “not in your best interest.”

Harris is more cognizant of the suffering of Palestinians than Trump, Walz said in the interview with WXMI in Grand Rapids, Michigan, addressing those from the “Abandon Harris” movement.

Illustrating the constant balancing act for the Democratic ticket on the Middle East, Walz also emphasized the importance of Israel’s self-defense.

“That’s why she’s the person to move us toward a two-state solution, where Israel can be protected, we get our hostages back, and Gaza can be self-determined,” he added.

Walz contrasted Harris’ view with Trump’s previous support of a travel ban that targeted people from Muslim-majority countries, and his calls to send some Muslim members of Congress to their countries of origin.

“Donald Trump is offering you nothing,” Walz said, to voters skeptical of Harris over the issue. “That is not in your best interest.”